Special Christmas Offer Events DVDs Shop 1. Christmas Lecture and DVD Did you know that Europe is building the world's biggest telescope - twice as big as anything that US astronomers plan to build? Did you know that the man in charge - the most important astronomer in the world - is coming to Ireland to give Astronomy Ireland's Christmas Lecture? On December 14, Professor Tim de Zeeuw, Director General of the European Southern Observatory, will talk about his amazing telescope facilities - the envy of scientists worldwide - which are famous globally for being the best skywatching machines on the planet. These telescopes have discovered supermassive black holes, Earth-like planets, and the most distant explosions in the Universe. At our Christmas Lecture Tim de Zeeuw will talk about all these things as well as tell the audience of his experience as keeper of the world's largest telescopes. This amazing lecture will take place in Trinity College Dublin, on December 14, at 8pm. For more information click HERE. For anyone who cannot make it to the lecture on the night there is a DVD available to order online. BOOK TICKETS ORDER DVD 2. Christmas Gift Idea - Membership Incl. Season Ticket Why not give a little extra to a friend of family member this Christmas, and include a season lecture ticket along with a gift membership? For only ?100 your loved one will not only get Astronomy & Space delivered to their door each month, but will get a special ticket for entry to all of our monthly lectures, or for a copy of each Lecture DVD. Remember, as it's the International Year of Astronomy, that means that your friend will get 15 magazines and 15 lectures or DVDs! To buy a season ticket with membership, click HERE. 3. Full Moon This Week There will be a Full Moon visible tomorrow night, December 3. There have been several reports of Moon Halos over the last few nights, attributed to the cold weather we have been experiencing. A Moon Halo is an optical phenomenon that appears as a wide, bright ring around the Moon in the night sky. They are caused by refracted moonlight from ice crystals in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The shape of the ice crystals focuses the refracted light, thus forming it into a ring-like structure around the moon. They are particularly prevalent in and around Full Moons and we encourage all of you to go outside over the next few nights and look for them. For more information there is a good article HERE. Remember to email your reports and pictures to observe@astronomy.ie and we will try to include your observation in a forthcoming issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop