1. Name the next ESA mission to the ISS!

Following the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to earlier competitions, the European Space Agency (ESA) are once again offering YOU the opportunity to be a part of a space mission by suggesting a name for ESA astronaut Christer Fuglesang's mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Fuglesang will travel to the ISS on the Discovery shuttle, due to launch on August 6, and his primary role for the mission will be to carry out 2 of 3 space walks due to take place, as well as conducting scientific experiments and earth observations. The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the ESA Member States, such as Ireland, and the winning name will become the official European name of Fuglesang's mission. For details on how to participate click HERE.

For more details about Ireland's place in the European Space Agency, managed by Enterprise Ireland visit our webpage www.astronomy.ie/space.

2. What to see in Irish Skies

There are several special events in Irish skies for the next few days:

Saturn is moving lower in the skies in the evenings. It will be effectively invisible by the end of July so be sure to get a look at its famous rings and moons through a telescope before it goes! Saturn is above the Moon on Saturday, June 27.

The Great Hercules Cluster (M13), is just about visible with the naked eye all evening almost straight overhead. Owners of GoTo telescopes should check out M3 and M5, both globular clusters.

Also at this time the galaxies M51 and M81/82 are visible through telescopes: M51 is in the West about 45 degrees up, and the pair of galaxies, M81/82, are 40 degrees up in the North-North-West.

Jupiter is visible in the South East after midnight. A telescope will easily reveal its cloud bands and moons, and binoculars will show you the disk of the gas giant. See magazine Sky Diary for exact times to watch!

Venus and Mars remain in conjunction, and won't be as close together in the sky again this year as they are now. They are visible in the mornings in the North-East from about 3am onwards, before sunrise. If you see them, look to the left and you should be able to make out the Pleiades star cluster.

For diagrams and lots more details all month long, see Sky Diary pages of our magazine (only 5euro inc. p&p).

IMPORTANT: Email what you see to observe@astronomy.ie for our monthly magazine report.

3. The World's Largest Ground-Based Lunar Image Mosaic

Over the last 3 months, a team of some of the world's most prominent astro-imagers took part in an incredibly ambitious project to create the largest ground-based mosaic image of the Moon, and in doing so, entered the Guinness Book of Records. The project, which was largely conducted from the home of Sir Patrick Moore in Selsey, required specialist astronomy cameras, high-end amateur telescopes, as well as specialist software to compile and mosaic the frames. The result of this impressive project is an astonishing and brilliantly defined shot of the Moon, eclipsing any other image taken so far by ground-based astronomers.

To see the image with full zoom capacity go to www.lunarworldrecord.com.

The image is available for purchase in various dimensions, and ALL money raised will be donated to Sir Patrick Moore's chosen charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

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