ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy Club, Magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- It's been a busy week here at Astronomy Ireland so there's a lot of news that has to be condensed in to this one email as we've been too busy getting the October issue of "Astronomy & Space" off to the printer during the week. We have all your Perseid reports inside and lots more as usual including October's Total Eclipse of the Moon - the last for over 2 years. It'll be posted late next week if you subscribe www.astronomy.ie/sub). Here goes... 1. SUNSPOT APPEARS + AURORA SEEN The first ever big sunspot that we predicted on our telephone Newsline (1550-111-442) appeared on time! Check it out at http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/mdi_igr/512/ or view it with your inexpensive AstroSolar filter available from our Shop, by post or in person www.astronomy.ie/map.html The big sunspot should stay on view for 2 whole weeks. Will it grow, will it shrink? Let us know at observe@astronomy.ie An aurora was seen by Martin McKenna in Co. Derry and John Flannery in north Dublin on Monday night. Nothing to do with the sunspot, the Earth's magnetic field was just favourable to let the solar wind in to the Earth's poles. Please email observe@astronomy.ie now if you saw it too? Always goes to show that it's worth checking the northern horizon every clear night, especially now with that big sunspot about. Remember, if you ever see an aurora please immediately TEXT our alert line on 086 081 99 86 with your name and location. We can then email an alert to everyone in time to see it. 2. LECTURES GALORE Sept 10 (Fri) ASGI meeting. Ireland's researchers meet twice a year to present professional level papers. This conference will be held in University College Dublin, Theatre C, Science building 10am-5:40pm. Details www.arm.ac.uk/asgi At 5:40pm, after the ASGI meeting, a meeting of the A RADIO TELESCOPE for IRELAND (ARTI) project will also be held. All welcome. www.arti.ie Astronomy Ireland is a member of ASGI and as such all members may attend to observe the proceedings but you are asked to respect the fact that this is a professional level meeting, not aimed at the general public. I expect to be there so do come up and say hello. Admission is free. Sept 13 (Mon) AI Public Lecture. The Director of Armagh Planetarium, Dr Tom Mason, will give his first ever public lecture for us at 8pm in the Henry Grattan Building in Dublin City University on "Mars - Life in Hostile Environments". Admission is 5euro (3euro if you show the current issue of our magazine at the door, or if you are a student, under 16, unwaged or OAP). Details www.astronomy.ie/lecture0409.html Please note we are asking you to please email if you intend coming to this lecture, see this weblink or just 'reply' now with your name and number of places required. Thanks to those of you who have done so already. All are welcome. Last month's AI lecture was truly excellent and Tom Mason has a professional background that will allow him to explain why the Mars Rovers drilling in to rocks is so important to the search for Martian Life. Don't miss it! See you there. Sept 22 (Wed) RIA Lecture: Nobel Laureate Professor Leon Lederman "The Search for Simplicity in the Universe" at 7 pm. in the Burke Theatre, Trinity College Dublin. Details at www.ria.ie/events/lederman.html where you must book online, but tickets are FREE. I've booked mine already. Oct. 7 (Thu) AI Astronomy Evening Classes. Suitable for beginners. Advance booking is essential and you can do so online as many of you have already: www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html don't forget to join the society to get your 30euro discount! 3. NASA's NEW PLANETS The press conference on Tuesday that we alerted you to in the last email was very interesting. NASA relegated the European discovery of 'smaller-than-Jupiter' new planets to third place "...a bronze medal"! Still, a lot of interesting science and we'll be covering it the magazine. Leo Enright did a piece on RTE Radio 1's 5-7 Live show which you can still listen to at www.rte.ie/news/2004/0831/57live/57live8.smil and NASA details at www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/newworlds/extrasolar-083104.html 5-7 Live also did an interesting report the day before about a new radio astronomy website www.radio-astronomy.net where you can hear sounds from space: www.rte.ie/news/2004/0830/57live/57live3.smil Do you think we should invite Geoffrey Marcy (USA) or Michel Mayor (Geneva) to speak in Ireland? Perhaps at Astro-Expo (so that everyone in Ireland can meet the main people who discover exo-planets) this year, or maybe next year? We are interested in your comments (just 'reply' to this email and give your name and location too). 4. FIRST CONTACT? HARDLY! The news was ablaze with stories of signals from extra-terrestrials yesterday! By noon though the BBC (at least) had crushed the story (a New Scientist article had been over-hyped!). Here's one article from a 'reliable source' http://planetary.org/news/2004/seti_signal_0902.html note the concluding remark "but as of now there is no breakthrough". However, 5-7 Live still did a piece on it that evening which is quite entertaining. Where does Leo Enright get all those sounds from! Listen at www.rte.ie/news/2004/0902/57live/57live2.smil By the way, if you ever see any stories in the daily papers do email us (fax a copy to 01-8470771 if you can) with newspaper name+date+page as we keep a press clip library. Or send a TEXT to 086 081 99 86 (please store that number in your mobile now!) 5. HAWKING SOLD OUT We have nearly sold out of the September issue of our magazine that details Stephen Hawking's new theory which he announced in DUBLIN to the world in July. There's a feature on everything you ever wanted to know about black holes. One of Hawking's own PhD students has said the "summary of Stephen's talk was very good". There are just a few issue left which you can drop in to buy in our Shop in Dublin 5, or call, or order SECURELY online at www.astronomy.ie/sub. Just 5euro INCLUDING postage for a piece of history, and you'll be supporting the promotion of astronomy in Ireland. 6. DIGITAL CAMERA BINOCULAR SALE Speaking of the Shop we currently have a "20% off" sale on Celestron's new Digital Camera Binoculars (the VistaPix range). Come in and see them or call. We're open Saturday noon to 6pm as well as normal office hours during the week. Several other bargains on the Shop floor this week too, and 300 books, dozens of telescopes on display, and lots more in Ireland's only dedicated astronomy showrooms www.astronomy.ie/map.html. Please support Astronomy Ireland and buy from our Shop. It's well worth a visit, even just to browse this weekend! Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat