20 Months Membership Offer 2010 Events DVDs Shop 1. Special Offer to Mark our 20th Birthday This year Astronomy Ireland is delighted to be celebrating its 20th Anniversary and to mark this great occasion we are offering, you, our friends, a special offer to become a member of the world's most popular and indeed largest astronomy organisation! 20 months membership for the price of 12, why not sign up HERE. Founded 20 years ago, in 1990, by David Moore, Ireland's best known astronomer, the society has grown from strength to strength and this can be largely credited to the support our members and friends have shown over the past two decades. The first issue of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine was published in 1992 and has been a jam packed magazine filled with all the happenings in the world of astronomy, particularly Irish stories, ever since. Why not sign up and receive this fantastic magazine directly to your door each month, get discounts to all our events which we hold nationwide, and be a proud supporter of promoting astronomy throughout Ireland. Sign up today and get 20 copies of 'Astronomy & Space' magazine for the price of 12 issues. This fantastic offer is valid throughout our 20th year. If you are already a member please encourage your family and friends to sign up and get involved in this fantastic hobby too! JOIN HERE 2. Mars Month - March 2010 Don't forget, this month, Astronomy Ireland are celebrating all things Martian by devoting the entire month of March to the Red Planet, Mars. To celebrate the prominence of Mars in the sky this month we have Mars & Moon Nationwide Watches on Thursday, March 25 at various key locations around the country. On our website www.astronomy.ie we also have FREE factsheets, desktop backgrounds and even a 3-D screensaver for you to download. For more fun facts about Mars and to access the downloads simply click HERE. For more information and to find your nearest Watch click HERE. Be sure to keep checking the website regularly as we are continually adding more locations for the Watch. Download your FREE sky diary for the night of the Watch by clicking HERE. 3. Wonders of the Solar System Make sure to look out for the fantastic BBC2 programme being aired on Sunday nights called 'Wonders of the Solar System'. Brian Cox presents this spell-binding new series where he visits some of the most stunning places on Earth to describe how the laws of nature have carved natural wonders across the solar system. To watch any clips you may have missed click HERE. There are 5 more episodes remaining and they are simply not to be missed. BBC2, Sundays , 9pm. Repeated BBC2, Tuesdays, 7pm. Two 4. Astronomy Tips for the Weekend International Space Station The International Space Station is passing over Irish skies each evening until March 19. This huge spacecraft is the largest and most expensive object ever put into orbit around Earth, and at the moment, there are six astronauts on board. In the sky, the ISS appears as a bright star-like object moving slowly across the Southern sky, before disappearing into the Earth's shadow. The sight only lasts for a couple of minutes, so be sure to watch at the right time! The times for when to see the ISS are available on the Internet, and if you want to receive predictions to your mobile phone a couple of hours before it passes, simply text SPACE to 57003 (reply STOP to unsubscribe). Each text costs 1euro, and only one message will be sent per day. Proceeds help to promote interest in astronomy across Ireland. The Planets This weekend is an excellent opportunity to start watching out for the planets. Just after sunset, in the West, you will see Venus rest just above the horizon. Throughout the night, Mars is visible as a bright reddish 'star' high in the South. After around 9pm each night, the ringed planet Saturn begins to rise in the East. All three planets are excellent targets to view in binoculars or a telescope, as you will be able to see rings and moons, polar ice caps, and moon-like phases. More details about these planets are available in the Sky Diary of this month's issue of Astronomy & Space. For advice on what equipment you should use for observing the planets, please call our team in the Astronomy Ireland Shop. Also, please send in your observations to observe@astronomy.ie so we can publish your sightings in our magazine, Astronomy & Space. 5. Events March 25 - Mars and Moon Watch (Nationwide) April 12 - Public Lecture: "Mercury: New Insights" by Dr David Rothery Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe ) Our Online Telescope Shop