1. ECLIPSE Thanks to hundreds of you who sent in your comments about the deep partial solar eclipse on Monday. Clonmel, East Antrim and Belfast glimpsed the eclipse so IT WAS seen from Ireland. A full report will be prepared from your emails in the coming days. If you still want to report seeing or experiencing the eclipse just reply to this email. 2. ECLIPSE TRIP 2006 There has been a huge response to holiday in Turkey for the TOTAL eclipse of the Sun on March 29, 2006. If you want a brochure just email eclipse@astronomy.ie The society's Eclipse Trip in 1999 was very successful and Turkey should be too. Remember it's less than 6 months away so email soon. 3. AMAZING ECLIPSE PUBLICITY! RTE TV News (1pm, 6pm & 9pm) all carried a report on our Eclipse Watch (so did RTE 2). As did TV3 News, and RTE Radio 1's Morning Ireland (the top rating radio show in all of Ireland). On Tuesday we made the front page of the Irish Times, and page 9 of the Independent. There were countless other local radio and press interviews done all day too. Traffic on our website went through the roof! If you missed all that publicity you can still access the RTE news online: RTE TV http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2079416.smil (2 minutes) RTE Radio http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/2079222.smil (5 minutes on prime time!) If you see any telescopes you like call Robert at our Astronomy Shop (he's the one on the right 1min 14sec in to the TV clip)! 4. OUR RADIO SHOW The latest edition of the A.I. Radio Show went online minutes after the live broadcast (8pm every Tuesday on 103.2FM). This week AIRS presenter Ben Emmett interviewed Astronomy Ireland member David McDonald who used a Celestron 8-inch telescope to confirm an exploding star in a galaxy far far away - the first time this has ever been done from Ireland! Congratulations to David. (We will of course report more fully on this in our magazine also). So tune in every Tuesday at 8pm for the very latest news or download the show at www.astronomy.ie/radioshow.html every week (online by 9pm Tuesdays). Download it now! 5. IRISH ASTRONOMY CONFERENCE On Friday October 7 the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland holds it's next meeting in Dublin City University. Aimed at students, and professional researchers in Ireland the ASGI holds two meetings a year to present the latest work in Irish astronomy. While this conference is aimed at 'professional' astronomers, interested members are welcome as long as they are aware of this primary goal, especially if it comes to asking questions at the end of each presentation. The programme is at: www.arm.ac.uk/asgi/2005autumn_prog.html 6. ASTRONOMY EVENING CLASSES FOR BEGINNERS About 100 people are expected to take the society's evening classes starting tomorrow night. Running over 10 Thursdays you will learn about all aspects of the universe and our hobby. Details and online bookings can be made at www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html No credit card? If you 'reply' to this email and come along 30 minutes early you can pay on the door. 7. NEWSLINE UPDATED Our weekly telephone Newsline is updated every Monday with details of events and what to see in the sky. Call 1550-111-442 (calls cost 95c/miin). In N.Ireland call 09001 88 1950 (calls 60p/min). ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open until 5:30pm Mon.-Sat. with Ireland's biggest selection of telescopes - and more! Tel (01) 847 0777. www.astronomy.ie