[adapted from a Press Notice being issued to over 600 media contacts on Friday morning! Check Newslines for any last minute updates on Friday afternoon if you can] Rush hour traffic congestion in Dublin on Friday could be a little worse if motorists stop on or near the Red Cow Roundabout at 5:31pm to watch the biggest man made object in space blaze across the face of the Moon. The 100 billion dollar International Space Station is the brightest star like object in the sky when it flies over Ireland every night this week and next week so bright city lights will NOT be a problem. It is extremely rare to see I.S.S. pass in front of the Moon so Astronomy Ireland is urging everyone in the capital to watch the Moon at 5:31pm on Friday. No matter how bright streetlights may be in your area you will easily see the I.S.S. as it approaches the Moon and then passes in front of it. Everyone in Dublin will see I.S.S. pass close to the Moon and those along a thin track covering most of the south side of the city will see the Station pass in front of the Moon for about 2 seconds. A thin line from Clondalkin, over the Red Cow Roundabout, to Terenure and then to Booterstown is the ideal place to see I.S.S. pass across the centre of the Moon, but 5 km north or south of this line will see a "transit" of the Moon. Dublin is not the only place favoured on Friday. Anyone living along a line from Clifden to Tuam to Athlone to Dublin, and all parts in between, will see I.S.S. pass in front of the Moon or very very close to it. I.S.S. looks like a brilliant 'star' to the naked eye. It is home to three astronauts, two men and one woman, over the holiday period. Over the coming nights I.S.S. will blaze across the sky at different times each evening until January 3rd when it will be the most spectacular sight in the sky. This is an extremely rare event but it should be repeated for different parts of the country every day until early into the New Year so Astronomy Ireland has set up a phoneline on 1550-111-442 to issue daily predictions. Although we have predicted this before, only two people in Ireland has ever seen I.S.S. cross the Moon since it was launched in 1998. Of course, everyone near (in the same county) the line will get to see I.S.S. pass quite close to the Moon at 5:31pm so we encourage everyone to watch carefully, and email ISS@astronomy.ie if you see it please (you can also TEXT 086 081 99 86) Happy New Year! P.S. And book now for Scotland's Astronomer Royal (and magician) Lecture or DVD at www.astronomy.ie on Jan. 8. ASTRONOMY IRELAND - for telescopes and information www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777