Membership DVD Shop 1. Public Lecture: Meteorites: Myth, Mystery, and Marvel Meteorites are meteors that originate in outer space and eventually fall to earth. They have always been the subject of fascination right throughout history. Some become very visible in the form of fireballs before they hit Earth, as was the case with the recent Chelabinsk meteorite in Russia, which injured many people and damaged buildings. It is a widely held theory that a large meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period. It has recently been discovered that some relics from Ancient Egypt were made from iron that came from meteorites. Until now, archaeologists couldn't explain why iron was found in artefacts that dated thousands of years before iron smelting took place in Egypt. Iron from meteorites was likely to be considered a gift from the gods, and the metal was associated with royalty and power. Astronomy Ireland's June Public Lecture will seek to examine the myths and legends, and the fact and fiction, behind these invaders from outer space. Meteorites: Myth, Mystery, and Marvel will be delivered by Dr Caroline Smith, Curator of Meteorites at the Natural History Museum in London. The lecture will take place in Trinity College Dublin on June 10th at 8pm. For tickets and DVDs, please click HERE or call Astronomy Ireland on (01) 890 11 11. 2. Northern Lights Voyage in Norway Astronomy Ireland is delighted to announce that we are running our third trip to Norway this December in conjunction with Project Travel. a special trip to the Artic to give you a unique and memorable experience in astronomy. We'll be spending all five nights above the Arctic Circle in Norway, thereby maximising our chances of seeing the mysterious Northern Lights. This trip also includes a three-day cruise along the beautiful Norwegian coast. Life on board the MS Nordlys is very relaxed and informal and you'll have plenty of time to take in the wonderful views from the ship's Panoramic Lounge. We'll have our own special guest lecturer travelling with us who will give us a private lecture on an astronomy-related theme every day on board and who will guide us around the night sky from the deck. The trip takes place from December 1st to 6th, and is only €1879 per person sharing. For full details on booking and the itinerary, please visit www.astronomy.ie/norway or contact Project Travel at (01) 210 8391. 2. Asteroid 1998 QE2 to Pass Earth Tomorrow Following in the vein of meteorites and fireballs, a 1.7 mile wide asteroid will pass near Earth tomorrow, May 31st. While there is no risk of impact (it will be more than 15 times further away than the Moon), the massive object will be close enough for astronomers to study its surface and to improve information on its orbit around the Sun. This asteroid will likely attract media attention over the coming days, so be sure to listen out for our interviews on radio! You can listen to radio interviews about this asteroid and everything about astronomy on our website at www.astronomy.ie/audio Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )