20 Months Membership Offer 2010 Events DVDs Shop 1. Antikythera Mechanism - Public Lecture and DVD On Monday, September 13th, Professor Mike Edmunds will try to unlock the many mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism, a fiendishly complex device which puzzled historians and astronomers for centuries. This ancient computer was chanced upon at the wreckage of a Roman vessel off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, and has ever since fascinated scientists and historians alike due to its complexity and accuracy. The research on the device is led by Prof Mike Edmunds and his team who suggested that it was used to follow the movement of the Moon and Sun through the Zodiac, the planets that were known at the time, namely Jupiter and Mars, as well as predicting lunar eclipses and the dates of the Ancient Olympics. No other civilisation is believed to have created anything this complex for another 1000 years. For more information about this event click HERE. The lecture takes place in the Fitzgerald (Physics) Building, Trinity College Dublin, on September 13th. Tickets cost 7euro (5euro members rate) and there is a DVD available for anyone who cannot make it to the talk on the night. After the lecture there will be a party in The Lombard. All our welcome to attend and you will have the opportunity to chat with Professor Edmunds, other guests, and Astronomy Ireland staff and volunteers. BOOK TICKETS ORDER DVD 2. 'Astronomy For Beginners' Evening Classes October 2010 Our Autumn set of 'Astronomy for Beginners' classes will commence this October at locations around the country.The course is professionally developed by the Astronomy Ireland team, informal in style and aimed towards the general public. It is suitable for anyone with an interest in astronomy that wants a good grounding in this fantastic hobby without any complex mathematical content or complex data. The course is given over 8 weeks and covers topics such as: Introduction to the night sky, the Sun and the Moon, the planets and stars, the history of astronomy, telescopes, deep sky objects, and the Big Bang. This year we will have classes running in the following ten locations: Athlone, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Letterkenny, Sligo, Tralee and Waterford. Classes take place each week from 7:30 - 9:30pm (including a 15 minute break) with the first class and registration taking place on Thursday, October 7th. Classes cost 180euro (130euro members rate) and include membership to Astronomy Ireland and a subscription to our magazine 'Astronomy & Space'. As 2010 marks our 20th anniversary when you sign up for evening classes this year you will get 20 months membership instead of 12 - that's 8 free magazines! Places must be booked in advance so don't delay - book your spot today! To enrol for the classes call us on (01) 847 0777 or click the link below to enrol online. For more information visit www.astronomy.ie/class. CLICK HERE TO ENROL Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop