ASTRONOMY IRELAND MAILING LIST - www.astronomy.ie (The all-Ireland astronomy club, magazine and Shop) --------------------------------------------------- 1. STEPHEN HAWKING IN NEWS TODAY Later today (Wednesday July 21 - co-incidentally the 35th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing) Prof Stephen Hawking will present his paper to a conference of 700 scientists from around the world in Dublin. There will then be a press conference about his work which resolves the Information Paradox for black holes - a paradox created by Hawking's own work in 1976 and about which it appears he now admits he is saying he was wrong. Be sure to watch the news tomorrow evening. I'm not sure if any of the 24 hour news channels will be covering it live but do check the likes of Sky News. Even yours truly has been drafted in to try to explain what black holes are and this information paradox. I've done a number of interviews already and will be talking to David McWilliams on Newstalk 106 around 8:40am in the morning (www.newstalk106.ie if you're not in the Dublin area and you read this in time). I'm sure we'll be doing other interviews too! RTE's weekly science radio show "Future Tense" did a piece on the subject last night. Click www.rte.ie/radio1/futuretense and click on "hear the latest show" Or just click www.rte.ie/rams/radio/latest/rte-futuretense.smil The piece begins 22 minutes 30 seconds in if you want to 'seek to' it quickly. NOTE: Hawking's presentation and the press conference are NOT open to the public the organisers (see www.gr17.com) have asked us to point out. There is NO 'public' lecture by Hawking in Dublin. The organisers WERE however, gracious enough to arrange two PUBLIC lectures by eminent scientists attending the conference: On Monday Kip Thorne gave a thorough and utterly excellent overview of gravitational wave astronomy covering black holes and the big bang. On Friday Roger Penrose (Stephen Hawking was one of Penrose's students) will give the second public lecture "Fashion, Faith and Fantasy in Modern Physical Theories" but I am told that bookings have now closed (see our previous emails) but that if you wish you may be able to get tickets at the door, but there is no guarantee. AI member Declan Duke asked Kip Thorne if copies of his talk are online and some notes are online he reports: www.its.caltech.edu/~kip/scripts/lectures.html So watch the news on Wednesday evening to find out what Hawking had to say! Don't forget that 'the Irish astronomy magazine' (i.e. us!) will be at the press conference covering the story for Astronomy & Space magazine and we'll not just have the details but a full background article on black holes in the next issue. It's the least we can do considering Hawking chose our home town to present his findings. www.astronomy.ie/sub if you want to get a 'souvenir' copy for just 5euro (if you only want that one issue select 'current issue' and in comments box just say "Hawking issue") 2. GIANT SUNSPOT There are incredible goings-on on the Sun right now. One of the biggest sunspots I've ever seen has rotated in to view. It's as big as the planet Jupiter and looks as big as Venus did when it transited the Sun on June 8! Use your AstroSolar filter that many of you got from our Shop for the Venus Transit (AstroSolar still available - call) and you're in for a treat - NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT ASTROSOLAR FILTERS. There is an increased risk of aurora caused by this and another large sunspot group in the coming week so check your email regularly as we only get 1 to 2 days warning of aurora at best. Dave Gradwell from Co. Tipperary sent this excellent image already which he took over the weekend as the spot came in to view using his 11-inch Celestron and ToUcam webcam: www.astronomy.ie/dm/DG2004July.jpg 3. WHAT TO SEE It's clear over a lot of Ireland for tonight's asteroid occultation of 31 Piscium. I'm off to set up equipment to observe it soon (see previous email). The International Space Station continues to blaze across the sky every evening this week until Saturday inclusive. I saw it tonight right on schedule. Call our Newsline each afternoon for the time to see it after sunset that evening: 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/min), in U.K. dial 09001-88-1950 (calls cost 60p/min). On Wednesday you'll probably see Jupiter for the last time this year low in the West but very close to a lovely crescent Moon - see page 23 of the July issue of our magazine for a diagram showing what it will look like - it should be a superb sight to the naked-eye for a short time after sunset so do send us your photos for the magazine. 4. NEWSLINE HEADLINES THIS WEEK This week's headlines on our 4-minute premium rate Newslines are: Stephen Hawking in Dublin to retract Black Hole theory; Jupiter near the Moon one last time; Cassini-Huygens probe designer to speak in Dublin; I.S.S. visible this week and onboard news; and, Star-B-Q August 13th. 1550-111-442 and 09001-88-1950 IRELAND U.K. 95c/min 60p/min (call costs from mobiles may vary) FAXBACK SERVICE: Use your fax (or modem and fax software) to get a printed copy the weekly script I write (Ireland only) on 1580-111-767 (calls cost 240c/min but are much shorter than voice service). Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland. Editor "Astronomy & Space" magazine. www.astronomy.ie Astronomy Shop: Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat