Join Magazine Events DVDs Shop Star-B-Q "Dark Matter" "Moonshot" 1. Apollo 40th Anniversary Astronomy Ireland are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landings next Thursday, July 23, with former BBC journalist, Dan Parry. He will travel to Dublin especially to talk about this historic event, his ITV series 'Moonshot', and book of the same name. Marking the 40th anniversary of the first manned Moon Landing, Dan will speak of the rare access he has had to leading names in the world famous Apollo missions, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and many more. Parry's new book 'Moonshot' gives readers the true story of our most compelling feat of putting men on the Moon, an event which has captured the minds of millions since 1969. This is a celebration not to be missed, so to get an idea of what it really felt like to be sent to the Moon and to hear some of the real life stories of some of the key players in the Apollo mission, come to this event next Thursday, July 23. There will be a book signing at 7:00pm, with books available to purchase on the night. Lecture begins at 8:00pm sharp. For more information click HERE. Dan Parry's docudrama 'Moonshot' will be aired on Monday, July 20, at 10:30pm on RTE One, and at 10:50pm on ITV. Book seats HERE. Order DVD HERE. Order Book HERE. 2. NASA Apollo 40th News Today (July 16) Leo Enright has arranged a simultaneous live event take place in the Science Gallery (TCD) and Blackrock Castle Observatory (Cork) showing the launch of Apollo 11 on big screens at 3:32pm - the exact moment when it happened 40 years ago. There will also be a high definition tape of last night's launch of Endeavour, and at 4:00pm, people will have a chance to see the newly restored video imagery of the Apollo 11 moonwalk from 1969 in a live link up with the Newseum on Washington DC for the press conference, announcing the restored imagery. NASA will provide a unique audio "time capsule" in honour of the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing with audio from the entire Apollo 11 mission being replayed and streamed on the internet at the exact time and date it was broadcast in 1969. The audio begins on Thursday, July 16 and continues until the mission ends on Friday, July 24. To listen click HERE. NASA will hold a news briefing with astronauts from the Apollo programme on Monday, July 20 at 2:30pm BST. The conference, featuring James Lovell (Apollo 8 and 13), Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) and many more, will take place in the James Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington and will stream live on NASA Television (see www.nasa.gov/ntv). 3. Endeavour seen over Ireland Hundreds of you emailed us to report your sighting of Endeavour and its huge fuel tank as they crossed Irish skies at 11:20pm last night, July 15. Endeavour launched from Florida for the mission STS-127 to the International Space Station (ISS), however Irish people were the only ones lucky enough to see the orbiter fly off into space while the orange external fuel tank fell back to Earth. If you saw this extremely rare and amazing sight and have not yet reported it, please send your sighting to observe@astronomy.ie. For more information and to read others reports and sightings click HERE. Over the next night or two there will be a rare "space chase" where the Shuttle Endeavour will venture closer and closer to ISS, and eventually dock with it. For more times and details of the space chase, there are predictions on the internet, however if you would like to receive a reminder to your phone just a couple of hours before it passes, text the word SPACE to 57003. Each text costs ?1 and proceeds help us to promote science and astronomy in Ireland. Please email observe@astronomy.ie EVERY TIME you see ISS or the Shuttle for our records for posterity. MEDIA FRENZY: To hear Astronomy Ireland Chairman, David Moore, speaking about the shuttle launch in several radio interviews, go to www.astronomy.ie/audio. 4. Apollo on National Radio David will also feature on a high profile panel of experts including Dan Parry (our speak next Thursday, July 23), Prof. Dennis O' Sullivan (DIAS) and Prof. Lorraine Hanlon (Head of School of Physics, UCD) on Talking History on Newstalk 106-108 this Sunday, July 19, from 7:00 - 8:00pm. 5. Events to book July 13 to 17 - 'Life of Galileo' Play by Dublin Lyric Players and Astronomy Ireland. July 23 - Apollo 40th Anniversary Lecture and DVD and book signing for ITV docu-drama. Aug 22 - Star-B-Q special offer for this 'Friends of A.I.' list only until July 31! Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )