New Year Sale DVD Membership Shop 1. Jupiter Watch Report and Photos While it was cold, it was also a cloudless night all over the country, and people came out in droves to visit Astronomy Ireland's Jupiter Watches at locations around the country. The nationwide event was well-attended by families, with adults and children alike enjoying the wonders of the Universe. For many people, this was the first time they had seen through a telescope, let alone see some of the amazing sights that were on offer that night. People simply could not believe that they were seeing Jupiter, its storms, and its moons with their own eyes! Some of the spectacles that were seen included: Jupiter, the Moon, Venus, the Pleiades, the Orion Nebula, and the Whirlpool Galaxy. Our Public Watches could not take place without the help of Astronomy Ireland Branch Coordinators and Volunteers, and we thank them for all their hard work! To read individual Branch reports and to see some photographs, check out the Jupiter Watch Report webpage HERE. 2. 'Astronomy for Beginners' Evening Classes This week's Nationwide Jupiter Watch ran advance of the 'Astronomy for Beginners' Evening Classes, which begin on February 8th and February 15th at locations around the country. At the Evening Classes people will get to learn their way around the night sky, where stars and planets come from, how telescopes work, the history of astronomy, cosmology, and much, much more! The course is designed for beginners and no complex mathematics or physics concepts, and it will take place in locations around the country. Thanks to our "Repeat for Free" offer, you don't have to worry about missing a class, as you can repeat the entire course again when it runs next! The enrolment fee is €130 for members and €180 for non-members. You can enrol online at www.astronomy.ie/class or by calling (01) 890 11 11. Please call us for details of group rates if you would like to attend with friends or family. 3. Astronomy Tips Jupiter is still a prime target in our evening skies, and is visible high in the south from twilight. This is a great sight through binoculars which will reveal its four largest moons, and through a telescope, which will show off its colourful cloud bands and storms. See the Sky Diary in this month's Astronomy & Space for a table of when to see the famous Great Red Spot. Accompanying Jupiter at twilight is Venus, blazing extremely brightly in the west as it rests above the horizon. Also known as the Evening Star, Venus shows phases that change as it orbits the Sun, similar to how our Moon changes as it orbits Earth. Mars, the Red Planet, sits over the eastern horizon from 9pm. Mars is easily recognised as a brighter star-like object with a reddish-orange tinge, and rises for better viewing later on in the night. Remember to send your observation reports to observe@astronomy.ie so that we can include them in our magazine, Astronomy & Space. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )