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. Astronomy Ireland's June Public Lecture will seek to examine 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. 2. Asteroid 1998 QE2 to Pass Close to Earth Following in the vein of meteorites and fireballs, a 1.7 mile wide asteroid will pass near Earth on 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. Undoubtedly, this asteroid will attract media attention over the coming fortnight, so be sure to listen out for our interviews on radio! You can listen to radio interviews on our website at www.astronomy.ie/audio 3. Minor Lunar Eclipse On May 25th, the very edge of the Moon will pass through Earth's penumbral shadow. So, while an eclipse will take place, it will be effectively "invisible" to observers on the ground. You can find out more about the eclipse and the Moon's path through Earth's shadow HERE. Astronomy Ireland The world's most popular astronomy club www.astronomy.ie ( subscribe / unsubscribe )