Astronomy Ireland · www.astronomy.ie · (01) 847 0777 · info@astronomy.ie 1. "ANCIENT TELESCOPES OF ARMAGH OBSERVATORY" Mon Sept 12 D.C.U. 8pm Our next Leinster Area public lecture takes place tonight (sorry for short notice, BA Festival and aurora distracted me last week!). It will also be made available to members all around Ireland on DVD. Dr John Butler will travel down from Armagh Observatory to tell us all about the famous telescopes and instruments that have just been restored at the Observatory (founded 1790). More details at www.astronomy.ie/lecture0509.html including maps. All welcome. 8pm in lecture hall CG12, Henry Grattan Building, Dublin City University, Dublin 9. To order DVD go to www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.html only 5euro!!! 2. TRAVEL AGENT? A lot of international contacts were made at the B.A. Festival of Science last week and we'd like to arrange tours to places of significant interest around the world in the coming months and years. Anywhere from U.K., Europe to the southern hemisphere! If you are involved in the travel industry and could advise on how to organise such events, or your company could contract to do the organising please email info@astronomy.ie 3. AURORA & I.S.S. ABOVE MOON I saw no aurora last night from brief checks of the northern sky and we received no sightings from anywhere else in Ireland either. Activity as measured by satellite and around the world continues to increase however and that sunspot on the Sun is huge! See http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html and click on the MDI image So there is a good chance of an aurora tonight and the next several nights so keep watching the north sky and email observe@astronomy.ie if you see anything. If you want to view the sunspot be sure to use AstroSolar (inexpensive and available from our Shop) in front of your binoculars or telescopes, it's an amazing sight. In the meantime the International Space Station continues to blaze across the sky every night until Thursday night inclusive. Monday night's prediction is 9:11pm passing above the Moon. For less than a euro call our Newsline 1550-111-442 every afternoon for the latest prediction including other 'local' news, and any aurora updates! 4. SATURN NEAR BEEHIVE Every morning this week, by 3am the planet SATURN rises in the East and is plainly visible to the naked eye until morning twilight interferes (5:30am or so). See the diagram on page 26 of our September magazine (available from www.astronomy.ie/sub if you want to support the society). You will see that Saturn is closest to the Beehive Star Cluster over the next few nights and worth checking out all week - so set those alarm clocks! Please send sighting reports and photos to observe@astronomy.ie as this is one of the most spectacular events of the month. Don't forget to scrutinise the 'evening planet' MARS in your telescope from now until Christmas as it is coming closer than it will until 2018! See Sky Diary pages every month for details. Hoping to see you all at tonight's September Public Lecture, - David Moore, Chairman. SOCIETY · MAGAZINE · SHOP Astronomy Ireland · www.astronomy.ie · (01) 847 0777 · info@astronomy.ie