Aurora Trip Membership DVD Shop 1. Public Lecture: 'The Birr Telescope and the Big Bang' As part of the Dublin City of Science events, Dr Cormac O'Raifeartaigh will describe the construction of the world’s largest telescope at Birr Castle in Ireland by William Parsons, the Third Earl of Rosse, in the 1840s. Astronomy at Birr Castle played an important part in the development of the big bang model of the universe. Using his Leviathan telescope, Parsons discovered the spiral structure to mysterious 'nebulous' objects in the night sky, which we now know to be galaxies. This work aided astronomers in developing a theory that the Universe evolved through time into the Universe we see now, from something very different in the past. Order tickets and DVDs here or by calling (01) 890 11 11 2. Northern Lights Tour to Norway Following this year's successful trip to Norway to see the northern lights, we have teamed up with Project Travel again to give you another opportunity to see this fantastic natural phenomenon! In February 2013 we will visit Tromsø to explore its surroundings, its history, and of course, the northern lights. Travellers will have the opportunity to visit the Science Centre & Planetarium, to go dog-sledding, to take an aurora photography workshop, and much, much more! For more details, a full itinerary, and booking details, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway 3. An Introduction to Astronomy Summer School - Offer Ends Friday! Due to a huge amount of interest, we've decided to reopen our special offer of €20 off the enrolment fee for our Summer School until Friday, June 22nd! An Introduction to Astronomy is a new set of classes developed by Astronomy Ireland to give newcomers to astronomy a good grounding in observational astronomy. Students will learn about the constellations, the Moon and the Sun, the history of astronomy, how telescopes work, and what to see in the night sky. The course is ideal for those who want to get more out of their stargazing sessions, without being going into the more complex details of astrophysics and cosmology. The Astronomy Ireland Summer School will commence on July 18th and run each Wednesday for four weeks. To book your place now at the special reduced rate of only €120 (€80 for members), please visit www.astronomy.ie/summerschool 4. Sun Show on Saturday Each Saturday from 1pm we will hold a Sun Show at the Astronomy Ireland Shop, allowing the general public to view the Sun in safety to see magnificent solar flares and planet-sized sunspots. This is an excellent opportunity to try out some daytime astronomy with the help of experienced astronomers. Get more information on the Sun Shows HERE. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )