1. Here's a Press Notice issued by Astronomy
Ireland that will be of interest to many of you!:
PRESS NOTICE - December 15
TELESCOPE
EXTRAVAGANZA!
( See: VENUS -
MARS - MOON )
Astronomy Ireland will set up the biggest array of
telescopes ever seen in Ireland at 5pm this Friday, Saturday and Sunday to
show the two brilliant naked eye planets that have appeared in Christmas
skies:
the planets VENUS and
MARS and THE MOON !!!
VENUE: ASTRONOMY IRELAND, unit
75 Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5. Tel (01) 847
0777
DATES: FRIDAY,SATURDAY,SUNDAY DECEMBER
16,17,18 at 5pm
Venus is coming close to Earth and is already a prominent
object which people have been calling Astronomy Ireland about - asking IS IT THE
CHRISTMAS STAR RETURNING?
Mars is closer to Earth now than it will be until
2018!
Both are a fantastic sight in the telescopes that will be
set up for FREE viewing each evening.
"Hopefully, one or all of the nights will be clear and we
will be able to show thousands of people these incredible planets up close and
FREE!" said David Moore, Ireland's best known astronomer.
VENUS will be revealed as a large crescent - a view
which prompted Galileo to conclude that the Earth was not at the centre of the
universe which ultimately led to his near execution and life
imprisonment.
MARS will be shown as a large disk whose surface features
will be visible - something that very few people in the world have ever seen and
a sight that prompted Victorian astronomers to conclude there was intelligent
life on the planet which ultimately gave rise to all the stories of "little
green men from Mars" which pervades our society with stories of 'aliens' to this
day.
The incredibly powerful telescopes will give unprecedented
views of the planets and the Moon which will also be in the sky.
2. ASTRONOMY SHOP OPEN ALL
HOURS!
Our Shop in Artane (one of the biggest in Europe) will now
be open late on Thursday and Friday and will also be open on
Sunday.
You can call and have your Christmas telescope delivered
anywhere in Ireland for free, or drop in an browse around the huge showroom of
telescopes, binoculars, books, DVDs, and more.
Opening hours are now:
Monday to Wednesday 9:30am to 5:30pm
Thursday to Friday 9:30am to 9pm
Saturday 10am to 6pm
Sunday 11am to 7pm
Beware of cheap telescopes on sale this Christmas - call
Astronomy Ireland for free advice first.
TEL (01) 847 0777
Merry Christmas!