1. Last Friday April 15 saw Astronomy Ireland members set up telescopes all around Ireland and hundreds of you came along to get a close up look at the most spectacular object visible in a telescope - the Moon. I was at the Dublin Moon Watch where a spectacular array of some of the most powerful telescopes showed the craters, mountains, and valleys on the Moon in stunning detail. We had chosen April 15 as National Moon Watch Day because the Moon was very high up AND the planet Saturn was right next to the Moon in the sky. So we used the opportunity to show Saturn and its rings and moons in the telescopes also. Those who stayed on at the events also got to see the planet Jupiter rising in the East. There were a few clouds around at some of the Moon Watches but virtually everyone got to see the Moon and marvel at its surface features in close-up. Our next Watch is for Jupiter and will take place at our Star-B-Q next week. Watch www.astronomy.ie for a report with pictures this week, and go there now to book next week's Star-B-Q if you haven't already done so! 2. Prof Tom Ray notifies us of a special "Time Event - Exploration of the Idea of Time, Cosmology & Literature" with talks by John Banville, Brendan Kennelly and John Barrow (cosmologist) in Trinity College Dublin at 6:30pm, Burke Theatre, Arts Building. See http://www.ria.ie/events/time.html 3. Twice a year Ireland's professional astronomers and students get together for a meeting to describe their work under the auspices of the ASGI. While not aimed at the general public students or prospective students should try to get along: April 21 & 22, Thurs & -Fri, NUI-Galway: Spring 2005 ASGI/CosmoGrid joint meeting. See http://www.arm.ac.uk/asgi/Spring2005/index_asgi.htm I hope to go, let me know if you need a lift from Dublin to Galway. 4. To mark the 15th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, Armagh Planetarium is running a Special HST & Faulkes Telescope Event. The event begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday April 24 with live presentations at 2:30, 3:30, and 4 p.m. on the discoveries of the HST. Weather permitting, there will be a live link-up with the 2m robotic Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii. NOTE: this event takes place at the Ulster Museum in Belfast as the Planetarium is closed for refurbishment at present. http://www.ulstermuseum.org.uk/whats_on/events/?article=864 I hope to go, let me know if you need a lift from Dublin to Belfast. 5. For your weekly news either tune in to the AI Radio Show every Tuesday at 8pm (or download it after 9pm at www.astronomy.ie/radioshow.html ) or call our Newsline on 1550-111-442 for this week's news - big Jupiter event on Friday!!! - David Moore (Chairman, Astronomy Ireland: www.astronomy.ie ) Visit us at one of Europe's BIGGEST ASTRONOMY SHOPS in: Unit 75, Butterly Business Park, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin 5. Tel: (01) 847 0777. Open Mon.-Fri 9:30-17:30 AND SATURDAYS NOON TIL 6PM