1. BBC Star for Christmas Lecture & Party The BBC's Dr. Lucie Green will be giving our 2008 Christmas Lecture on Monday December 8th in TCD, entitled 'Living in the Sun's Atmosphere'. It will be followed at 9:30pm by our annual Christmas Drinks Party in a nearby pub and is the perfect chance to chat with Lucie and other astronomy enthusiasts at the end of a very successful year for your society. Tickets are going fast for our annual Christmas Lecture so you need to book now! Dr. Lucie Green of the BBC TV show Stardate and Mullard Space Science Laboratory, U.K. will be giving our Christmas lecture on our tenacious relationship with the Sun and discussing how it affects our daily lives. Without the Sun we would be without the light, heat and energy that ensures the continued existence of all life on Earth Dr. Lucie Green will also be discussing how the Sun affects our daily lives and will examine the threats posed by coronal mass ejections and solar flares. A brilliant public speaker, Dr. Green will have a visual feast of images and movies to illustrate her talk. The lecture takes place in the Physics Building, Trinity College, Dublin 2, near the Westland Row or Lincoln Place entrances. To book tickets for this lecture click Here or call (01)847 0777. Astronomy Ireland will also be recording this lecture on DVD for those who cannot attend and this may be ordered online Here or by calling (01) 847 0777 2. 11,000th member! We are approaching a huge milestone in Astronomy Ireland, our 11,000th member just as 2009, the International Year of Astronomy begins, how fitting! This is a very important event for our society and is due to the continued support and dedication of you, our members. For this great occasion we will be offering a wonderful prize, so sign someone up for Christmas and not only will they get a Gift that keeps on giving all throughout the year, they have the chance to win a fantastic prize too! The continued growth of Astronomy Ireland means we can plan more events for you, our members, and ensure that the United Nations International Year of Astronomy 2009 is a huge success in Ireland. Already planned for the New Year are our Beginners Evening Classes throughout the country, our Venus Watches nationwide and our New Year lecture, "Touchdown on Titan", by Professor John Zarnecki, one of the world's most experienced space scientists, who has worked on Hubble, Giotto, Cassini Huygens, and Beagle 2 missions to name but a few. We will be keeping you updated with all the latest news and events and more information can be found out at our website www.astronomy.ie SUBSCRIBE A FRIEND NOW AND THEY COULD BE OUR PRIZE WINNER AND 11,000TH MEMBER - www.astronomy.ie/sub 3. Beginner's Astronomy Evening Classes 2009 It's nearly that time of year again and here at Astronomy Ireland we have the perfect Christmas Solutions for those budding amateur astronomers, our Beginner's Evening Classes! Our hugely successful Evening Classes are the perfect way to introduce your loved ones to the exciting world of astronomy. Our classes will be commencing in the New Year on January 28th nationwide. For your nearest venue go to our website at www.astronomy.ie/class These classes are a perfect gift for anyone who wants to learn about astronomy and your fee includes a one year subscription to our society and our magazine, Astronomy & Space. Book your Evening Classes now and your subscription can start immediately so you or your loved ones will have your first issue in time for Christmas! To book your Evening Class tickets now please go to our website Here or call our Office at (01) 847 0777. 4. ISS to Pass in Front of Moon The ISS is still blazing across Irish skies every night from now until December 10th so don't miss out on your opportunity to see it, you can even tell the kids it's Santa! It will also be passing in front of the Moon which will be a spectacular sight not to miss, so make sure you subscribe to our text service now to ensure you witness it! If you wish to avail of this service just text the word SPACE to 57003 or call 1550-111-442 after 12pm each day for that night's information. Calls cost 95c a minute and texts cost 1 euro per day. More info about our services can be found Here. 5. Venus Occultation Report On Monday December 1st, Ireland had the opportunity to witness a wondrous celestial event, the Moon occulting a blazing Venus in the early evening skies, with Jupiter shining above them - see our December magazine. The event sparked huge public and media interest and we were inundated with calls for information, comments and interviews! If you were one of the lucky ones to see this sight be thankful because another evening Venus occultation won't occur again until 2095! Log on to our website to see some of the pictures taken by amateur astronomers all around the country Here. Pictures and a full report will be in our magazine in the near future so secure your subscription now. If you saw or photographed it please email observe@astronomy.ie now. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular Astronomy Club AND Ireland's Only Astronomy Magazine www.astronomy.ie Call Our Telescope Shop Tel (01) 847 0777 Mon-Sat ( subscribe / unsubscribe here )