Classes <http://astronomy.ie/class/> Membership <http://www.astronomy.ie/sub/index.html> DVD <http://www.astronomy.ie/lectureDVD.php> 1. Exploding Star May Become Visible In Binoculars A star in the nearby galaxy M82 has violently exploded in the closest supernova since 1993. The cigar-shaped galaxy is located in Ursa Major in the northern sky, and the supernova was first spotted on January 22nd. Australian supernova expert Brad Tucker has said that the explosion may become bright enough to be spotted in binoculars in the coming days! The supernova was discovered by Dr Steven Fossey of University College London and his students when they managed to capture a few images of the galaxy just before clouds rolled in. This particular type of supernova is usually caused when a white dwarf pulls in material from a companion star. The mass of the white dwarf becomes so great that runaway nuclear fusion occurs and the dwarf is blown apart. The supernova is particularly interesting to astronomers for two reasons. First of all, it was discovered early in its outburst phase, meaning that scientists can now get further clues as to what exactly happens to a star when it dies like this. Secondly, the supernova is of type Ia: the unique way in which type Ia supernovae brighten and then fade out over time provides astronomers with a useful way to measure the expansion of the Universe. David Moore <http://www.astronomy.ie/dmbio.html> spotted the supernova last night (January 22nd) using an 8.75” reflector from Dublin, at a magnitude of 11.5 This supernova will be covered in an upcoming issue of Astronomy Ireland <http://www.astronomy.ie/join> magazine. If you manage to take any photos of the supernova over the coming days or weeks, be sure to send them to observe@astronomy.ie so we can include them in our magazine reports! 2. Astronomy Evening Classes Thousands of you have taken our ever-popular ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ evening classes to date, and the demand for them is as strong as ever! The evening classes commence again next month on Wednesday, February 5th. In the ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ classes you will learn about finding your way around the night sky, how telescopes work, the Sun and planets in the Solar System, and much more! Everyone should do these classes, is they will help you keep up to date with the exciting celestial events taking place over the coming year. Enrolling on the evening classes also includes a year’s membership to Astronomy Ireland with a 12-month subscription to our magazine. So, with the classes, you’ll be able to follow all the latest news and events in space and astronomy! Enrol on ‘Astronomy for Beginners’ and find out more by clicking on www.astronomy.ie/class These classes are a great activity to get you started in astronomy, so be sure to bring family and friends, too! 3. Public Lecture: Our Dynamic Sun The Sun should now be finishing the peak of its activity cycle, but strangely, this whole cycle has been relatively quiet compared to previous ones. However, over the past few years, astronomers have been monitoring the Sun like never before, with several observatories in space watching our nearest star: SoHO, SDO, Stereo, and others. In our Public Lecture on February 10th, Dr Helen Mason from Cambridge University will deliver a roundup of the last solar maximum now that we have passed the peak in a fascinating talk about what we have learned about the Sun so far, including the solar cycle, solar flares, and how the star causes ‘space weather’ and affects us on Earth. Our Dynamic Sun takes place on Monday, February 10th at 8pm in Trinity College Dublin. For more information and to book tickets or order DVDs, please click HERE <http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture20142.php> . Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe <http://lists.redbrick.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/astronomy> ) _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.3462 / Virus Database: 3681/7026 - Release Date: 01/22/14