Below is part of a Press Notice we issued about the International Space Station being visible over the next two weeks. For those in the Dublin area, Kevin Nolan of the Planetary Society has organised a Lecture about Mars on the occasion of there being an unprecedented number of spacecraft at Mars or about to be launched to Mars. All welcome. Admission 3euro (1.50euro concessions). It's on Friday night May 23 at 8:30pm in the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre, Foster Place, just off Dame Street, Dublin 2. STAR-B-Q: This was a great success on April 26 with over 200 people. At the event we asked if everyone who was taking photographs could send in their results. So far we have received zero photos. If you were at the Star-B-Q can you post (or email info@astronomy.ie) any photos you got please? Now for I.S.S., keep calling those Newslines: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- May 23 ASTRONOMY IRELAND Press Notice BIGGEST MAN MADE OBJECT IN SPACE VISIBLE NOW & UNTIL JUNE 4 The most expensive object ever built, the International Space Station, with 3 men on board, will blaze across the sky every evening starting this weekend and continuing until June 4th, and Astronomy Ireland is urging everyone to go outside and watch this amazing sight. "I.S.S. crosses the sky each night for only one or two minutes and can be seen by anyone with ordinary eyesight as an EXTREMELY BRIGHT star-like object, high overhead. It's an amazing sight" said David Moore, Chairman of Astronomy Ireland. "The Station can be up to 100 times BRIGHTER than even the brightest stars in the sky, so it is a wonderful sight to the naked eye." he said. COLUMBIA DISASTER CAUSES CUTBACKS On board I.S.S. at present are only 2 astronauts, normally there are 3. Unfortunately, the American space shuttle fleet is grounded since February 1st when the shuttle Columbia exploded over Texas killing all 7 astronauts on board. Now only a small Russian Soyuz craft, designed only as an escape pod, has to service the I.S.S. by bringing new crews and supplies. It can only do this every six months and it could not bring enough resources to keep 3 astronauts alive, hence the 2 man crew of Ed Lu and Yuri Malenchenko on board since the end of April. Shuttles cannot bring up the next pieces of I.S.S. to continue its construction nor all the science experiments planned for its laboratories. A significant part of the 100 billion Station has therefore been effectively mothballed. This must count as the most serious consequence of the February Columbia disaster after the tragic loss of human life. SPECIAL NEWSLINES FOR TIME TO WATCH SPACE SHIP Astronomy Ireland is urging every to go outdoors each evening to watch the huge space ship. Despite the trouble on board it will not make the craft any the less spectacular. The time to see ISS is different every evening so Astronomy Ireland has set up a special Newsline to give ACCURATE TIMES to go out and watch. Call 1550-111-442 each afternoon, before sunset. Calls cost 74c per minute. In the U.K. call 09001 88 1950 (calls cost 60p/min). "Call between noon and sunset and then go outside that evening, a few minutes before the predicted time and simply look up!" said David Moore. NEW MEMBERS SOUGHT Astronomy Ireland is seeking new members, all of whom receive the society's full colour magazine every month. Call (01) 847 0777 or visit our website www.astronomy.ie Subscribe iimmediately online at http://www.astronomy.ie/sub ===== David Moore BSc FRAS, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland, P.O.Box 2888, Dublin 5. Editor, "Astronomy & Space" magazine. ASTRONOMY SHOP: open Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-5:30pm and Sat. noon-6pm. Tel (01) 847 0777. Fax (01) 847 0771. WWW: http://www.astronomy.ie (Subscribe FREE to AI's Events emailing list) Email: info@astronomy.ie