1. Vacancy: Executive Secretary Astronomy Ireland requires a full time Executive Secretary to assist in the day to day running of the organisation. The duties in this exciting and challenging post include: General secretarial type office work: Processing membership applications: Magazine distribution: Handling telephone queries: Invoice processing. Helping to promote Astronomy Ireland events e.g. Lectures, Star-B-Qs, Evening Classes etc by sending our notices of events: Full training will be given. If you would like to be considered for this post then send your CV to director@astronomy.ie immediately. Attractive salary offered. 2. Major Public Lecture & DVD (International Speaker) On Monday 11 February Astronomy Ireland presents its latest public lecture in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin at 8pm which will be recorded on DVD for everyone in Ireland. We are flying in Dr. Harry Ward, of the Institute for Gravitational Research, University of Glasgow to tell us about LISA - the first spaceborne gravitational wave observatory which promises to revolutionise our understanding of some of the most exotic objects in the Universe like black holes. The three LISA spacecraft will have unprecedented precision of measurement. Movements of just a fraction of the width of an atom over five million kilometres will be measured! In this talk the LISA mission will be presented, focusing on the anticipated results, the incredible measurement techniques, the current status of the mission design and progress, and on the LISA Pathfinder technology-demonstrator mission that will fly in 2010. For those who cannot make it to the venue on the night a DVD will be produced for 5euro (order now on website below) Details: Event: Astronomy Ireland Public Lecture "LISA - Gravitational Wave Mission" Date: 8pm February 11 (Monday) Venue: Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin (map on website) Admission: 5 Euro (3euro to members and concessions) Tickets are available at the door, or on www.astronomy.ie or call Astronomy Ireland on (01) 847 0777 3. Giant Telescope Demo & Patrick Moore's Sky At Night Our newly revamped telescope showroom now has a massive CGE 1400 telescope on display until February 20th when Carl O'Beirnes will take it to Sir Patrick Moore's home in the U.K. to film the next episode of The Sky At Night on the BBC. Carl has been invited on to the show to explain how he uses it to take his pictures of the planets which you will have seen in our magazine. If you want to drop in to see the telescope and Carl please do so in the next couple of weeks. Map and opening times are at www.astronomy.ie/shop You will also see the CGE 1400 telescope in the free catalogue you can download at that webpage. The CGE 1400 is a 14-inch compact telescope on a superbly engineered high precision computerise CGE mount which are available from our Shop. Congratulations to Carl for this great honour! 4. NASA scientist giving Evening Classes You can still register for our beginners Evening Classes in Athlone, Cork and Dublin at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html The Dublin classes are being given by NASA scientist Dr James McAteer. If you don't mind missing the first introductory talk there are still 7 more classes to go with the next being Wednesday February 6th so sign up now and join over a hundred other beginners around Ireland. 5. Telescope Nights and Things to see: Members in the Leinster area go to the Wicklow mountains for dark sky viewing on clear Moon-free Friday and Saturday nights. If you want to come along call the Shop on (01) 847 0777 strictly between 4pm and 5pm each day for the latest decision. Bring your telescope if you have one. Things for everyone in Ireland to see include: Mars - closer now than it will be until 2016. On view for several more months. Saturn - rising in the East by 8pm this week and visible until June. Venus & Jupiter - very close in morning skies this weekend Comet Holmes - high up and still visible to naked eye I.S.S. - visible next week, more then. (text SPACE to 57003 in meantime) TOTAL ECLIPSE OF MOON Feb 20/21 - see magazine Full details of all these and more in our February "Eclipse" magazine: order for just 5euro including postage at www.astronomy.ie/sub and get ready for the last Moon Eclipse we'll see for 8 years!!! Astronomy Ireland www.astronomy.ie Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine One of Europe's Biggest Telescope Shops Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat