ASTRONOMY IRELAND E-MAIL LIST 2 January 2005. 1. Aurora Alert Jan 2 & 3 An explosion on the Sun (X class flare) has prompted an aurora alert for tonight and tomorrow (Jan 2 & 3). Keep an eye on the northern sky for glows, rays, etc. So far (8pm Jan 2) all of our experts around Ireland are reporting no aurora despite mostly clear skies so it doesn't appear to have started for Ireland yet, so keep an eye out all night long. As usual, if you spot anything please immediately TEXT 086 081 99 86 (keep this number in your phone!) giving your full name and location (town + county). Then please email a full report when you have finished watching for the night to observe@astronomy.ie 3. Naked Eye Comet Comet Machholz (C/2004 Q2) is visible to the naked eye even from the suburbs of Dublin and an impressive sight in binoculars. From darker skies it should be spectacular. It's just below the Pleiades star cluster tonight and moving towards the cluster (closest Jan 6 and 7). As you may have seen in the Irish Times we are organising Comet Watches all around Ireland on BOTH Friday January 7 and Thursday January 13 while the Moon is out of the way (see list of venues so far at www.astronomy.ie) The comet is high in the South every evening this week making it very well located. See the 2 page article and star map in the January issue of our magazine that was posted in mid December (or order a copy at www.astronomy.ie/sub). Comet Machholz will be a fine sight until February and well worth watching into March as it passes near the North Star (Polaris). Don't forget to send all your sightings to observe@astronomy.ie and your photos to gallery@astronomy.ie as we have received virtually nothing yet except personal emails and texts Here's a nice photo from our friends in Austria http://www.astrostudio.at/Astrofotos/aufnahme.php?a_id=341&page=1&kategorie=&k_id=39 3. BBC1 TV Sky at Night (Sunday night) & Lecture Astronomy Ireland member Sir Patrick Moore presents his monthly TV show tonight (technically Monday morning 1:50am) on BBC 1 TV about the images sent back by the Cassini mission so far (the Huygens probe was successfully released Christmas Day and the Cassini craft successfully moved out of its collision course with Titan so we now wait for the landing on Titan Jan 14). Note that one of the leader of the UK Team for the Cassini Huygens Mission, Prof Carl Murray, will be in Ireland to give Astronomy Ireland's February Lecture in D.C.U.! See website and book early by reserving seats NOW by emailing lecture@astronomy.ie (note that our New Year Lecture on Jan 10 in Dunsink Observatory has SOLD OUT!) Cassini Lecture details at http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0502.html This lecture will be recorded and made available to members all around Ireland (Christmas Lecture is just about ready on DVD watch for announcement to this list soon). 4. Our Office & Shop Opening Hours (+ January Sale!) Our office and the Astronomy Shop will re-open on Tuesday January 4 at 9:30am (we closed on Christmas Eve at 6pm). A massive January Sale will be in effect until January 31st. See booklist on our website (but note some titles have sold out). There will be up to 40% off some telescope models and discounts on practically every Celestron model (while stocks last). So plan to drop in or call as early as possible in January (Saturday January 8th from noon til 6pm will be a special day if you can make it in to the Shop then or call us). Happy New Year! ========== David Moore B.Sc. F.R.A.S. Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor, Astronomy & Space magazine. Astronomy Shop, Dublin 5. info@astronomy.ie www.astronomy.ie Tel: (01) 847 0777