Saturday 22 December 2007

Solstice, Ursid Meteor Outburst, New Solar Cycle, LP Survey, IAA NY Party

 

Hi all,

1. Happy Solstice to everyone! The Sun reached its most southerly point on the ecliptic at 06h 08m this morning (22nd), and is now slowly & gradually moving North again. Days will now lengthen until the Summer Solstice on June 20d 23h 59m (next year is a Leap Year).

2. Outburst of Ursid Meteors.  The Ursid Meteors are a moderately active stream which peak each year around December 21-22, with zenithal hourly rates of between 10 and 15. But there have been some stronger displays in the past, e.g. in 1945, 1982, and 1986. P Jenniskens has forecast another outburst this year, with ZHR's of around 40 - not really spectacular, but worth looking out for. The peak will probably occur between 2100 and 2200 UT with enhanced activity visible for up to 4 hours before and after that time.

   The radiant lies at R.A. 14h 28m, Dec +78 deg., about 5 degrees North of Kocab, or Beta Ursa Minoris.
   The source of the meteors is Comet 8P/Tuttle, which can be seen through binoculars not far from the radiant, giving a rare opportunity to see a comet and its meteors at the same time.
   Ursid meteors are usually faint, and dark skies are usually required to see them. However bright moonlight on Dec. 22nd will hinder visibility. But during this outburst there may be a fair number of bright meteors.  No one knows what will happen, so all the more reason to look! 
   Visit http://spaceweather.com for sky maps and more information.

3. New Solar Cycle starts? Sun watchers will have noticed that there has been a real dearth of sunspots for the last 6 months or so! Hardly surprising, as the Sun is currently at the minimum of its 11 year cycle of activity.  But a little knot of magnetic activity on the Sun last week has raised speculation that the new Solar Cycle is about to begin. Although no spot was visible initially, the magnetic polarity of the feature was reversed, usually indicating that a new 11-year cycle is about to begin.

4. Light Pollution Survey. Albert White, Chair if ILPAC, the Irish Light Pollution Awareness Campaign, has asked me to pass this on. Please fill in and return, and circulate the attached survey further to anyone who might be interested. Martin will be feeding back the results to DEFRA in the UK; hopefully to get the exceptions to the law there changed.
5. IAA New Year Party: I'm delighted to announce that through the good efforts of Robert Hill of NISO, we have indeed been able to secure the first private viewing in Europe of the superb film "Shadow of the Moon" for our New Year Party on Saturday 5 January, at the Tudor Cinema, Drumhirk Road, Comber,  Co Down! The film will not be officially released on DVD here until February, but Robert has special contacts..... Admission details as before: £10 per person, including excellent food & liquid refreshments, both alcoholic and otherwise. Also a great fun quiz with lots of prizes, and great craic for all. Be there 7.30 for 8.0 for this special preview, and a great evening.

N.B. I have now switched to a new PC, and had to transfer my address lists in a very awkward manner, so there may be some duplication of addresses. Hope to get that sorted soon, so if you get two copies of this, my apologies.

Finally, the Very Best of Season's Greetings to all, and a very Happy New Year, with lots of clear dark skies for us all.

Best wishes,

Terry Moseley

Tuesday 11 December 2007

Comet Holmes, Lecture

 

Hi all,

1. COMET HOLMES: On the way back from the IYA meeting (more on this later), and the AI lecture, in Dublin, Miruna Popescu & I stopped at a dark site North of Newry in a lovely clear transparent sky, for a look at P/Holmes. Amazing! It was easily visible to the unaided eye, a huge elongated misty patch - almost like the Small Magellanic Cloud, but not so big or bright. But it was both brighter & bigger that the Double Cluster in Perseus - about a magnitude brighter, I would say, and much bigger than the Moon. In my 10x50 binocs (£11.99 from Lidl, and very good images!) it was an amazing, almost surreal, sight! We also saw a nice early Geminid, magnitude -1, low down in the North below UMa, though the car windscreen.

2.  IAA LECTURE: The next public lecture hosted by the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION will be on Wed 12 December, at 7.30 p.m., by Dr Lorraine Hanlon of UCD. The title is "Observing Gamma-Ray Bursts and their Afterglows", and promises to be yet another fascinating talk by one of the leading researchers in this field. VENUE: The Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, main campus, Queen's University, Belfast. Admission free, and all are welcome.   

    Since it's the last meeting before Xmas, seasonal refreshments will be provided free, as usual by the one & only Derwen. Don't miss.....

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

Monday 10 December 2007

Big Sunspot, Lidl Scopes & binos, IYA 2009 meeting, Lectures, Geminids, ISS

 

Hi all,

1. SUNSPOT ALERT: The Sun is near minimum of its 11-year solar cycle and there have been very few sunspots recently, and any seen have been small. But sunspot 978 popped over the Sun's eastern limb on Friday and is quickly becoming quite large. This rapidly growing sunspot group is more than five times wider than Earth, making it an easy target for properly-filtered amateur telescopes. So far it poses little threat for strong solar flares, but this could change if the active region's development continues.

2. LIDL TELESCOPE & BINOCULAR OFFERS: There are a number of great offers starting on Monday 10 December, including -

(1) Meade ETX-70AT. This is a 70mm refractor with computerised GoTo and tracking, on a tripod, with 3 eyepieces and a Barlow lens. The price in N. Ireland is £109.99. An excellent starter package, but note that it is only 70mm aperture, so it won't be much good for faint Deep Sky Objects. It will be excellent for the Moon, & will give reasonable views of Jupiter & Saturn & bright double stars & star clusters.

(2) Bresser 70mm Skylux refractor, on equatorial mount & tripod, with 3 eyepieces, barlow lens, and 6x30 finder. The website and the brochure both state that it has "dual-axis motor drive system": this is misleading, as there are only manual drives, i.e. you turn knobs on the end of flexible handles. But it's only £49.99 in N.I. so it's excellent value, if you don't mind a bit more work in setting up & using it.

(3) Bresser 10x50 classic binoculars, with high quality BAK4 prisms, and fully coated lenses. Price - £11.99! Truly amazing value - you can hardly buy a single 6x30 finder for that amount, let alone 10x50 binos! The quality is 'good' to 'very good', but not quite 'excellent', but at that price, you can't argue! Of course, if you do get a defective pair, simply bring them back & get them changed.

(4) Bresser "Messier R-102" Refractor. This is a 102mm (4") achromatic refractor on equatorial mount, with polar alignment finder, 3 eyepieces, Barlow, 8x50 finder, and manual slow motions. The price is £219.99 in N.I., so in my opinion it's not so much a bargain as the other offers. But if you are looking for a bigger more powerful 'starter' telescope than either of the 70mm ones, this would do well. But it's a bit bigger, heavier & requires a certain amount of dedication or enthusiasm to use it regularly! The weight is 19kg, so don't drop it!

(5) Bresser 90mm Spotting Scope. This is an erect-image telescope, mainly for birdwatching, but you could do some astronomy with it too - a 90mm lens is quite reasonable for a starter astro telescope. It has an extending tripod, and zoom magnification from x25 to x75, and high quality BAK4 prisms. The tube is nitrogen filled to prevent internal fogging. I have no experience of this one, so don't know what the quality is like. But Bresser is usually quite good for quality, so for only £99.99 including the tripod it might be worth considering.

See http://www.lidl.ie and click on N.I. or ROI for appropriate prices.

3. A final reminder about -

MEETING ABOUT IYA 2009, at the RIA, DUBLIN, Monday 10 December.

Prof Mike Redfern has asked me to circulate this:

"The calendar year 2009 will be designated by the UN GA as "International Year of Astronomy" - this is partly to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first telescopic observations. It is actually a great achievement to get UN approval - most "Years" have UNESCO approval, because the UN GA is loathe to do so, normally. The motion was proposed by Italy, and co-sponsored by Ireland, amongst others. There will be huge activity Worldwide, and this is a great opportunity to publicise and promote science in general and astronomy in particular..
The major goals of IYA 2009 are to:

  1. Increase scientific awareness.
  2. Promote widespread access to new knowledge and observing experiences.
  3. Empower astronomical communities in developing countries.
  4. Support and improve formal and informal science education.
  5. Provide a modern image of science and scientists.
  6. Facilitate new networks and strengthen existing ones.
  7. Improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by underrepresented minorities in scientific and engineering careers.
  8. Facilitate the preservation and protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage of dark skies in places such as urban oases, national parks and astronomical sites.

IYA2009 will be evaluated by a qualitative and quantitative analysis of how well each objective, as implemented in hundreds of national, regional and global activities, has been reached. Data will be collected by online questionnaires after the completion of each activity. The IYA2009 Secretariat will co-ordinate the evaluation. A rigorous evaluation procedure will follow each of the four phases of the project:
This is from the IYA2009 website.
I have been designated by the IAU/IYA2009 organisation as the single point of contact (SPOC) for Ireland, to include the whole of the island of Ireland.
There has been little more than preliminary discussions so far, but now is the time to become very active.
Actually, there are advantages to waiting until now - the international programme is now firmly set up, and we can learn from the experience and gain ideas from many other national organisations.
I would like to invite anyone who wishes to become involved in IYA2009-Ireland to an open meeting to be held in Academy House, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 at 11.15-~4.00 on Monday 10th December 2007. A (light) lunch will be provided courtesy of the Discover Science & Engineering Programme.
The purpose of the meeting will be to exchange information and ideas and to set up a steering group to drive IYA2009-Ireland forward.
An important first step will be to identify a major corporate sponsor. In my opinion we are talking of employing at least 2 people for ~2 years.
It would be very welcome if you were able to attend, and I would appreciate your suggestions for who else I might invite - I want to make this as inclusive as possible.
Draft Agenda:
What is IYA2009 Mike Redfern
IYA2009 Cornerstone Activities Robert Hill, NI Space Office
IYA2009 - Plans from other National Nodes Mike Redfern
Formation of Steering Group
Work Plan for Steering Group
Date & Place of Next Meeting
Everyone is welcome, but I would like to have some idea of numbers for lunch, please.
Confirm your intention to come to me, please.
Mike Redfern

Professor Michael Redfern
Physics Department,
National University of Ireland, Galway
+353 (0)91492717 or (0)91494529   (office)
    (0)91494584                           (fax)
    (0)878071426                         (mobile)
Secretary,                           Royal Irish Academy Committee for Astronomy & Space Research
Director,                              Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway
Single Point of Contact,        Irish Organisation for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009-Ireland)

4.  IAA LECTURE: The next public lecture hosted by the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION will be on Wed 12 December, at 7.30 p.m., by Dr Lorraine Hanlon of UCD. The title is "Observing Gamma-Ray Bursts and their Afterglows", and promises to be yet another fascinating talk by one of the leading researchers in this field. VENUE: The Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, main campus, Queen's University, Belfast. Admission free, and all are welcome.   

    Since it's the last meeting before Xmas, seasonal refreshments will be provided free, as usual by the one & only Derwen. Don't miss.....

5.  GEMINID METEORS: The main meteor shower of the year, the Geminids peak on December 14th, with a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 100. Since the radiant, near Castor, gets quite high up later in the night, this is one shower where actual observed rates can get very close to the theoretical ZHR rate. Moonlight conditions are excellent, with the 4d old Moon setting early in the evening, before shower activity reaches its peak.

The maximum is forecast for 11.00 on the 14th, so the best night will be December 13-14, with highest rates just before dawn on the 14th. If you are really committed, stay up late, or get up early, and for the hours from about 03.00 until twilight starts to interfere, you should see about 80-90 Geminids per hour from a really dark site! Add in the usual occasional sporadics, and actual observed meteor rates could touch 100 per hour!

Geminids can be seen from December 7/8 to 15/16, but the peak is fairly sharp, and high rates are only seen for a day or so on either side of maximum. They tend to be slow, with a fair number of bright meteors, making them an excellent photo target.

6. ISS Passes: The ISS is currently making a series of evening passes over Ireland.  The launch of the Space Shuttle has been postponed because of faulty fuel sensors, but another attempt may be made soon. If it goes ahead, depending on time, we might see both the very bright ISS and the rather fainter Shuttle tracking each other across the sky simultaneously. As always, see the excellent and free www.heavens-above.com for latest details.

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

Monday 26 November 2007

Fw: INMG-HST-271107

 

Dear Members and Friends, Just a brief reminder on the an event with our distinguished speaker Dr Robin Catchpole from the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, who will bring you where no man has gone before with his talk ... "Through the Eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope" Date: 27 November 2007 Time: 18:00 for 18:30 Venue: University of Ulster, Belfast Campus (also known as the "Arts College" - see map) Room 82 B01 After a brief introduction to light and the Hubble Space Telescope, you will embark on a tour through the universe. Starting in our Solar System and ending with the most distant optical views of the universe ever seen. On the way you will experience the birth and death of stars. Please find poster of the event and location of venue attached for circulation. (See attached file: Poster-Hubble-271107.ppt) I hope to be able to welcome you at the event. Kind regards, Wolfgang Wenger Chairman to the Irish North Materials Group

Two lectures

 

Hi all,

1. PUBLIC LECTURE: 27 November. 6.0 for 6.30 p.m.
"Through the Eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope" by Dr Robin Catchpole (Institute of Astronomy - Cambridge). The talk will include technology involved in the Hubble Space Telescope as well as the abilities of the telescope as such.
Venue:      University of Ulster at Belfast (also known as the Arts College)
(see website:   http://www.iom3.org/regions/ for further details and a map.) Admission free, all welcome

2. The next public lecture hosted by the Irish Astronomical Association will be on Wednesday 28 November, 7.30 p.m. sharp, Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, main campus, Queen's University Belfast. Kevin Berwick will speak on "Astronomical Tourism". Admission free, including light refreshments. Free parking in the main QUB campus after 5.30 p.m. See www.irishastro.org for details and a map of the venue.

Clear skies.

Terry Moseley

Monday 19 November 2007

Corrections

 

Hi all,

Sorry - 1 error and 1 omission in my last email.

1. Geology programme: Somehow in copying & pasting I managed to lose the date of the first transmission of the programme, which will be on Tuesday 20 November, at 21.00 on BBC2.

2. The IAA lecture by Kevin Berwick in Belfast should of course have been Wednesday 28 NOVEMBER, not October.

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

INMG-HST-271107

 

Dear Members and Friends,

The Irish North Materials Group invites you to an event of of an extreme magnitude, as our distinguished speaker Dr Robin Catchpole from the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge will bring you where no man has gone before with his talk ...

"Through the Eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope"

Date: 27 November 2007
Time: 18:00 for 18:30
Venue: University of Ulster, Belfast Campus (also known as the "Arts College" - see map)
Room 82 B01

After a brief introduction to light and the Hubble Space Telescope, you will embark on a tour through the universe. Starting in our Solar System and ending with the most distant optical views of the universe ever seen. On the way you will experience the birth and death of stars.

I hope to be able to welcome you at the event.

Kind regards,

Wolfgang Wenger
Chairman to the Irish North Materials Group

Further details on the Event:

Some like our Sun, live nine thousand million years before loosing their outer layers to form beautiful spheres of luminous gas. Other more massive stars, evolve faster and end their lives in huge supernovae explosions, spreading newly made elements throughout the Galaxy.

Beyond our Galaxy lie many clusters of galaxies. The closest help us find the size and age of the observable universe. Further away, you will see collisions between galaxies, galaxies with black holes, the enigmatic distant sources of gamma rays and gravitational lenses, which tell us that 90 percent of the mass of the universe is made of unknown dark matter.

Finally, we look so deep in space and so far back in time, that we see the Universe the way it was when it was one tenth of its present age.

Background on the Speaker:

Robin Catchpole works as an astronomer at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. having retired as Senior Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich in July 2004.

Joined the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO) from Bryanston School in 1962. After obtaining a BSc at University College London, he was posted to the Royal Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope, S Africa (now known as the South African Astronomical Observatory) and spent the next 24 years, working first at the Radcliffe Observatory in Pretoria and then at the SAAO in Cape Town.

Obtained his doctorate at the University of Cape Town on The properties of the SC Stars and the Chemical Composition of UY Cen. In 1991 he returned to the RGO in Cambridge, until it closed in 1998, when he moved to Greenwich as Senior Astronomer.

He has authored and co-authored over 100 research papers and articles and used a number of telescopes around the world including the Hubble Space Telescope. Research interests include the composition of stars, exploding stars, the structure of our Galaxy and galaxies with black holes at their centres. His current research interst is in the structure of the Bulge of our Milky Way Galaxy, as shown by Mira variables.

In the last 6 years he has given 300 popular lectures in the UK, S Africa, Hong Kong and New Zealand to over 20,000 people. Has also given 280 TV and Radio interviews and participated in a number of programmes relating to astronomy. Regularly lectures at the Cambridge International Science Summer School and for Summer Schools at Downing and Pembroke Colleges as well as on Cruise Ships and at Game Lodges.

Leonids mini-peak, geology prog, Space Q, 3 Lectures

 

Hi all,

1. EXTRA LEONIDS PEAK: The Leonids 'traditional' maximum last night was clouded out for most observers in Ireland. But Dr David Asher at Armagh Observatory has alerted me to an extra - 'mini-peak' tonight, which might give ZHR rates of over 60 per hour. Don't get too excited, because it is forecast to occur at 23.05, when the radiant is barely above the NE horizon for observers in the NE of Ireland, and even lower for those in the West and South. So observed rates will be much lower than the theoretical maximum, which is quoted for the radiant being in the zenith.

   Further, the meteors are expected to be quite faint, which means that you will have to observe from a really dark site to see them properly.

   The accuracy of this forecast is stated to be 'high', which means that the timing is unlikely to be in error by more than about 15 minutes either way. The enhanced activity will decline fairly quickly after maximum, with ZHR rates down to about 30 about 2 hours after maximum. However, it might be worth having a look from about 11 or 11.30 p.m. onwards, if only out of curiosity, and to check the accuracy of the forecast. Observers in NE Ireland have the best chance, if you can get to a really dark site.  

   Further details can be found on http://feraj.narod.ru/Radiants/Predictions/Leonids2007eng.html from the Armagh Observatory website: www.arm.ac.uk

2. GEOLOGY PROGRAMME: Earth; the Power of the Planet; DOCUMENTARY OF THE WEEK
New series 1/5. Volcano.
Dr lain Stewart investigates the powerful natural forces that have shaped the world over billions of years. Beginning his quest with volcanos, he abseils into a lava lake and then explores the underwater caverns created by the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. He also explains the positive role played by the greenhouse effect many millennia ago in ending the last ice age.
Director/Producer Paul Olding
Signed repeat on Wednesday at 1.50am on BBC1 (5) (AD) 7399

BLURB: (Edited for brevity) Dr Iain Stewart - senior lecturer in geology at the University of Plymouth - has already tackled Journeys from the Centre of the Earth and Journeys into the Ring of Fire, but his new five-part series, Earth: the Power of the Planet, attempts to tell the whole story.
"Other programmes have shown the grandeur of the planet," says Stewart, "but I wanted to show how Earth works: how complicated it is, how all the bits interconnect and how it came to be a planet that supports life."
Helped by some of the same techniques and cameramen that took our breath away during Planet Earth, Stewart looks at the forces that have shaped the planet - volcanos, oceans, the atmosphere and ice - and, in the final programme, concludes that Earth has nothing to fear from man.
"Earth was here billions of years before us; it's withstood a lot worse than we can throw at it. If we do mess things up this time, it won't be the planet that's in trouble. It won't be life that's in trouble. Life will carry on, the cockroaches will carry on. We're the ones who'll be in trouble!" Danny Scott

  REVIEW: (Edited for brevity) In this whopper of a series Stewart has pulled off the near-impossible: made a gripping, dramatic, inspiring programme about rocks. It's also about the origins of life on Earth and the forces that moulded our planet. It's big-picture stuff, with soaring shots of mountain ranges and lava lakes but also the odd 3-D diagram, too, to show how, say, subduction volcanos work (more interesting than it sounds),
Volcanos are the heroes of tonight's programme and the story is of how the heat trapped inside the Earth when it formed four-and-a-half billion years ago has played a vital role ever since. It's a fascinating story, told in a way that might just persuade older children to watch, too.  David Butcher.

    BOOK OFFER: RT DIRECT: To order Earth: the Power of the Planet in hardback for just £12 (normally £20) incl. free p&p, call 0844 848 9799, quoting reference RTD191.

3.  Space Expectations Study: "Maybe you could help us distribute a questionnaire which will try to ascertain the expectations of the public, particularly youth, regarding space. We have set up a special web site and we ask that people simply complete the questionnaire.
   The letter below may be of use. Thanks and regards, David Raitt"

October 30, 2007

"We ask for your help in shaping the future agenda for space as we stand at the dawn of a new century. This fiftieth year of orbiting spacecraft celebrates the best of human endeavours in space with achievements in global weather monitoring, navigation, stunning leaps in science and a permanent human presence in space. The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) would like to involve the members of your organization in a voluntary web-based public survey to assess societal expectations of space. This could lead to space programs that are not only supported by the public but generate and maintain interest throughout society. This study, sponsored by the IAA would:

· determine the depth of understanding and backing of the public for space activities

· describe society’s expectations of space programs; and,

· ascertain how society could become more involved in the space arena

The next step would be to merge these three thrusts so that space projects could be positioned to fulfil public expectations, maintain their interest and excitement, and supported (both financially and intellectually) by the public.

Methodology: A public survey to be distributed though various national and international networks and organizations (including space agencies) to diverse groups including: high schools and universities; art, cultural and heritage organizations; as well as the public at large. For the public response, students would be encouraged to have their parents also respond to the survey. This would give the study team several sets of inputs from different age groups from around the world.

We should like to solicit your assistance in helping the IAA formulate the future through recognition of the positive impacts of space activities upon society. Please distribute the attached invitation throughout your organization. Information to assist you is shown on the website, www.space-expectation.org, along with brief descriptions of the IAA. We appreciate your contribution to this effort.

Sincerely yours,

Peter A. Swan, Ph.D.

Study Lead, Space Expectations

International Academy of Astronautics

                           “My Space Expectations”
Please  assist  the  International  Academy  of Astronautics in assessing the status of the space arena with respect to your expectations.  The approach is simple:

                   Go to:   www.space-expectations.org
                Fill in the survey   ---   Enjoy the feedback
               Invite your family and friends to participate.
Participate in the Celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of Spaceflight!"

(I'll forgive them for pinching the "IAA" initials from the Irish Astronomical Association! Just.)

4.  Next IAS Public Lecture will be "Galileo, Galileo, Who was Galileo?", by Deirdre Kelleghan, in Dunsink Observatory, Castleknock, Dublin on Monday November 19th, at 8 p.m. Admission Free."

5. PUBLIC LECTURE: 27 November. 6.0 for 6.30 p.m.
"Through the Eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope" by Dr Robin Catchpole (Institute of Astronomy - Cambridge). The talk will include technology involved in the Hubble Space Telescope as well as the abilities of the telescope as such.
Venue:      University of Ulster at Belfast (also known as the Arts College)
(see website:   http://www.iom3.org/regions/ for further details and a map.) Admission free, all welcome

6. The next public lecture by the "Real IAA" will be on Wednesday 28 October, 7.30 p.m. sharp, Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, main campus, Queen's University Belfast. Kevin Berwick will speak on "Astronomical Tourism". Admission free, including light refreshments. Free parking in the main QUB campus after 5.30 p.m. See www.irishastro.org for details and a map of the venue.

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

Tuesday 13 November 2007

IAA Public Lecture

The next IAA public lecture will be on Wed 14 November, by Prof Stephen Smartt of QUB, entitled: "The Fate of the Most Massive Stars in the Universe". It's at 7.30 p.m. sharp, in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB. Free parking in the main QUB campus from about 5 p.m., Entrance from University Avenue.
It's thanks to Prof Smartt that we can use this excellent venue, at a very reasonable price, in conjunction with QUB Outreach and the APS of the Physics Department, so I hope lots of you can make it for what promises to be a very interesting lecture by this award-winning astronomer!

IAA Observing Session

Philip Baxter writes: The next IAA planned observing session will be either on Fri. 16th or Sat 17th Nov., meeting at 7.30pm in the carpark at Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh, Co Down. This is of course weather dependent.
The park is on the left hand side, about one mile outside Killyleagh on the road to Downpatrick. It is sign posted with the usual brown direction signs. It is an excellent setting with good dark skies. We hopefully will also catch some Leonids.
Please note there is a barrier which comes down at 9.00pm preventing you getting in, but not out. So be in before 9.00pm.
I'll confirm at around 6.00pm on Friday night that all's well, so watch the Forum. If the weather is not looking good then we will go for the 17th.
See you there. Philip"

Wanted: TAL-2 OTA

Joe Kerr is looking for a TAL-2 OTA (Optical Tube Assembly), i.e. 'scope without mount or tripod. If anyone knows of one for sale, please contact him at Joe.Kerr@uk.fujitsu.com

Leonids

The Leonid meteors will be starting soon, although activity this year is not expected to be high. Maximum is expected on Nov 18 at 05h, but you could see the first members of the shower from about the 15th onwards. They appear to come from the 'Sickle' of Leo, not far from where brilliant Mars lies at present. They are very fast, and the brighter ones sometimes leave persistent 'trains'. Moonlight is not a problem this year.

Lidl Meade Telescope offer

Sorry for delay in reporting further on the excellent offer in Lidl of the Meade LXD75 150mm (6") Newtonian on Equatorial mount with GoTo: a situation outside my control! But I have now assembled the 'scope on the mount etc, and it looks good. It's a very sturdy mount, and would easily hold a larger telescope - a 200mm (8"), or even a short tube 250mm (10"). Everything is very well made & moves very smoothly, & clamps tightly & unclamps freely. It will take 2" or 1.25" eyepieces. Though the box says otherwise, it even comes complete with 8 D-Cell batteries.. But I have not had a chance to test the GoTo yet. The instructions for that are quite complicated, though clear enough. But I suppose it's a bit late now - I'm sure they are all sold by now!

Monday 12 November 2007

IAA Public Lecture

The next IAA public lecture will be on Wed 14 November, by Prof Stephen Smartt of QUB, entitled: "The Fate of the Most Massive Stars in the Universe". It's at 7.30 p.m. sharp, in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB. Free parking in the main QUB campus from about 5 p.m., Entrance from University Avenue.
It's thanks to Prof Smartt that we can use this excellent venue, at a very reasonable price, in conjunction with QUB Outreach and the APS of the Physics Department, so I hope lots of you can make it for what promises to be a very interesting lecture by this award-winning astronomer!

Discover Science and Engineering

are hosting a series of lectures to celebrate Science Week 2007. You might be interested in the Science and Space Travel Lecture by Joe Edwards. Details:

Joe Edwards, Former NASA Astronaut, Former Chairman of the National Science Centre in US

‘Science and Space Travel’

on Wednesday 14th November – Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin 2

from 18:30 to 20:00



Please note that places are limited and if you plan to attend you must register for a seat allocation on www.scienceweek.ie/lectures, or to find out more information, please contact Nicolas Reitzaum on 01 678 9333. More on science week at www.scienceweek.ie.

Galilieo, Galileo

who on earth was Galileo? Deirdre Kelleghan will provide some answers in the Irish Astronomical Society public talk this month. Monday, November 19, 8 p.m.; admission free. Dunsink Observatory, Dublin 15 http://www.irishastrosoc.org/

Hubble Space Telescope

The Irish North Materials Group (a group of engineers and scientists affiliated with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) invites you to a talk which may be of interest:
"Through the Eyes of the Hubble Space Telescope", by Dr Robin Catchpole (Institute of Astronomy - Cambridge).
The talk will include technology involved in the Hubble Space Telescope as well as the abilities of the telescope as such.
Venue: University of Ulster at Belfast (also known as the Arts College). Date: 27 November 2007. Time: 18:00. Admission free. All welcome.

Monday 5 November 2007

Aspects of the Moon

A series of 100 portraits imaginatively linked to phases of the moon by Japanese artist Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892). Opens at the Chester Beatty library on November 16, and runs until February 2008. Admission free. On loan from the Museum of International for Folk Art, New Mexico, USA. http://tinyurl.com/33yqtb

Thursday 1 November 2007

Dave McDonald

will be doing a review on RTE Radio 1 tomorrow (Thursday) night with Dave Fanning. He says: " I'm reviewing the documentary film "In the Shadow of the Moon". Brilliant movie by the way. For those that miss it, I can post the link to the programme on the IFAS site.

The movie is released Friday Nov 2nd in IRL and UK (i.e. this coming Friday) but I don't know which cinemas are showing it other than the IFI in Dublin and another mainstream cinema in Dublin. "

I don't know what time it's at - no doubt you can check on-line.

Comet Holmes

Prof Alan Fitzsimmons of QUB gave an up-to-the-minute report on Comet 17/P Holmes tonight at the start of the IAA lecture by Dr Andy McCrea. The comet remains bright, with the coma expanding in a perfectly circular disc (from our perspective). But as the total brightness is no longer increasing, even with the increase in size, that means that the disc must be optically thin, i.e. it's mainly thinly scattered dust. The brightness is expected to decrease gradually over the next few weeks. There's no sign of a tail, and none would be expected, as if there is one, it will be pointing directly away from Earth. BUT - there is a chance that there might be another outburst! This happened some weeks after the outburst in 1892, during which the comet was discovered. This was not quite as bright as the original outburst, but it's still worth looking out for. And no, they still don't know what caused either this, or the original, outburst!

EAAS Lecture Mon 5th Nov

The next monthly meeting of the East Antrim Astronomical Society will take place on Monday 5th November in the Lecture Theatre at Ballyclare High School, George Avenue (off Rashee Road), Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, commencing at 8PM.
Main Speaker- Dr Miruna Popescu (Armagh Observatory) ( http://www.arm.ac.uk/~mdp/)

Lecture - The Sun: an exciting introduction

The Sky at Night

Sunday 4 Nov. "The Grand Collision" BBC4 7.30pm.- 8.00pm.

And: Sun/Mon 5 Nov. BBC1 1.00am - 1.25am.

Repeat: Sat. Nov. 10

Comet Holmes

Comet Holmes continues to amaze & puzzle everyone! It is still almost the second brightest object in Perseus, after Alpha (Mirfak); the comet lies closely to the East of Mirfak. It's still well above 3rd magnitude, and the 'fuzziness' is now apparent to the unaided eye. In binoculars you can see the bright 'nucleus' offset from the centre of the coma, and a telescope reveals more detail in the coma itself. The actual size of the coma is now bigger than the planet Jupiter! There is still no sign of a tail, which is not surprising, as if there is one, it would be pointing almost directly away from us. Charts available nightly on www.heavens-above.com, or www.spaceweather.com. See photos on www.irishastro.org.

Taurids

The Taurid meteors reach their long gradual peak of activity on 3-4 November. Rates are never very high (maybe 10-15 per hour at best), but there are a fair number of long slow bright meteors and fireballs, which are good targets for photography. There is a double radiant, in the general direction of the Pleiades.

Tuesday 25 September 2007

The 2007 Whirlpool Star Party

will be on 5-7 October, in Dooley's Hotel, Birr, Co Offaly. It runs from Friday evening, with a reception in the hotel + observing if clear, through to Sunday afternoon. Always the highlight of the Irish amateur astronomy community, it's run by the Shannonside Astronomy Club: see www.shannonsideastronomy.com for details of the programme & speakers. One of the keynote speakers is Dr John Mason - see below.
Accommodation: Since there are often weddings on in Birr or Kinnity that W/E, accommodation can be hard to find. I attach a list of accommodation in the area. Some of it is much more up-to-date than other bits, but it's a start! I have given approximate distances from Birr as a guide. NB, some prices may be quite out of date - always check before booking. I'm sending it as an RTF file, in case any of you are worried about bugs or viruses. It should open just the same as a Word doc.

Dr JOHN MASON's LECTURE TOUR

Well-know broadcaster, writer & lecturer, Dr John Mason, will be one of the top guest speakers at the WSP. He is combining his visit to Birr with a series of public lectures at various astronomy clubs, as follow:

Wed 3 October: IAA, Belfast, QUB, as already notified. www.irishastro.org
Thurs 4 October, IAS/SDAS, Gonzaga College, Dublin. see http://homepage.eircom.net/~irishas/index.htm
Fri 5 - Sun 7 Oct: at the WSP: see www.shannonsideastronomy.com
Mon 8 Oct: CAC, in UCC Cork. see http://uk.geocities.com/astronomycork
Contact the individual clubs for more details.
It was not possible for him to lecture to all the clubs in Ireland, not even all the big ones, given his time constraints and travel logistics, but most people should be able to get to hear him at the WSP if he's not talking to your own local club.

IAA Press Release: LECTURE TOUR BY RENOWNED ASTRONOMER, Dr JOHN MASON

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space age, which started with the launch of Sputnik 1 on 4 October 2007, the IAA is pleased to announce a major public lecture by well known broadcaster, writer & lecturer on astronomy, Dr John Mason.

Entitled "The Next Giant Leap For Mankind", it will briefly review the history of space exploration over the last 50 years, and then look at the future for human exploration of space.

Dr Mason is doing a major lecture tour in Ireland to mark this anniversary, and we are delighted that he will be giving his first public lecture to the IAA in Belfast.

It will be on 3 October, at 7.30 p.m., in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB. Admission is free, and all are welcome.


BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS:

Dr John Mason is a past President of the British Astronomical Association and a frequent guest on BBC TV’s Sky at Night. He is an Honorary Member of the Astronomical-Geodesical Society of Russia, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1976, and a full member of the International Astronomical Union since 1991.

Dr Mason travels extensively in the UK and overseas, lecturing on a wide range of scientific topics to audiences of all ages and varying degrees of expertise. He is a sought-after speaker with an international reputation as an enthusiastic and entertaining communicator of science.

He has led many overseas expeditions to observe and record phenomena such as annular and total solar eclipses, the polar aurora and major meteor showers to destinations as diverse as Alaska, Australia, Chile, China, Egypt, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Scandinavia, Siberia and South Africa.

In September 2000, the asteroid 1990 MN (numbered 6092) was named Johnmason by the International Astronomical Union in recognition of his many contributions to astronomy.

UCD: 2007 Inaugural lecture of the ‘Physics with Astronomy & Space Science’ Degree Programme

‘Gamma Ray Bursts and the Birth of Black Holes’, by Dr. Neil Gehrels, Chief of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory, NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center. Co-recipient of the 2007 Rossi prize
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007, 6pm, Theatre B, Science Hub, UCD
Talk summary: Gamma-ray bursts are intense flashes of gamma rays coming from distant galaxies. They were discovered in the early 1970's by satellites monitoring the nuclear test ban treaty and have been studied ever since. The chase to observe them and understand their origin is a continuing adventure story in astronomical research. We now know that the bursts result from the birth of black holes in the implosion of massive stars. The creation of a gravitational singularity at the centre of the star has amazing consequences with central gas falling inward and high speed jets streaming outward. The resulting explosion is bright enough to be seen from the edges of the visible universe. The lecture will highlight discoveries by NASA's SWIFT observatory. This new satellite has the ability to rapidly re-point itself in the direction of a gamma ray flash and observe them with sensitive space telescopes.
All welcome.

Prof Mark Bailey, Director of Armagh Observatory, asked me to circulate the following (slightly edited for space) :

"W5 Science Outreach programme. (W5 is at the Odyssey Centre, Belfast) This is mainly to advertise both Miruna's exhibition "Living with a Star" at W5 all this week (see p. 7 of attached booklet) and also Simon Jeffery's special astronomy talk "Inside the Stars" (see p. 3), on Thursday 27 September.
However, there is a very interesting programme going on all autumn/winter in W5 and I am sure that many people on your mailing list (school teachers included) might be interested in some of the other events.
The brief details for Simon's lecture are: "Inside the Stars", W5, Thursday 27 September, 11:00 to 12:00.
Those for Miruna's Exhibition are: "Living with a Star: Surviving Near our Explosive Sun", W5, Monday 24 to Sunday 30 September. All Welcome to both.
Contact details for W5 are at the back of the brochure.

ARMAGH PLANETARIUM TO RE-LAUNCH SPUTNIK!

An important anniversary in the history of space exploration takes place in the coming weeks. Fifty years ago, on 4th October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to successfully orbit the earth. This event was to change the course of history, and the launch of this tiny satellite is now widely regarded as heralding the dawn of the space age. Since Sputnik, data returned by orbiting satellites, interplanetary probes and human explorers have vastly expanded our knowledge of the Universe beyond Earth.

To celebrate this historic event, Armagh Planetarium is hosting a special day of activities on Saturday 29th September 2007, with free admittance for the over 50s (bring your ID)! Along with our children’s show ‘Secret of the Cardboard Rocket’, we will be showing ‘Dawn of the Space Age’ - an authoritative account of the last fifty years of space travel, from Sputnik up until the present day. Dr Tom Mason (Planetarium Director) will be presenting talks on Sputnik’s fifty year legacy, suitable for all the family.

Budding rocket scientists are invited to take part in our ‘Launch Your Own Sputnik’ Competition, where entrants design and make their own Sputniks and rockets, before trying them out on the launch pad. Prizes will be awarded for the furthest travelling satellites!

To join in our celebrations please pre-book your ticket on 028 3752 3689. For further information and a list of show times visit www.armaghplanet.com

Open Daily 11.30am-5.00pm. Booking is Essential

Prices

Adults £6.00 per show

Children (under 16) / Senior Citizens (65 yrs +) £5.00 per show

Family Concession Rate £18 (for maximum 2 adults plus 3 children)

Group Rates (more than 20 people) £5.00 per person

Exhibition Area Only £2.00 per person

SPECIAL IAA LECTURE FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPACE AGE, Wed 3 October

We are delighted and honoured to have the one and only Dr John Mason, lecturer extraordinaire, to give a special lecture to the IAA in Belfast to celebrate 50 years of space exploration. John Mason is a celebrated lecturer, writer, broadcaster & general expert on anything and everything to do with astronomy & space. Frequent guest on the Sky At Night, Past President of the BAA, Eclipse Tours & Meteor Tours Guest Expert Astronomer - you name it, he knows about it!

John will be giving a series of lectures in Ireland, commencing with the one to the IAA in Belfast on Wed 3 Oct (OK, so it's one day early, but we wanted to get him first!). Other venues are Dublin, the WSP in Birr, and Cork. More on those in next email.

Entitled "THE NEXT GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND", it will be held in the IAA's NEW MEETING VENUE: The BELL LECTURE THEATRE, PHYSICS BUILDING, MAIN CAMPUS, QUB, UNIVERSITY ROAD, BELFAST. Many thanks to Prof Stephen Smartt for facilitating a very good deal for us.

ENTRANCE TO PHYSICS BUILDING: The entrance is at the door at the foot of the spiral staircase in the Physics Building, which is "No 5" on the QUB map on their website: see www.qub.ac.uk. Or go directly to the QUB website map, it's building number 5 (just opposite "1b") http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/Location/Maps/MainCampus/
On www.multimap.com, the entrance to the building is at:
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.5838&lon=-5.9346&scale=5000&icon=x
On Google Earth, or FlashEarth.com, the entrance to the building is at: N 54 deg 35' 2.0 "; W 5 deg 56' 4.4".
It's just opposite the opening in the South Wing of the main QUB building. That lies just to the left of the circled number 5 indicating that building.
That door is normally locked, but we will have someone on duty there from 7.10 p.m. to 7.30 (or 7.35 p.m. if we are feeling generous) to admit you. If you are late - tough luck: you won't get in!
PARKING: There is free parking within the main campus after about 5 p.m., but there will be other events on too, so you'll have to compete for parking spots. The entrance is from UNIVERSITY SQUARE, which is one-way only, in the direction from University Road towards Botanic Avenue/College Park. The barrier will be up, so just drive in, across in front of the main building, then turn left at the end of the front facade of that building.
The Physics building is the large 2-3 story modern(ish) building now on your right. The entrance is down the slight hill, on your right.
Park anywhere in this vicinity if you can; otherwise just find a space where you can: anywhere not 'prohibited' is OK, as long as you don't block anyone else. You can also park free on University Square if you wish.
There is also an entrance from the far end of University Avenue, in College Park - that will bring you in to the East of the main building, so use the map to locate the physics building.
REFRESHMENTS will be provided free of charge, as usual, after the lecture.
EXITING: The vehicle exit from the campus is from the gate directly onto University Road, beside the Whitla Hall ('7' on the map): there is an automatic barrier there which will lift as the car approaches it - go slowly until it lifts! NB, this is one-way only - No entry by this route!
Let's see plenty of you there for what will be a most entertaining & informative lecture.

Saturday 15 September 2007

NEW LECTURE VENUE!!

PLEASE NOTE: IAA LECTURE MEETINGS FOR THE NEW SESSION WILL BE HELD IN QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST!

Because of huge increases in room hire costs being imposed by Stranmillis College, we will be holding our future meetings in the BELL LECTURE THEATRE, PHYSICS BUILDING, MAIN CAMPUS, QUB, UNIVERSITY ROAD, BELFAST. Many thanks to Prof Stephen Smartt for facilitating a very good deal for us.

Starting with the opening meeting on Wed 19 September, at 7.30 p.m. SHARP, by Prof Tom Ray of DIAS, entitled "The Birth of Stars and Planets: Do we really know how the Solar System Formed?" Prof Ray is one of the leading researchers in this field, with an experiment approved and in preparation for the James Webb Space Telescope (successor to the HST). He is also one of the most accessible and popular speakers on astronomy in Ireland, and this lecture is one definitely not to be missed!

NB: ENTRANCE TO PHYSICS BUILDING: The entrance is at the door at the foot of the spiral staircase in the Physics Building, which is "No 5" on the QUB map on their website: see www.qub.ac.uk. Or go directly to the QUB website map, it's building number 5 (just opposite "1b") http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/Location/Maps/MainCampus/
On www.multimap.com, the entrance to the building is at:
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=54.5838&lon=-5.9346&scale=5000&icon=x
On Google Earth, or FlashEarth.com, the entrance to the building is at: N 54 deg 35' 2.0"; W 5 deg 56' 4.4".
It's just opposite the opening in the South Wing of the main QUB building. That lies just to the left of the circled number 5 indicating that building.
That door is normally locked, but we will have someone on duty there from 7.10 p.m. to 7.30 (or 7.35 p.m. if we are feeling generous) to admit you. If you are late - tough luck: you won't get in!
PARKING: There is free parking within the main campus after about 5 p.m., but there will be other events on too, so you'll have to compete for parking spots. The entrance is from UNIVERSITY SQUARE, which is one-way only, in the direction from University Road towards Botanic Avenue/College Park. The barrier will be up, so just drive in, across in front of the main building, then turn left at the end of the front facade of that building.
The Physics building id the large 3 story modern(ish) building now on you right. The entrance is down the slight hill, on your right.
Park anywhere in this vicinity if you can; otherwise just find a space where you can: anywhere not 'prohibited' is OK, as long as you don't block anyone else. You can also park free on University Square if you wish.
There is also an entrance from the far end of University Avenue / College Park - that will bring you in to the East of the main building, so use the map to locate the physics building.
REFRESHMENTS will be provided free of charge, as usual, after the lecture, and to encourage you to come we'll have some extra treats!
EXITING: The vehicle exit from the campus is from the gate directly onto University Road, beside the Whitla Hall ('7' on the map): there is an automatic barrier there which will lift as the car approaches it - go slowly until it lifts! NB, this is one-way only - No entry by this route!
Let's see plenty of you there for this new phase in the IAA's history.

Google Sky

Google has announced the launch of Sky, a new feature that enables users of Google Earth to view the sky as seen from planet Earth.
With Sky, users can now float through the skies via Google Earth. This easy-to-use tool enables all Earth users to view and navigate through 100 million individual stars and 200 million galaxies. High resolution
imagery and informative overlays create a unique playground for learning about space.
To access Sky, Google Earth users need only click "Switch to Sky" from the "view" drop-down menu in Google Earth, or click the Sky button on the Google Earth toolbar. The interface and navigation are similar to that of standard Google Earth steering, including dragging, zooming, search, "My Places," and layer selection.
As part of the new feature, Google is introducing seven informative layers that illustrate various celestial bodies and events:
* Constellations - From Cassiopeia to Andromeda, the Constellations layer connects the points of constellations through space, labelling each with its given name. Users can learn about the stars that make up their favourite constellations.
* Backyard Astronomy - The Backyard Astronomy layer lets users click through a variety of place-marks and information on stars, galaxies, and nebulae visible to the eye, binoculars and small telescopes. This layer is useful for the amateur astronomer who might benefit from a comprehensive, organized way to reference fragments of the night sky.
* Hubble Space Telescope Imagery - The HST layer provides the user with over 120 beautiful high-resolution images provided by the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA/ESA's renowned orbiting telescope.
* Moon - The Moon layer displays animations of two months of both lunar positions and moon phases.
* Planets - The Planets layer exhibits the seven other official planets and their positions in the sky two months into the future.
* Users Guide to Galaxies - The Users Guide to Galaxies layer enables users to go on virtual tours through different types of galaxies, from Ursa Minor Dwarf to the Milky Way.
* Life of a Star - The Life of a Star layer takes the user on a tour through the different stages of a star's life cycle.

Sky was created by Google's Pittsburgh engineering team by stitching together imagery from numerous scientific third parties including the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS), the Digital Sky Survey Consortium (DSSC), CalTech's Palomar Observatory, the United Kingdom Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), and the Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO). The initiative was born out of the University of Washington's participation with the Google Visiting Faculty Program, which makes it possible for leading academic researchers to visit Google with their work for 6-12 month periods.

The announcement follows last month's inclusion of the NASA layer group in Google Earth, showcasing NASA's Earth exploration. The group has three main components, including Astronaut Photography of Earth, Satellite Imagery, and Earth City Lights. Astronaut Photography of Earth showcases photographs of the Earth as seen from space from the early 1960s on, while Satellite Imagery highlights Earth images taken by NASA satellites over the years and Earth City Lights traces well-lit cities across the globe.

To access Sky in Google Earth, users need to download the newest version of Google Earth, available at: http://earth.google.com. The feature will be available on all Google Earth domains, in 13 languages.

Wednesday 8 August 2007

PERSEID METEORS: FALLING STARS - or SHOOTING STARS ?

The annual celestial fireworks show provided by the Perseid Meteors is now under way! Meteors are popularly known as 'falling stars' or 'shooting stars'. Of course they are not stars at all, but they just look like a star shooting across the sky, or sometimes appearing to 'fall' from it. They are caused by tiny little bits of material given off by a comet, in this case Comet Swift-Tuttle, colliding with our atmosphere at very high speed, and burning away in the streak or flash of light which we see as a meteor.
There are some already visible each night, but the numbers seen will increase noticeably from about 8/9 August until the night of maximum on 12/13 (Sun-Mon) August. In excellent sky conditions one might see up to about 60-70 meteors per hour just before dawn when the radiant is highest.
Observers in Ireland are slightly better favoured than those in GB, as the dawn occurs later here, giving up to about 30 minutes of extra observing time.
Perseid meteors are quite fast, with a fairly high proportion of bright meteors. As the name implies they appear to come from the constellation of Perseus, which will be rising higher in the North East part of the sky as the night progresses. The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but most will appear to come from the NE part of the sky. And there will be no moonlight this year, giving excellent observing conditions - if we get clear skies, of course!
To see them at their best, choose as dark a location as possible from which to observe: a really dark site will more than double the number of meteors you will see! Also, allow time for your eyes to adapt to the dark - allow at least 10 minutes after exposure to white light before you can expect to see many meteors, and after about 30 minutes you'll be able to see as many as sky conditions allow. You don't need any optical aid - just your eyes, a comfortable lounger or reclining chair, and some warm clothes or a rug.
Most meteors will be seen after midnight, up to the start of local dawn twilight, but you should see at least some soon after the sky gets dark on Sunday evening.
If you are lucky, you may see some much brighter than any of the stars in the sky!
The number of meteors drops away after August 12/13, but some should still be seen up to about August 15/16.

FOR SALE: TAL TAA-200K Klevzov-Cassegrain

FOR SALE: TAL TAA-200K Klevzov-Cassegrain: 10mm and 25mm Plossl eyepieces:
x2 barlow and 90 degree diagonal viewer: 8x50 finder: lunar filter: EQ-5
equatorial mount on fully adjustable tripod: automated R.A. and DEC: three
counterweights. Overall in near-mint condition in original
shipping/storage case: £650.
Contact 92678205 AFTER 6pm or email:- clem [at] c-clements.go-plus.net

PERSEID METEORS and IAA PERSEID BBQ

The annual celestial fireworks show provided by Comet Swift-Tuttle is now under way - better known as the Perseid Meteor Shower. There will be a gradual build up of activity over the next week, and then meteor rates will rise quite noticeably until the night of maximum on 12/13 (Sun-Mon) August, with the actual time of maximum about 03.00 BST on the 13th. In excellent sky conditions an experienced observer should be able to see about 70-80 meteors per hour just before dawn when the radiant is highest.
Observers in Ireland are slightly better favoured than those in GB, as the dawn occurs later here, giving up to about 30 minutes of extra observing time close to the time of maximum activity.
Perseid meteors are quite fast, with a fairly high proportion of bright meteors, some of which leave persistent 'trains' or trails. As the name implies they appear to come from the constellation of Perseus, not far from the famous 'Double Cluster', which lies about halfway between Perseus and Cassiopeia. For your non-astronomical friends, just say that they appear to come from the North East part of the sky in the late evening, and a bit higher up in the East as the night progresses into Monday morning.
The Moon will not interfere at all this year, giving excellent observing conditions, - in clear skies, of course!
The Irish Astronomical Association will be having a "BBQ + Perseid Party" at Delamont Country Park, on the A22, between Killyleagh and Downpatrick, on Sunday evening, 12 August, commencing at 8 p.m. We will finish the cooking & eating by about 9.30, allowing time to clear away, & set up loungers & telescopes & do some twilight observing of Jupiter before the sky gets dark enough for meteor observing.
If you intend to come you MUST be there no later than 9 p.m., as the gates will be closed for access from then on. You can get out OK at any time, as the gates open automatically on exit. We will be observing from the car park area beside the picnic tables, on your right shortly after you enter the park from the main road.
Usual IAA BBQ rules apply - Free, but bring your own food, drinks, plates, cutlery, cups, glasses, chair etc if you wish: we will provide the cooking facilities only.
For observing, bring a lounger if you have one, and plenty of warm clothes, and a RED, not a white, torch! And if you have to leave while others are still observing, drive on sidelights only until you are out of the park. Also, park your car so that you are facing in the direction in which you will leave, with the gears in neutral or forward, so that you don't have to reverse, with your bright reversing light coming on automatically.
If you are observing from nearer home, choose as dark a location as possible: a really dark site will more than double the number of meteors you will see!
If you get any good photos, send them in to our website: www.irishastro.org.

ARMAGH PLANETARIUM - NEW SHOWS:

Armagh Planetarium has three brand new shows for the summer, including one specially written for children, called Secret of the Cardboard Rocket. It shows how children build their own space ship to explore the Solar System. After the show they can try their hand at rocket building using our top secret plans and experience astronaut training on the gyroscope. If they still have some energy left they can try out Ireland̢۪s first interactive floor, and stomp on alien bugs, avoid alien crabs, and leave their footprints on the Moon! The more artistic little aliens will enjoy making their very own colourful Martians to take home.

Armagh is the only place in the UK where you can see our second blockbuster summer show, Dawn of the Space Age. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of mankind̢۪s first artificial satellite that flew in space. In October 1957 the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1 into Earth orbit. This started a competition between the US and the USSR, the so-called Space Race in the midst of the Cold War. Dawn of the Space Age is a stunning experience; it records the many space firsts that were logged by both nations. This show faithfully recreates the rocket launches and shows the early space craft in amazing detail. You can experience many of the problems that the first astronauts and cosmonauts overcame, and how close many of the early exploits came to disaster. And right up-to-date, you can see the launch of Space Ship One which is an early model of the first tourist space ships that will reach the edge of space.

Our final new summer show is our very popular in-house Pole Position. This is a live show, narrated by one of our staff members: it shows Planetarium audiences the amazing things that are to be found in the summer night sky, including the constellations, deep space nebulae, massive globular clusters and spectacular galaxies, all experienced in full colour in our immersive all-dome Digital Theatre.

Afterwards take a break to refuel in our Voyager café, before heading outside to Armagh Observatory’s Astropark, where you can stroll from the Sun to Pluto and on to the edge of the universe, or try your hand - or I should say feet - at the amazing 'Human Orrery'. Open Daily July and August 11.30am-5.00pm

Booking is Essential: Tel: 028 3752 3689. www.armaghplanet.com

Prices

Adults £6.00 per show

Children (under 16)/Senior Citizens (65 yrs +) £5.00 per show

Family Concession Rate £18 (for maximum 2 adults plus 3 children)

Group Rates (more than 20 people) £5.00 per person

Exhibition Area Only £2.00 per person

 

Summer Evening Tours of the Armagh Observatory Grounds, Astropark and Human Orrery

Dr Miruna Popescu and Armagh Observatory PhD students and others are providing, on an experimental basis, a programme of evening guided tours of the Observatory Grounds and Astropark during July and
August 2007. The next events will take place on Tuesday 14th August and Tuesday 28th August. Those who wish to participate in these tours should meet Miruna and the other Tour Guides at the main Armstrong School entrance to the Observatory Drive, beside the Courthouse, shortly before 7.00 pm when the tour begins.
Car parking is available outside the Observatory main building on in the car park halfway up the Observatory Drive. The Tour on Tuesday 28th August will include an illustrated public talk on the Sun, given in the Observatory Library, by Miruna Popescu, as well as a general question-and-answer session on astronomy.
These events are held as part of the summer programme in conjunction with other members of the Armagh Visitor Education Committee (AVEC), and as part of the Observatory̢۪s contribution to the International
Heliophysical Year 2007/2008 (IHY2007/2008).

Monday 23 July 2007

SOLAR DAY AT CARNFUNNOCK

The next in the Irish Astronomical Association series of 'Solar days' will be held at Carnfunnock Country Park, Drains Bay, on the A2 N of Larne, on Saturday 28 July, from 2.0. pm. to 5 p.m. There will be the usual selection of special telescopes for solar viewing, including H-alpha views, which are always spectacular. Has the Sun passed Solar Minimum yet? There was a good big spot recently, but it was part of the old cycle. Will there be any spots of the new cycle visible?
Other attractions will be available too, including our intrepid Ulsternaut, Derek Heatly, in case of bad weather. If you have any sort of telescope capable of showing the Sun safely, bring it along. IAA members bringing telescopes or otherwise assisting at the event get in free.
All are welcome.

ISS PASSES OVER IRELAND

The International Space Station is now starting another series of morning passes over Ireland. Most of them are at rather an inconvenient hour, in the small hours of the mornings, but some of them are forecast to be particularly bright. Details as usual are on the excellent, free, www.heavens-above.com

PERSEIDS COMING

The most popular, if not the best, of the annual meteor showers is the Perseids, which will start to grace our skies soon. Maximum will be on the night of 12/13 August, but some can be seen from 23 July to 20 August. Conditions this year are good, with no moonlight to interfere on the night of maximum, and the actual time of maximum, at 03h BST on the 13th, coincides with the time when the radiant, in Northern Perseus, will be highest in the sky for observers in the UK/Ireland. In good dark sky conditions an experienced observer should see an average rate of about 80 per hour at around that time.
But beware of some uninformed predictions! Just because the shower 'starts' on 23 July, and has a quoted rate of about 80/hour, does NOT mean that you'll see lots of meteors from 23 July onwards! A meteor shower is defined as beginning when the rate of meteors from that shower rises above 1/4 of the normal background sporadic meteor rate. In other words, when about 1 in 4 of every meteor seen is a member of that shower. Since there are about 10-12 sporadic meteors per hour visible in good conditions at this time of year, that means that you might see about 3 Perseid meteors per hour on July 23. (The converse applies to define the end of a shower).
So, like all meteor showers, the level of activity starts slowly, and gradually builds up to the peak. You won't see a significant number of Perseids until near the end of the first week in August. However, it IS worth looking any time from early August onwards.
The IAA will be holding a special 'Perseids BBQ' on the evening of 12-13 August, weather permitting. More details on that soon.

RESEARCH POST, TALLAGHT

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED SCIENCE

Full time M.Sc. by research

Astrophysics – Exoplanet Search by Grid Computing

Abstract
Industry has highlighted a need for skilled postgraduates in ICT in general and in high-end computing in particular. One area of key importance is data-mining and analysis of large-scale datasets and currently at the forefront of this is astronomy. The ITTD Scientific Computing Group has chosen a research problem that encapsulates this - the search for planets around other stars (exoplanets). In cooperation with CIT, a sophisticated analysis technique will be applied to large catalogues containing hundreds of millions of star references to select the best candidates from which to search for exoplanets. A problem that would strain conventional computing, ITTD will apply parallel-programming techniques within a Grid-computing environment (A Grid is a portal to globally shared computer networks ‘on demand’) to solve this. The outcomes of this project include a published catalogue, an innovative web-based software suite for the astronomical community and metrics and software methodologies to make the software consistent with large-scale data-mining in general. It will include training for a postgraduate student in high-end computing, the software-development cycle, and project development and management.


Profile of suitable candidate
• An honours degree (2.2 or higher) in physics, engineering, or mathematical disciplines.
• Knowledge of and experience with computer programming.
• Knowledge of or interest in astrophysics would be preferable.
• Given the strong multidisciplinary approach, the candidate must have a strong motivation to learn skills in new fields and be willing to work in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Possess good oral and communication skills.

Project Schedule
The project will start on or before September 19th , 2007, for duration of 24 months.

Funding
The project is funded by ITT Dublin and the successful candidate will receive a grant of €1000 per month.

Application Process
Send an expression of interest and your Curriculum Vitae by 5.00pm, Friday August 24th 2007 to:

Dr. Eugene Hickey,
Department of Applied Science,
Tel: +353-1-404 2820
Email: eugene.hickey@ittdublin.ie
or
Kevin Nolan,
Department of Applied Science,
Tel: +353- 87 238 6141
Email: Kevin.Nolan@ittdublin.ie



ITT Dublin, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland.

Thursday 5 July 2007

IAA Solar Day, WWT, Castle Espie

The next in our series of 'Solar days' will be held at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Caste Espie, near Comber, Co Down, on Sunday 8 July, from 2.0. pm. to 5 p.m. There will be the usual selection of special telescopes for solar viewing, including H-alpha views, which are always spectacular. Has the Sun passed Solar Minimum yet? Will there be any spots of the new cycle visible?
Other attractions will be available too, including our intrepid Ulsternaut, Derek Heatly, in case of bad weather. If you have any sort of telescope capable of showing the Sun safely, bring it along. IAA members bringing telescopes or otherwise assisting at the event get in free.
All are welcome.

MOON POSTER

John Moore has just launched a new 'moonposter', which may be of interest. The website address is www.moonposter.ie , and it's well up-to-date on the latest news and missions concerning lunar research.
More info from: John Moore, Tel: 021 7434721

IAA Greencastle Event

This was a great success, in spite of the dodgy weather. Members & visitors were treated to an excellent show in the Planetarium in the Maritime Museum, followed by some demonstration rocket launches. Then the rain came, so we went back into the planetarium for one of Ash's speciality live laser shows, set to Irish music. This was brilliant - you have to see it to believe it! It's almost impossible to believe that it's not being done by some very advanced computer trickery, concocted in the 'Dreamworks' Lab in the USA!
We then all adjourned to Ash's house nearby, where the BBQ was soon fired up in his garage, and he even provided a couple of staff from the Maritime Museum to do the cooking (sorry, I can't remember their names). This time, for some reason, nothing was burnt!
Many thanks to the director, Ash McFadden, for all his trouble, commitment, & hospitality - it was a great day, and much appreciated.

