1. Beagle 2 and Mars Express are approaching Mars. Our colleagues from the Beagle 2 team who were guests at the Astro-Expo 2003 Dinner tell us that once Beagle 2 lands (3am approx) it takes a few hours to charge its batteries then it calls Earth. Collin Pillinger will give a press conference around 8am each morning starting Christmas morning. You can 'tune in' at www.beagle2.com Irish media have been taking note too and I'll be interviewed by David McWilliams tomorrow morning (Dec. 24) at 7:50am on Newstalk 106FM radio ( www.newstalk106.ie ), and also on television next Monday Dec. 29 at 7:45am on TV3. Doubtless there'll be a lot of other interviews done elsewhere also - looks like being a busy Christmas! At this stage we must be doing 500ish interviews each year much to the envy of other groups. It's been quite an active 2003 for Astronomy Ireland with our biggest ever Star-B-Q and a record breaking Astro-Expo 2003. There'll be two more Star-B-Qs in 2004 (May 4 and August 13). An even bigger Astro-Expo (Nov. 13+14) - if that's possible! We're also bringing in nearly half of our monthly speakers from abroad in 2004. We plan 'Watches' all around the country for 'evening' lunar eclipse of May 4 (but not the 'dawn' lunar eclipse of Oct. 23). Remember, there's a bright comet coming too - see magazine soon. There'll also be a big event for the Transit of Venus on June 8 (6:15am to 12:30pm approx). We'll keep you posted in the pages of Astronomy & Space magazine Please support Ireland's only monthly full colour astronomy magazine. www.astronomy.ie/sub 2. ASTRONOMY IRELAND Press Notice, December 22 FALSE STAR OF BETHLEHEM ABOVE MOON ON CHRISTMAS DAY On Christmas Day evening around 5pm a wondrous spectacle will be visible in the southwest sky just where the Sun went down. Looking like the Star of Bethlehem it will in fact be the brilliant planet Venus, which is by far the brightest star-like object in the winter sky this year, and is coming closer to Earth. Venus will be very prominent over the holiday season but it can only be seen for a short time each evening. I've seen it several times already. Any day over Christmas, look soon after sunset near the glow where the Sun just set. That will be between 4pm and 5pm each evening. On Christmas Day at around 5pm everyone should go outside and look just where the Sun went down because not only will Venus be blazing just above the horizon but the beautiful crescent Moon will be glowing just below it. "This is an extremely rare sight and it's completely visible to the naked eye, so we are hoping everyone will go outside on Christmas Day at 5pm and behold a wonder of nature" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "It is not the Star of Bethlehem returning, but in a way it is 'a Christmas star' as it will steal the show in terms of beautiful things to see in the sky this month" said Mr. Moore. Details of the society are available on Astronomy Ireland's website www.astronomy.ie Further details about this event are available from the Astronomy Ireland Telescope Shop on (01) 847 0777. For more information see the diagram and notes on page 26 of the December issue of "Astronomy & Space" magazine. 3. On behalf of the approximately 100 volunteers from all around the country who do valuable work for Astronomy Ireland every year let me take this opportunity to wish every one of the thousands of you on this mailing list a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with many clear skies. Hope to see many of you at the New Year Lecture on Jan. 12 in Dublin City University when hopefully a triumphant Prof David Southwood (the Director of Science at the European Space Agency in Paris) will tell us how his Mars Express and Beagle 2 made it to the Red Planet! Fingers crossed. http://www.astronomy.ie/nextlecture.html ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 6pm Mon.-Sat. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. www.astronomy.ie Email: info@astronomy.ie