1. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION I saw the most expensive object ever built twice last night and we've had a few calls from people who have seen ISS accidentally and wonder what it was, it was that bright! When I saw ISS it was brighter than Jupiter, a fantastic sight as usual. On board at present are Gennady Padalka (Commander) and Mike Fincke (Flight Engineer). They arrived last month and will stay on board until October. As well as their duties running the experiments on board for scientists on the ground (I.S.S. is a giant laboratory in space) and maintaining the space station, they have 3 space walks planned. Next week they are due to undock one Progress unmanned re-supply vessel and another will dock with I.S.S. We may get to see some of this and so there could be a "space chase" afoot. I'll keep you posted at the weekend. You can see I.S.S. at a different time each evening until May 25 (next Tuesday). If you've never seen it before ISS looks like a very bright 'star' crossing the sky from West (roughly where Sun sets) to East (sunrise) but it usually passes almost overhead and it is so bright that all you have to do is go out and look up! It takes ISS just a couple of minutes to pass over, but it does so at a different time each evening so you can call our premium rate Newsline: Each day by 12noon we update it with the exact time that ISS will be seen that night (we do this because they fire the rocket motors to boost the orbit every now and then and this can result in ISS flying over at a completely different time). ISS will fly over after sunset i.e. between 10pm and midnight. Do call the Newsline each afternoon if it looks like it's going to be clear after sunset. The Newsline number is 1550-111-442 (or 09001-88 1950 from N.Ireland/Britain) calls cost 95c/min (60p/min in UK) We have an ISS page at http://www.astronomy.ie/iss.html You can also read about what's happening on ISS every month in our magazine: www.astronomy.ie/sub 2. Comet NEAT The comet is faintly visible to the naked-eye in the West each evening. It seems to have peaked at magnitude 3.0 last week, a bit down on the 1.0 we had hoped for. Still I have seen a tail several degrees long in even the hazy skies we've been having recently. By the weekend the Moon will enter evening skies, and the comet is now moving away from the Sun and Earth so it should begin to fade. Try here for a few recent photos showing the two tails (both of which I could see in a pair of our giant 25x100 binoculars!): http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html Again, as above, for more details refer to our magazine for a map of where to find it and full details of everything to look out for. Either subscribe or order the June issue (featuring Sir Patrick Moore's Venus Transit article) at www.astronomy.ie/sub We produced this magazine for you, at modest cost, so do avail of it! Subscribers will read of the daylight Venus occultation on Friday (we'll be viewing from our Shop in Artane - email if you intend coming to watch) and the conjunction of Saturn and Mars this weekend plus the Moon approaching them on Saturn - see all the notes and diagrams in the magazine. P.S. there are loads of news sunspots this week, great for practicing for the June 8 Venus Transit using your AstroSolar filters (from our Shop). Have you got yours yet? Regards and clear skies, David Moore, Astronomy Ireland. www.astronomy.ie