Membership DVD Shop SUMMER PUBLIC LECTURE MONDAY JUNE 10 AT 8PM Following the huge explosion over Russia earlier this year (Feb. 15) that injured over 1,000 people we are delighted to announce that the curator of one of the best collections of rocks from space at the Natural History Museum in London will give Astronomy Ireland's Summer Public Lecture on June 10th in Dublin. This talk will also be made available on DVD for everyone in the country. Dr Caroline Smith is a world authority on meteorites and she has won awards for her research into analysing. She is currently planning to send a spacecraft to Mars to bring rock samples back to Earth for analysis. She has been interviewed many time by the media and is a brilliant speaker. After the record close approach of that other asteroid (2012 DA14), the similar explosion to the Russian one that occurred in Argentina more recently, and the huge 3km wide 1998 QE2 that sailed past Earth last week, it's clear that we live on a planet in a veritable cosmic shooting gallery. Vast numbers of species have been wiped out in the past by big impacts, not just the dinosaurs, and about two meteorites per year land on Ireland and many more fireballs brighter than the Moon are reported to Astronomy Ireland every year. So, I hope you will join me to hear a world authority talk about this fascinating subject. Remember, you are more likely to be killed by a meteorite impact than in a plane crash! For tickets and DVDs, please visit www.astronomy.ie David Moore Chairman, Astronomy Ireland 2. European Space Expo The European Space Expo is underway in Trinity College Dublin and will continue until June 9th. Admission to the European Space Expo is free, and you can view the programme of events online at www.spaceexpo.ie/programme 3. Astronomy Summer School Understanding the Universe is a brand new set of astronomy classes to help stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts understand how the Universe works. The new course will take place in Trinity College Dublin, and commences on July 17th. For more information and enrolment, please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool 4. International Space Station The ISS is visible over Ireland in our evening and early morning skies at the moment. For the times to see the Space Station (plus other interesting info about planets it passes, etc.) visit www.astronomy.ie/iss Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )