ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. IRISH SKEPTICS SOCIETY LECTURE CANCELLED Due to a bereavement the Irish Skeptics Society has had to cancel Kevin Nolan's Public Lecture ("The Scientific Response to Creationism") which was set for tomorrow, Wednesday Sept. 1st in Buswell's Hotel. An announcement will be made when the lecture can be rescheduled. www.irishskeptics.net 2. NASA: NEW TYPES OF PLANETS At 6pm our time today (August 31) NASA has called a press conference to announce a "MAJOR EXTRA-SOLAR DISCOVERY". They say "planet-hunters will announce their discovery of a new class of planets beyond our solar system at a NASA Science Update... to be held in the NASA Headquarters in Washington. The discovery represents a significant and much- anticipated advance in the hunt for extra-solar planets". You can tune in live on the net at www.nasa.gov and watch it on NASA TV. No doubt it will on the usual TV news channels after 6pm tonight also. 3. NEWSLINE THIS WEEK There's a LOT of news on our Newsline this week, a new bright comet is coming and Venus and Saturn are amazing in morning skies during their brilliant conjunction that is now taking place (see August issue of our magazine page 23!!!): HEADLINES THIS WEEK: SATURN AND VENUS VERY CLOSE THIS WEEK; (I've been up at 5am every morning, so should you!) GIANT SUNSPOT PREDICTED; (first time we've ever done this!) NASA TO ANNOUNCE NEW CLASS OF PLANETS FOUND; (see above) MOON NEAR PLEIADES STAR CLUSTER; (see September issue of magazine also) AND, NEW COMET MACHHOLZ WILL BE BRIGHT AT THE END OF THE YEAR. Please call 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min, in UK dial 09001-88-1950 at 60p/min) for details 24 hours a day. Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat -----------------------------------------