ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy club, magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. PUBLIC LECTURE about Saturn probe CASSINI-HUYGENS and Titan For those in the Leinster area, Dr Alan Fitzsimmons (from Belfast) will give Astronomy Ireland's AUGUST PUBLIC LECTURE "Titan Blinks" tonight Monday August 9th in Dublin City University at 8pm. With the Cassini spacecraft now safely in orbit about Saturn and due to release the Huygens probe on Christmas Day that will then land on the surface of Titan (Saturn's largest moon) there could not be a better time to review what we know about Titan, particularly from an event witnessed from Earth last November. Intrigued? Then come along and hear Dr Fitzsimmons (from Queens University Belfast), who is an excellent speak and an expert in planetary astronomy. ALL WELCOME. This talk is aimed at the general public. Admission 5euro (3euro for anyone carrying a copy of the August issues of A&S!). FREE TO STUDENTS (show valid student card at door). Details, and map of DCU at www.astronomy.ie/lecture0408.html Main lecture theatre in the Henry Grattan Building (follow the signs), next to THE HELIX. 2. PERSEID METEOR SHOWER I saw a few of these while on holiday last week in partially clear skies. The numbers will increase until the nights of maximum activity which should be Wednesday and Thursday nights this week, with pre-dawn on Thursday morning being officially best. The Moon is out of the way this year so conditions are ideal for the best annual shooting star shower. Watch every night this week and in to early next week too though, as clear skies cannot be guaranteed. Don't forget that this year's Star-B-Q is set for Friday deliberately to get a very good display of the Perseids - see below. Full details of the meteor shower, how best to see them (lots of tips), etc., are in the August issue of the magazine on page 28: click here to have a copy posted to you TODAY www.astronomy.ie/sub 3. NEWSLINES THIS WEEK This will be updated by 7pm tonight (just back from holidays!) This week's headlines are: PERSEIDS PEAK VENUS NEAR CRESCENT MOON SATURN NEAR CRESCENT MOON MERCURY PROBE LAUNCHED SEE NEPTUNE STAR-B-Q Please call our Newslines on: 1550-111-442 and 09001-88-1950 IRELAND U.K. 95c/min 60p/min (call costs from mobiles may vary) FAXBACK SERVICE: Use your fax (or modem and fax software) to get a printed copy of the weekly script I write (Ireland only) on 1580-111-767 (calls cost 240c/min but are much shorter than voice service). 4. STAR-B-Q Ireland's premier observing event take place this Friday and a special attraction will be the Perseid Meteor Shower (see above). Second only in popularity to Astro-Expo (in November), "Star-B-Q" is a barbecue under the stars with lots of large telescopes aimed at the wonders of the universe for the general public to see like few on Earth have ever seen them. There will be binocular and naked-eye guides to the night sky also, an indoor lecture, and of course all the food you can eat from the barbecue. Over 200 hundred people from all around Ireland have already booked and there are only a few days left to get your tickets, which you can do online at www.astronomy.ie/sbq.html by credit card, or by calling in to our Shop/office in Artane, Dublin 5 ( www.astronomy.ie/map.html ). Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat