New Year Sale DVD Membership Shop 1. Galileo Project Drawing Competition Winner Adam Vaughn from Co Dublin was selected as the winner of the Irish section of the EU-wide Galileo Project Drawing Competition with his piece entitled The Solar System. Adam will now have a satellite navigation spacecraft named after him: the Galileo-IOV Adam is due to be launched later this year. The Galileo Project is a European satellite navigation system that will consist of 27 satellites orbiting Earth, with three extra spare satellites. The constellation of satellites will provide accurate location details primarily for transport use, but also for emergency rescue situations. Each satellite will be named after one child from each of the 27 EU Member States via a series of drawing competitions taking place in each country. Adam met with David Moore of Astronomy Ireland, Barbara Nolan of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, and the well-known environmentalist and artist Don Conroy at the Astronomy Ireland headquarters in Swords, Co Dublin, to be presented with his prize. Showing their support at the presentation were Adam's family, his teacher, and his classmates, along with representatives from Astronomy Ireland and Keating & Associates. For a report and some photographs of the day's celebrations, please click HERE. Astronomy Ireland wishes to congratulate Adam on winning this amazing prize! 2. Stargazing Live Telescope Watches Following the BBC's second successful series of Stargazing Live, we are continuing our evening Telescope Watches until the end of January to give you a chance to check out some of the amazing sights showcased on the programme. Between 4pm and 6pm, Monday to Saturday, Astronomy Ireland will have some very powerful telescopes set up for you to use at its premises at Unit A8, Airside Enterprise Centre, Swords, Co Dublin. Of all the stunning sights you will see, the most amazing one will be the huge planet Jupiter. Through the telescopes you will get to see its thick cloud belts and Great Red Spot, a storm which has been raging for centuries. Not only that, but you will also be able to easily see its four largest moons, known as the Galilean Moons, named after Galileo who saw them first over 400 years ago. For more information on the Telescope Watches please click HERE or call us on (01) 890 11 11. 3. Astronomy Ireland on TV - Northern Lights David Moore appeared on the RTE programmes News2Day and Elev8 recently to explain the phenomenon of aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Over the coming years, activity on the surface of the Sun will increase, thereby increasing the chances of aurorae being visible. If a particularly strong burst of particles comes hurtling through space from the Sun towards Earth, it may even be possible for observers in Ireland to see the spectacular sight! Astronomy Ireland will alert people via this email list and on www.astronomy.ie if such an occurrence may happen. Note that only 2-3 days notice can be given if the aurorae are likely to be visible. To watch David on these episodes of News2Day and Elev8, simply go to www.astronomy.ie/tv. Other appearances are also available to watch on that webpage. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )