Astronomy Ireland's February Lecture Meeting for the Leinster area (see Feb magazine posted 3 weeks ago) is very special indeed (Feb. 13 in D.C.U.) We are flying in a speaker from the U.K. to talk about Black Holes, neutron stars and exotic objects that he studies with the Newton X-Ray Space Telescope. For the 70% of you who live outside Dublin we hope to make a DVD of the talk. Please book seats now on our website www.astronomy.ie/lecture0602.html and bring all your friends! Order the DVD at www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html Here's some more details: Astronomy Ireland Public Lecture “Black Holes” By Dr. Ulrich Kolb, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics, Open University, UK. Astronomers have launched a telescope in to space that has X-ray vision. Called "Newton" after the famous English scientist who discovered gravity, it is being used by astronomers from the Open University in Britain to probe the nearest big galaxy to our own called Andromeda in search of the most incredible objects in the universe - BLACK HOLES. Dr Ulrich Kolb is a Black Hole hunter working in the Open University. He will be visiting Ireland next week to give a public lecture for Astronomy Ireland to which everyone is invited. "Black Holes are the most amazing and exotic objects in the Universe" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "In them space and time cease to exist and everything that falls in is crushed to exactly nothingness. Whole stars can be gobbled up" he said. In the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy there is a giant Black Hole and when we look across the vastness of space we see Black Holes ripping apart the universe. Dr. Kolb studies these Black Hole stellar graveyards in the Andromeda Galaxy where he can get a clear view with the Newton X-Ray Space Telescope. He has, arguably, one of the most fascinating jobs in the world and he will tell the general public what he can see at the Public Lecture next Monday night. The new technology of X-Ray telescopes is rapidly uncovering the secrets the most amazing objects in our Universe – Black Holes. These swirling masses from which nothing ever escapes because of their enormous gravitational pull, not even light, are starting to yield up astonishing secrets. Those secrets are the very essence of what our Universe is made from. Dr. Kolb is a World-renowned expert on this groundbreaking technology. Everyone is welcome and it should be a fascinating account aimed at the general public. Venue: Henry Grattan Building, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9. Date of Lecture: Monday February 13. Time: 8:00pm Admission: €5 (€3 children/students) To book places call (01) 847 0777 or visit www.astronomy.ie/lecture0602.html and bring all your friends! Order the DVD at www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html IN OTHER NEWS: Evening Classes begin on Feb. 22. Book now at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html Eclipse Trip still has a few places left. Book now at www.astronomy.ie/turkeyeclipse.html A.I. Radio Show is online every week at www.astronomy.ie/radioshow.html If you missed David Moore on the Pat Kenny Radio show paste this link in to your internet browser rtsp://streaming2.rte.ie/2006/0208/08022006rte-todaywithpatkenny.rm The interview starts 1 hour 34 minutes and 40 seconds in to the show His "Big Bite" TV spot was rescheduled to Feb. 20 at 2:30pm. Join Astronomy Ireland at www.astronomy.ie/sub and get our magazine every month.