Wednesday 13 June 2007

TV Prog on Pulsar Discoverer.

Jocelyn Bell-Burnell will be the subject of a programme called "Northern Star" on BBC1 at 10.45pm on Wednesday 13 June. "The life and times of Belfast-born astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell, who helped discover radio pulsars in 1968". Some say that Jocelyn should have shared in the Nobel Prize that was awarded for this discovery. Should be worth watching.....

DCU: A public lecture

entitled "The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): A tool for the study of Planetary System Formation and Evolution", by Dr. Mark Clampin, on Thursday, 14 June at 3 pm.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large aperture (6.5 meter), cryogenic space telescope with a suite of near and mid-infrared instruments covering the wavelength range of 0.6 ÃŽ¼m to 28 ÃŽ¼m. JWST’s primary science goal is to detect and characterize the first galaxies. It will also study the assembly of galaxies, star formation and protoplanetary systems, and formation of evolution of planetary systems. We will review recent progress in the design of JWST’s observatory architecture. In particular we will discuss the status of JWST’s optical system, recent successes in the primary mirror fabrication effort, and the status of key observatory elements such as the sunshield. We will also address the current projected scientific performance of the observatory with emphasis on its capabilities for the study of planetary system evolution and formation, and exoplanet detection and characterization.
It will be held in Room S209 of the Research and Engineering, Building at Dublin City University.
Dr. Clampin is the Observatory Project Scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA.
We look forward to seeing you: Brenda Frye and Turlough Downes, DCU.

Frank Ryan images ISS + STS.

Frank used his scope & ccd cam to see if h could get a shot of Atlantis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle_atlantis joining up with the International Space Station
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station as they install new sections. He wrote: "I was expecting maybe to get a blob of light...
something of an odd shape to denote that it wasn't a star... but holy cow I got more than I bargained for! Bearing in mind now these two are only a few hundred feet wide between 300-400 K high, orbiting at 27,700KPH!
In the photo you can see the solar panels of the station, the shuttle was facing face on so you can see the familiar outline and even the tail fin, but also the robotic arm is unfurled and there is something to the bottom right of Atlantis which may be the new module...
Its up at the moment on this site.. http://www.spaceweather.com/ ". Frank Ryan JR, Shannonside Astronomy Club.
Well done Frank - an excellent achievement

Deirdre Kellegher (President, IAS) gets another ASOD!

She wrote "My Saturn/Moon occultation sketch has made Astronomy Sketch of the Day on June 8th, I guess Richard Handy likes my work :-) Link to this, you may have to scroll back to June 8th if you open this on a later date. http://www.asod.info/ " Well done to DK also - again!

NLCs seen from Offaly

Seanie Morris (Secretary, TAS) reports: "Hi Terry, I thought it might be worth noting that Noctilucent Cloud season is here. On my way home from work between 02:40 and 3:10hrs on 11 June (between Mullingar and Daingean), I spotted Noctilucent Clouds in the predawn southeastern sky. They were faint, but obvious. About 7 thin silvery bands, all parallel to each other, and close together, and the horizon. The waxing orange crescent Moon, rising low down in the east, added to the nice spectacle."

PhD Studentship, QUB

One PhD studentship is available at Queen̢۪s University Belfast from October 2007 for one of the following projects (too much detail in originals to repeat here):

Project 1: Theoretical Modelling of Interstellar Ices. Supervisors: Tom Millar & Philip Dufton

Contact: For more details contact Tom Millar – e-mail Tom.Millar@qub.ac.uk

Application Process: Please fill out an application form on-line at http://pg.apply.qub.ac.uk/home


Project 2: Low mass star formation. Supervisors: Tom Millar & Philip Dufton

Contact: For more details contact Tom Millar - email: tom.millar@qub.ac.uk

Application Process: Please fill out an application form on-line at http://pg.apply.qub.ac.uk/home

Postdoctoral Researcher - Radio Emission of Ultra Cool Dwarfs, Centre for Astronomy, National University of Ireland, Galway

Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D., or about to receive a Ph.D., in astronomy or physics, and experience with radio and optical astronomical observations, data reductions and computational modelling. Work will commence on 1 July 2007, or as soon thereafter as possible. The initial appointment is for two years, with renewal expected if progress is satisfactory and funds continue to be available. The starting salary will be at point 1 of the SFI Post-
Doctorate Researcher Salary Scale.
Please mail a short research statement, resume, list of publications, and copies of two recent publications (pre-prints or reprints) so that they arrive by 22 June 2007 to Dr. Aaron Golden, Centre for Astronomy, I.T. Building, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, Galway, Republic of Ireland (aaron.golden@nuigalway.ie).

Friday 8 June 2007

IAA Member sees all 4 ISS passes in one night!

Following my last email alert, the indefatigable Martin McKenna (who else???) observed all four passes of the ISS last night. Also known as TMWNS (The Man Who Never Sleeps), Martin not only observed, but imaged, all four passes. He wrote "Hi Terry, Thanks for the email alert. I accepted the challenge and after an exhaustive session I managed to observe and image all four ISS passes in one single night. This is a new record for me. Here is a montage with times in BST... http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=4qzlwfl
Regards, Martin."
Well done Martin!

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY are having an Open Day on Sunday 10 June

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY are having an Open Day on Sunday 10 June, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Concentrating on the Sun and how it affects the Earth, this is designed for the general public, but some of you might also be interested, or you could pass this on to others who might be.
PROGRAMME:
3.0 Meet at the bottom of the Observatory Drive, close to the Courthouse, which is at the NW end of the Mall; the Observatory Drive is actually at the bottom of College Hill. The Observatory is signposted from main routes into the city.
3.10 p.m. Tour of Observatory Grounds, Astropark, and Human Orrery.
4.00 p.m. Illustrated Talk: "Surviving in Our Sun's Explosive Atmosphere"
4.15 p.m. Q&A session: Ask an astronomer your questions about climate change, Earth, Sun, Moon, Stars, Galaxies.
For further details contact Dr Miruna Popescu, Armagh Observatory, Tel. 028 3752 2928, or E/M mdp@arm.ac.uk.

Four ISS passes

You have a very rare chance to see FOUR passes of the ISS tonight! Thanks to the shallow angle with which the Sun dips below the N horizon at this time of year, the ISS will be illuminated during 4 successive passes tonight - something I've never seen before! The following details are for Belfast, but should apply to most of the NE corner of the island (you can get details for your own location at www.heavens-above.com
5 June: starts 22h 55m 34s in the SSW, greatest alt = 18 deg at 22h 57m 37s in the SSE
6 June: starts 00h 29m 24s in the WSW, greatest alt = 41 deg at 00h 32m 12s in the SSE
6 June: starts 02h 04m 07s in the W, greatest alt = 38 deg at 02h 06m 51s in the S
6 June: starts 03h 39m 26s in the WSW, greatest alt = 16 deg at 03h 41m 19s in the SSW
You can also see 3 successive passes on the nights of 6/7 June and 7/8 June.

GREENCASTLE PLANETARIUM, ROCKET-LAUNCHING, & BBQ, SUN 24 JUNE.

Don't forget the social, astronomical, pyrotechnic, ballistic and culinary event of the year: the IAA + friends trip to Greencastle Planetarium for a starshow, rocket-launching, and BBQ.
Our midsummer event this year is an extra special treat! Those of you who have met or heard Ash McFadden, the Greencastle Planetarium Director and chief rocket launcher, will know that a visit there during the summer for a show and watching or taking part in the rocket launching is a real treat. (BTW, these are REAL rockets, not compressed air or water. The big one can go up to over 20,000 feet, although most launches are 'only' to about 2-3,000 feet.) The fun part is the egg-lofting competition, whereby you make your own rocket, from a kit which you buy from the Planetarium, and design it so that it will launch, and land with a parachute, a standard raw egg (supplied). The rocket that goes highest, and lands the egg intact afterwards, wins. If by any chance the weather is too bad for rocket launching, which is VERY unlikely, Ash has promised us a free laser light show (in which he specialises) in the planetarium.
Well, we're doing even better than that: we'll have a special show in the Planetarium, plus it will be exclusively open for us that day, and after the rocket launching that afternoon, Ash has invited us all to have our midsummer BBQ either at the Planetarium or at his house afterwards! Ash lives in a lovely location overlooking Kinnagoe Bay in Inishowen, a few miles from Greencastle, and has great outdoor BBQ facilities.
The Planetarium show will be at 13.00; that will be followed by the rocket launching etc. To allow time to look around the Planetarium and the Maritime Museum, of which it is part, we will aim to meet there no later than noon. More details on that later.
Our normal BBQ rules apply - no charge, you just bring ALL your own stuff for eating, drinking etc: we + Ash will supply the heat for the cooking.
There is of course a charge for the Planetarium show, and places are limited by the size of the Planetarium, so you MUST book a place by sending a cheque for £7.00 payable to the IAA to our Treasurer, John Hall, 3 Vaddegan Avenue, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 7SP, ASAP!
TRANSPORT: There was not a big demand for the minibus, and in any case there were complications with getting insurance for the school's minibus in ROI, so we have decided not to bother with that. Instead we will try to facilitate car sharing.
PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY RETURN AS FOLLOWS:
1. If you are going and need a lift: state your location, and number of seats required.
2. If you are going and can offer a lift: state your location, and number of seats offered.
3. IN BOTH CASES, state whether you are staying over on the Sunday night, or whether you wish to return home, and if so what is roughly your preferred return departure time (allow roughly 1.5 - 2 hours to get back to Belfast.
You may of course make your own way there if you wish.
NB, It's not a big planetarium, and places are limited, so book now - first come, first served!

Space in Art exhibition 2007

FROM DEIRDRE KELLEGHER: Announcing 50 years of Space Celebration early October 2007. As part of the IAS celebration of its 70 years involvement in Irish Astronomy, I am organising a Space Art Competition/Exhibition to be held in Gonzaga College Dublin. If you are a teacher, or are involved with a youth group here are the details.
I would like drawings, paintings, sketches, of spacecraft/planets/moons/ whatever you can do best, or models of spacecraft for the exhibition, all works to be with me by September 30th or earlier if possible.
You can spark the interest before school finishes for the summer and really go for it when school returns in September. Planets, Sputnik, Apollo, Mars Rovers, Cassini indeed any and all spacecraft or heavenly bodies are welcome in any art medium. All ages, all abilities
Send to our PO Box 2547 Dublin 14 or contact me at ias1937@hotmail.com for further information. I would like young people to explore the exploration of space through art and celebrate these wonderful robot explorers and the fabulous work they have done and are doing in space . Human space exploration celebration art would also be wonderful, ideally you would bring your work to Gonzaga and collect it afterwards if you wish it returned
We will have several talks on Space and Space exploration at this event, details to follow later as it all gels together .
Send me an e mail if you intend to take part or if you have any contribution to make in organising or helping us out with this: skysketcher@gmail.com

Noctilucent Clouds

The short summer nights bring few benefits for the amateur astronomer, apart from the warmer temperatures of course.
But one is that this is the best time of year to see Noctilucent Clouds, or NLCs for short. 'Noctilucent' means 'night-shining', and these beautiful high-altitude clouds do indeed 'shine at night', often being at their best around local midnight, which in Ireland, allowing for Summer Time, is usually around 01.20 - 01.40 on your watch. But they can be seen any time from about 00.30 to 02.30, if the sky is dark enough, although very near local midnight the Sun may be just too far below the horizon to illuminate them all fully, especially for those living further South.
They are thought to be caused by ice crystals condensing on meteoric dust, i.e. the very fine dust left behind as meteors burn up on entry high up in the atmosphere, or possibly even just extremely fine particles 'wafting in' from space.
The reason that they can be seen is that they are so high up (about 80-85 km) that the Sun still illuminates them even when it is too far below the local horizon to illuminate ordinary tropospheric clouds. And this is the best time of year to see them because the Sun never dips very far below the N horizon, even at local midnight, giving the best conditions for seeing them. They can only be seen when the Sun is between 6 and 16 degrees below the horizon.
They appear low down near the N horizon, often in the vicinity of Capella, and appear as wispy silvery or sometimes bluish streaks, often parallel to the horizon. Some 'curls' and 'billows' are also occasionally visible. They can be seen anywhere in Ireland or Britain if you have a fairly clear N horizon, but because they occur mainly at latitudes of 60 degrees to 80 degrees, those in the far South don't see them as well or as often.
This year may have greater NLC activity than usual, because they are seen more often around sunspot minimum, so do have a look on clear evenings. They are quite easy to photograph, with exposures of 1" - 4" on 400 ISO film (or 2" to 8" on ISO 200 film, etc); or just experiment with your digital camera and see what you get with each trial. Successive photos over a period of half an hour or so may show changes in structure and motion.
Do not be fooled by ordinary wispy cirrus-type clouds visible late on a summer evening: the sky needs to be dark enough for you to see the first few brightest stars in order for NLCs to be properly visible.

Tuesday 8 May 2007

IAA VISIT TO GREENCASTLE PLANETARIUM, + ROCKET LAUNCHING, + MIDSUMMER BBQ, Sunday 24 June

Our midsummer event this year is an extra special treat! Those of you who have met or heard Ash McFadden, the Greencastle Planetarium Director and chief rocket launcher, will know that a visit there during the summer for a show and watching or taking part in the rocket launching is a real treat. (BTW, these are REAL rockets, not compressed air or water. The big one can go up to over 20,000 feet, although most launches are 'only' to about 2-3,000 feet.) The fun part is the egg-lofting competition, whereby you make your own rocket, from a kit which you buy from the Planetarium, and design it so that it will launch, and land with a parachute, a standard raw egg (supplied). The rocket that goes highest, and lands the egg intact afterwards, wins. If by any chance the weather is too bad for rocket launching, which is VERY unlikely, Ash has promised us a free laser light show (in which he specialises) in the planetarium.
Well, we're doing even better than that: we'll have a special show in the Planetarium, plus it will be exclusively open for us that day, and after the rocket launching that afternoon, Ash has invited us all to have our midsummer BBQ either at the Planetarium or at his house afterwards! Ash lives in a lovely location overlooking Kinnagoe Bay in Inishowen, a few miles from Greencastle, and has great outdoor BBQ facilities.
The Planetarium show will be at 13.00; that will be followed by the rocket launching etc. To allow time to look around the Planetarium and the Maritime Museum, of which it is part, we will aim to meet there no later than noon. More details on that later.
Our normal BBQ rules apply - no charge, you just bring ALL your own stuff for eating, drinking etc: we + Ash will supply the heat for the cooking.
There is of course a charge for the Planetarium show, and places are limited by the size of the Planetarium, so you MUST book a place by sending a cheque for £7.00 payable to the IAA to our Treasurer, John Hall, 3 Vaddegan Avenue, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 7SP, ASAP!
TRANSPORT: A limited number of seats will be available on a special minibus from Belfast to Greencastle that day. There is no actual charge for the minibus, but a minimum donation of £10 per person is required to cover fuel costs and a donation to Robert Campbell's school, who will once again be supplying the minibus. If you want to book a seat on that minibus, send a cheque for £17 (i.e. bus + admission charge) to John Hall, as above. You may of course make your own way there if you wish.
NB, It's not a big planetarium, and places are limited, so book now - first come, first served!

Thursday 26 April 2007

David Malin + Meade special event

Thanks to Armagh Planetarium, who are sponsoring a special lecture tour by world-famous astrophotographer David Malin - "The Man Who Colours Stars". Working with the 150" AAT and the UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Springs in Australia, David Malin developed special new techniques, such as unsharp masking, now universally used, and took astronomical photographs which were never equalled, let alone surpassed, until the HST was fixed. David will be visiting Galway, Limerick and Cork as part of this tour. Contact Prof Mike Redfern ( mike.redfern@nuigalway.ie ); Tony O'Hanlon ( tony.ohanlon@vitalograph.ie ), or Dr Niall Smith ( nsmith@cit.ie ) respectively, for further details.
But the IAA has teamed up with Armagh Planetarium and Meade Telescopes/ BCF/Telescope House to lay on an extra unmissable special event to coincide with David Malin's lectures at Armagh Planetarium, on Saturday 12 May.
The Planetarium will open at 11.30 a.m., when David Malin will give a SPECIAL, extra, lecture to IAA members and other amateur astronomers: this will go into more detail about the techniques and the astronomy, so this is an event not to be missed. Admission by ticket only, which must be pre-booked with the Planetarium.
And running from 1.30 until closing time at about 5 p.m., the IAA has arranged, through the one & only Dr Andy McCrea of North Down Telescopes, and BCF/Telescope House in London, a special MEADE TELESCOPE EVENT. Star of the show will be the new 16" Lightbridge Dobsonian - the first one in Ireland. There will also be the latest Meade LX200, & lots of smaller items including binoculars. Peter Gallon of BCF/Telescope House will be there to talk about all the latest products & equipment.
In addition, members of the IAA will be demonstrating some of their own telescopes & discussing the pros and cons of each type, and how to use them & get the best from them.
There will be a special discount price on the 16" Lightbridge, and you can haggle on other items!
David Malin's public lectures will be at 2.30 and 3.30, and also MUST be pre-booked with Armagh Planetarium.
N.B. Please specify to the Planetarium which lecture you intend to go to: 11.30 (for astronomers), or 2.30 or 3.30, for the public.
N.B. Normal admission charges to the Planetarium will apply that day, except for IAA members who are running the Telescope event. This admission charge will admit you to the exhibition area, or to the exhibition area + a show in the stardome, depending on what you want - different charges apply.
Further details on the Armagh Planetarium website: www.armaghplanet.com.
Remember, normal admission charges to the Planetarium apply, but there is no extra charge for the David Malin lectures, but you MUST pre-book to reserve a place at any of the Malin lectures.
More details later when available.
Clear Skies,
Terry Moseley

Sunday 22 April 2007

Astro Buy & Sell

New IAA forum for buying and selling Astronomical instruments  


http://irishastro.proboards106.com/index.cgi?board=buysell

IAA Council

A new Council was elected at the IAA's recent AGM. Only one change - we welcome back Ken Doyle after a short break:
President: Pat O'Neill
VPs: Philip Baxter and George Brannan
Secretary: Danny Collins
Treasurer & Membership secretary: John Hall
Editor of Stardust: Andy McCrea
Web: John Hall and Robert Cobain
PRO: Terry Moseley
Members:
Robert Campbell
David Collins
Ken Doyle
Robert Hill
Ex Officio: Prof Mark Bailey, Dr Tom Mason.
(N.B. - No women! Where are you all? Don't be shy! How about a volunteer for next year?)

FITZGERALD AWARD

This medal, presented by the IAA for 'Outstanding Service to the Association" was awarded this year to Philip Baxter. Philip is one of the keenest and most active members of the Association and the Council, always suggesting new ideas or new ways of looking at things. He helps out at all our public events, and has been the recent organiser of our own observing nights. Congratulations Philip - it's well deserved.

Bargain binos

I'm still not getting any commission from Lidls (I think I'll sack my agent...), but thought I'd let you know that they are again offering the Bresser 10x50 binocs at £14.99, or €17.99 in ROI, from Thursday 26 April. Given the current exchange rate, the ROI price is a bit better.
The website doesn't give full details, but assuming they are the same as last time, they have multicoated optics, BAK4 prisms, lens caps, a tripod socket, carry strap, & a soft case.
These special offers often sell out quickly, so go early if you really want a pair. The quality has almost always been good, and exceptional for the price! If you do happen to get a poor pair, don't hesitate to bring them back & get them exchanged.

Lyrid Meteor Shower peak

The Lyrid Meteors break the 'Spring drought' of meteors with a moderate display peaking on April 22d 22h BST, with a rather meagre nominal zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 10-15, but outbursts have occasionally occurred in the past, raising the ZHR to up to 100. The waxing crescent moon on the night of the peak will not interfere too much. The radiant is located near to Vega.