Wednesday 26 March 2014

Fwd: Major Lecture, Other talks, Newgrange, COSMOS, ISS, GAM, Mars, Comps, more

Hi all,
 
1.  IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION Public Lecture, April 2, 7.30pm:   
 Dr STEVE MYERS CEng FREng FInstP FEPS FAPS: "The LHC and the Discovery of the Higgs Boson". The IAA is delighted to announce that our lecture on April 2 for Global Astronomy Month will be given by Dr Steve Myers, Director of Accelerators at CERN. Dr Myers is a graduate of QUB where he did Engineering, and went on to be head of the section of CERN dealing with all the big particle accelerators, including the LHC. In other words, without him, they wouldn't have discovered the Higgs Boson!
   Dr Myers was recently recognised with the award of an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his major contribution to the research at CERN. Professor John Womersley, Chief Executive at STFC, said: "Steve Myers is the man who made the Large Hadron Collider work – as CERN's head of Accelerators and Technology, he was responsible for delivering the particle beams to the ATLAS and CMS experiments, which the scientists then used to discover the Higgs Boson in 2012. Without his vision and hard work, none of this would have been possible."
    The LHC is absolutely huge - 27km in circumference. But if you think that's big, see this: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/07/cern-future-circular-collider_n_4743551.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-tech&ir=UK+Tech. I'm sure that Dr Myers will be able to give us some insight into the plans for this ginormous machine.
    And with the discovery of Gravitational Waves, modern physics marches on!  
  The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. Venue: the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m. 
   We expect the lecture theatre to be full, so come early to get a good seat. And please sit close together so that we can fit everyone in!
   Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting these lectures.
(This lecture forms part of the IAA's participation in National Astronomy Week)
 
 
2. ISS: The International Space Station is doing another series of morning passes over Ireland. There are particularly good passes on the mornings of 26, 27 and 29 March Details on www.heavens-above.com.
 
3.  Public Lecture, Dunsink, 26 March. I will be giving a public lecture for families at Dunsink Observatory, Dublin, on Wednesday 26 March, at 7.30 p.m. followed by observing with the Observatory's 12" South / Grubb Refractor, and other telescopes, if clear. Booking via DIAS: More details in next bulletin.
 
4. Moon and Venus: On the morning of 27 March a nice waning crescent Moon will lies less than three degrees above brilliant Venus, but very low in the dawn twilight.
 
5. Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm Lecture: "Blowing up a storm! Ireland's record of great winds and the Irish characters who showed the world how to measure them." Dr Kieran R. Hickey, Dept of Geography, NUIG.
The first great storms were recorded in the monastic annals as far back as the middle of the first millennium AD and numerous have been recorded since. This talk will examine this long record of great winds including mid-latitude storms (e.g. 1839 'Night of The Big Wind'), and the tail-ends of hurricanes. It will also assess the contribution to the study of wind by two of the most important characters in the development of wind measurements who come from Ireland, most notably Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857) from Navan, Co. Meath and Rev. Dr John Thomas Romney Robinson (1793-1882) from Dublin.
Venue: Room OG-029, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen's University Belfast, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1NN.
Tickets: free, please email to indicate attendance E
rgsni@hotmail.co.uk
 
 
6. Trip to Newgrange - Update: Mar 29, 2014: 09.30 – 17.00 NB: this trip had been listed as 'Full' by Stranmillis College, but the demand has been such that we have upgraded it to a Double-Visit, so there are still places available:
   I will be leading an astronomy /archaeoastronomy trip to Newgrange, as part of the Stranmillis Adult Learning programme. A day long coach trip, with full commentary. Demand for this is already high, so book now if you are interested. There is a maximum number allowed on the trip, due to space restrictions within the Newgrange Mound. Booking is through Stranmillis College,  
The link to the enrolment form is on the same page, but this is the direct link: http://www.stran.ac.uk/media/media,231524,en.pdf
 
 
7. Global Astronomy Month, April 2014:
 
 
8. COSMOS 2014.  This will be held from 4-6 April,  in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone. www.tullamoreastronomy.com/pages/cosmos-2014.php
There is a full programme ready with 9 EXCELLENT speakers, air-powered rocket launches, exhibits, observing and LOADS more throughout the weekend!
    This year, Midlands Astronomy Club is lucky to have sponsorship from Ktec Telescopes (www.ktectelescopes.ie), and we thank them for their support of COSMOS 2014.
The programme of events (timetable only) can be viewed on our website: www.midlandsastronomy.com
Registration: Friday evening from 7:30pm, Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9:30am.
Prices: All this and much more is available to everyone. The following are the admission rates:
Weekend: €30; Day (Sat or Sun): €20; Friday only: €5
Children under 12 remain free WITH an accompanying, paying adult(s).
Cosmic Dinner (Saturday Night from 7:30pm): This will have limited places but will have greater availability than in previous years. Price and menu will be available for consideration from Friday of the weekend if not beforehand.
Cosmos Table Quiz (Saturday from 9:00pm): This will be held following the tea/coffee serving after the Cosmic Dinner. It is FREE, part of the programme and open to all visitors, not just those of the dinner. There will be, of course, the annual Cosmos Table Quiz trophies to be won!
Rocket Launches: This is where you will get to have some fun with your own model rocket - made from a pop bottle (1.5lt to 1.5lt kind) and launches from a compressed air-powered launch pad! Get creative, make as many as you want, and even add up to additional bottles as boosters. The launch pad will in fact be bale to launch 4 rockets simultaneously.
Accommodation: There is a discount for attendees staying in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.All you need to do is tell them you are attending.
This promises to be our BIGGEST Star Party yet. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Competition! Also, check out the advert that appeared in 1 of 8 regional newspapers offering a competition to win some great prizes! Other newspapers include Weatmeath Independent, Cavan Anglo Celt, Meath Chronicle, Offaly Independent, and the Leinster Express.
There is also a competition on our Facebook page too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Midlands-Astronomy-Club/177773508924371
Both are with thanks for Ktec Telescopes for their kind prizes sponsorship.
 
9.  Mars at Opposition on 8 April: Mars will be closest to Earth this year in the first half of April, and so best placed for viewing. It lies in Virgo, not far from bright blue-white Spica. At opposition it will have brightened to a spectacular -1.5, and with a diameter of 15.1", you can see reasonable detail in a good telescope, if the seeing is steady. The North Pole of the planet is tilted towards Earth, at an angle of 21˚, but the polar cap is likely to be barely visible in the Martian summer. It will be 242 million km from the Sun, but only 93m km from Earth.
 
10. Astrophotography Competition:  The Royal Observatory, Greenwich includes a Robotic Scope prize in their Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 competition.

   'The competition is now in its sixth year and welcomes entries from astronomy photographers of all levels from around the world. Last year we had a record number of entries, with over 1200 images being entered from entrants across 49 countries. 

   The competition receives a vast amount of press coverage, both when the shortlist is released and when the winners are announced in September. The Robotic Scope prize was introduced in 2011 in recognition of the trend for astronomy photographers to use telescopes that are remotely operated and publicly accessible via the internet.'

   To take part in the competition follow the link below for more details: The competition is open for another seven weeks and the deadline for entries is midday (BST) on April 24th. Full details can be found on their website here:

www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/competition<http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/competition>. 

 

11. Write software for detecting asteroids, and win $20,000. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2579119/Do-takes-ASTEROID-HUNTER-Nasa-offers-20-000-reward-software-save-planet.html Go for it, all you IT nerds! (And that's a compliment)
 
 
12. IAA Event at North Down Museum, Bangor, 3 May. After last year's very successful IAA event there, we have been invited back for another evening, on 3 May. More details in future bulletins.
 
13. Major Astronomy Conference in Galway;  Speed and Sensitivity, Expanding Astronomical Horizons with ELTs. NUI, Galway, 13-16 May 2014
 Led by Prof Andy Shearer: this will be a fascinating look at the future of astronomy as offered by Extremely Large Telescopes, and ever increasingly sensitive detectors. See www.astro.nuigalway.ie/speeadandsensitivity or www.htra.ie/speedandsensitivity
With reference to this, these articles may be of interest: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2580965/New-space-race-begins-Astronomers-compete-build-generation-super-telescopes-reveal-hidden-universe.html  It doesn't say here what the diameter of the E-ELT will be: it was originally to be 42m (the answer to the ultimate question about 'Life, The Universe, and Everything" was "42"), but it was later scaled back to a still huge 39m.
   But how can any science journalist refer to a roughly circular mirror as 'thirty meters long'?
 
14. STFC Roadshow at QUB, 17 - 24 May. Note that this event will now start 2 days earlier, and finish one day earlier, than in previous emails. The revised dates are as shown above. The roadshow, entitled "Seeing the Universe in all its light" features stunning science images and interactive exhibits,   Check the `Seeing the Universe in All its Light' webpage at:www.stfc.ac.uk/2740 
 
15. SOLARFEST, DUNSINK:
Solarfest 2014 is now confirmed for Saturday 21st June. Further details will be posted here in due course:
 
16. INTERNATIONAL METEOR CONFERENCE, 2014  Thursday September 18 till Sunday 21 September 2014, Giron, France. Giron is a small village located in the south of the Jura Mountains close to Geneva. The region is easily reachable by air (Geneva or Lyon airport), by train (TGV high speed train from Paris and InterCity trains from Geneva railway station) and by car (highway A40 Lyon-Chamonix). See http://www.imo.net/imc2014.
 
Another one for the UFOlogists and conspiracy theorists!
Take your pick from -
# A fleet of alien spaceships arranging themselves in formation prior to attacking Earth
# A battle between two opposing alien space fleets (hence the different colours: greens and blues vs reds and yellows?) to establish control over our sector of the galaxy
# NASA / CIA / DARPA  testing new space laser weapons
# HAARP* temporarily taking control of the HST
# Test of new galactic anti-gravity device sends stars flying through space
# Your own theory?
   * From Wiki: HAARP is a target of conspiracy theorists, who claim that it is capable of modifying weather, disabling satellites and exerting mind control over people, and that it is being used as a weapon against terrorists. Such theorists have blamed the program for causing earthquakes, droughts, storms and floods, diseases such as Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, and the 2003 destruction of the space shuttle Columbia."
 
18. Astronomy site in Morocco: This looks like a good option for serious dark sky observing and imaging fanatics. Dark and clear skies, great equipment, English language and nice facilities. Email paul@kasbahangour.com, or see www.kasbahangour.com
 
19. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
So the Earth was made before the stars, eh? And the apple tart was made before apples, I suppose?
Since all existing space telescopes move to a greater or lesser extent, the 'flower' would also have to both position itself, and move at the appropriate corresponding rate, in order to keep blocking the light from the star. Even telescopes in the Lagrangian Points are moving - they all orbit the Sun, for a start. Not easy.
 
20. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro

 
 
21. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
    If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to youYou can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button.  See also www.irishastro.org
  
Finally, in tribute to the late great John Dobson, a quote from him which is typical of the man, and very appropriate:  "If you figure something out for yourself, it doesn't make no never-mind who figured it out first, it's yours."
 
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley


Monday 17 March 2014

Lectures, Major News, LHC + Higgs Boson Lecture, Competitions, ISS, COSMOS, more

Hi all,
 
1.  IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION Public Lecture, March 19, 7.30pm:  
"Remote Sensing by Polarimetry", by Dr Stefano Bagnulo, Armagh Observatory. Don't let the title put you off - this will be a fascinating lecture, of interest to all.
   Dr Bagnulo has pioneered a technique for studying the atmospheres of planets going round other stars. Here are some article exerpts:
  "The odds of finding extraterrestrial life on Earthlike planets outside our own Solar System have suddenly improved. This is thanks to the pioneering work of a team of astronomers including Dr Stefano Bagnulo based at Armagh Observatory.
   The international team have devised a way to filter out the bright light coming from a nearby Star which blocked the view of astronomers when they were trying to look at a planet that might have life. The team also came up with a definitive way to test for the presence of life on other planets – by looking at Earth from space. This was achieved using the Moon as a large mirror to look back at Earth. Scientists know that light from the Earth bounces off part of the Moon's surface and is reflected back to Earth, as ‘Earthshine’.
    The signatures of life on Earth, in terms of composition of gases, can be determined by looking in detail at the information in Earthshine. The scientists found that a unique ratio of gases are present in the Earth’s atmosphere that can only be explained by the action of living organisms. If life didn't exist here, the gases would interact, and different ratios would be observed.
    So if something similar is observed on another planet, it can only mean one thing: Life exists there. This can be determined with certainty without the need to physically travel to that planet.
    This could be the method by which life is first discovered on another planet in coming years!" See http://seanduke.com/tag/dr-stefano-bagnulo/
And:
   "An international team of astronomers, including Stefano Bagnulo from Armagh Observatory, has used one of the largest telescopes in the world to pioneer a novel approach to study the surfaces and atmospheres of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. They have tested the technique on the Earthshine, the light reflected from the Earth by the Moon, and showed that it can reveal the presence of life in our planet. In the not too distant future, this technique could be used to search for life on other worlds. Full details of this work are in the March 2012 issue of Nature." http://star.arm.ac.uk/press/2012/earthshine_pr_2012feb27.html
   The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. Venue: the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
   Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting these lectures.
(This lecture forms part of the IAA's participation in National Astronomy Week)
 
 
2. MAJOR ASTRONOMY NEWS ON MONDAY: See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2581441/Have-message-dawn-time-major-discovery-reveal-scientists-got-glimpse-universe-born.html
and
http://www.space.com/25066-major-astrophysics-discovery-announcement-monday.html?cmpid=556785
But if they are announcing it on St Patrick's Day, it's bound to be the discovery of 'Little Green Men'  (Leprechauns?)
 
3. STEVE MYERS LECTURE; April 2: "The LHC and the Discovery of the Higgs Boson". The IAA is delighted to announce that the lecture on April 2 will be given by Dr Steve Myers, Director of Accelerators at CERN. Dr Myers is a graduate of QUB where he did Engineering, and went on to be head of the section of CERN dealing with all the big particle accelerators, including the LHC. In other words, without him, they wouldn't have discovered the Higgs Boson! More details in next bulletin, but mark your diaries now - this is one you won't want to miss!
 
4. Saturday 22nd March 2014: "aroundNorth": Launch of Award-Winning Sonic-Art Installation at Armagh Observatory
The Observatory has been working with artist Robert Jarvis for a number of years to develop a novel sound-art installation for the Armagh Observatory Grounds and Astropark, to be installed in the enclosed area of the Human Sundial close to the Observatory main building. The new exhibit, called aroundNorth, is a multi-speaker sound composition that will provide listeners with a novel aural experience demonstrating the
apparent motion of stars in the near Universe around the North Celestial Pole. It was made possible with funding through Beyond Borders from the PRS for Music Foundation, Creative Scotland, the Arts Council of
Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Wales. This will be the first significant addition to the Observatory's Astropark for nearly a decade.
    Inspired by discussions with astronomers at Armagh, the new piece, called 'aroundNorth', will demonstrate the character and motion of the stars as they revolve around the north celestial pole every day, and provide a fascinating new educational exhibit for the Observatory Grounds and Astropark.  In addition to providing a unique musical experience for all visitors, the exhibit will make what is generally termed `the sky' more accessible to visitors, particularly those who may have poor sight, have visual disabilities or be registered blind.
   The official launch of aroundNorth takes place at the Observatory on Saturday 22nd March 2014, with an explanation by the composer and tours of the exhibit and of the Observatory Grounds and Astropark, at 2.00pm, 3.00pm and 4.00pm.
EVERYONE WELCOME. This is an outdoor event; please be prepared for inclement weather. To reserve your free place please telephone 028-3752-2928 or email: ambn@arm.ac.uk stating how many places and which time you prefer. See: http://star.arm.ac.uk/press/2014/aroundNorth.html

5.
Write software for detecting asteroids, and win $20,000. See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2579119/Do-takes-ASTEROID-HUNTER-Nasa-offers-20-000-reward-software-save-planet.html Go for it, all you IT nerds! (And that's a compliment)
 
6. ISS: The International Space Station has commenced another series of morning passes over Ireland. Details on www.heavens-above.com.
 
7. COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey; This new series is also available on the National Geographic channel, starting Mar 16th. (Thanks to Tony O'Hanlon for that new info)
More than three decades after the debut of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Carl Sagan’s stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey sets off on a new voyage for the stars. Sagan’s original creative collaborators—writer/executive producer Ann Druyan and astronomer Steven Soter—have teamed with Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad) to conceive a 13-part series that will serve as a successor to the Emmy Award- and Peabody Award-winning original series. Hosted by renowned astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson (Death By Black Hole, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier), the series will explore how we discovered the laws of nature and found our co-ordinates in space and time. It will bring to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and transport viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey will premiere Sunday, March 9, 2014 (9/10pm ET/PT) on FOX. (You'll need to try for this via satellite or on-line). See: http://www.space.com/24955-new-cosmos-show-neil-degrasse-tyson.html?cmpid=556782. See also: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/preetam-kaushik/post_6941_b_4943652.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-entertainment&ir=UK+Entertainment, and http://broadcaster.techmedianetwork.com/dm?id=93BDCB98E7232E8BC54E8954DC3A65FE
 
8.  Public Lecture, Dunsink, 26 March. I will be giving a public lecture for families at Dunsink Observatory, Dublin, on Wednesday 26 March, at 7.30 p.m. followed by observing with the Observatory's 12" South / Grubb Refractor, and other telescopes, if clear. Booking via DIAS: More details in next bulletin.
 
9. Moon and Venus: On the morning of 27 March a n ice waning crescent Moon will lies less than three degrees above brilliant Venus, but very low in the dawn twilight.
 
10. Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm Lecture: "Blowing up a storm! Ireland’s record of great winds and the Irish characters who showed the world how to measure them." Dr Kieran R. Hickey, Dept of Geography, NUIG.
Venue: Room OG-029, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University Belfast, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1NN.
Tickets: free, please email to indicate attendance E rgsni@hotmail.co.uk
 
 
11. Dark Skies Competition: Second “Dark Skies Rangers" contest (deadline 20 March 2014)
   The second consecutive Dark Skies Rangers contest kicks off to inspire and make awareness of the importance of the dark skies. Our planet, seen from the International Space Station, looks like a Christmas tree. This light, visible from space, is called “light pollution” caused by street illumination that project the light to all directions, diminishing greatly the darkness of the night sky. Light Pollution is a global problem that we have to fight for. It contributes to a major waste of both energy and money, influence the climate change, affects living beings, prevents people from enjoying the beauty of the sky and disturb astronomical observations.
   In order to promote the project Dark Skies Rangers, the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, a night sky tourism destination certified by the Starlight Initiative, and NUCLIO – Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (Galileo Teacher Training Program) are organising the Dark Skies Rangers Contest for students and teachers with the objectives to stimulate the interest for research related to light pollution, promote the production of projects related to light pollution, develop skills in the field of: eLearning, writing, photography, video and artistic expression, contribute to establish a community of informed citizens, that participate in the solution to issues like this and with critical thinking about science in our daily lives.
   The contest is open to teachers and students between 6 to 18 from any country. Deadline is 20 March 2014. More info at: http://dsr.nuclio.pt/contest/. Winners will get a week in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve (Portugal), a tablet and a smartphone: http://www.galileoteachers.org/save-our-sky-and-win/
 
12. Trip to Newgrange - Update: Mar 29, 2014: 09.30 – 17.00 NB: this trip had been listed as 'Full' by Stranmillis College, but the demand has been such that we have upgraded it to a Double-Visit, so there are still places available:
   I will be leading an astronomy /archaeoastronomy trip to Newgrange, as part of the Stranmillis Adult Learning programme. A day long coach trip, with full commentary. Demand for this is already high, so book now if you are interested. There is a maximum number allowed on the trip, due to space restrictions within the Newgrange Mound. Booking is through Stranmillis College,  
http://www.stran.ac.uk/informationabout/courses/professionaldevelopmentlifelonglearning/
The link to the enrolment form is on the same page, but this is the direct link: http://www.stran.ac.uk/media/media,231524,en.pdf
 
 
13. Global Astronomy Month, April 2014:
See http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/global-astronomy-month-2014.html
 
 
14. COSMOS 2014.  This will be held from 4-6 April, but this year it will be in Athlone, not Annaharvey, Tullamore! So don't be booking any accommodation in Tullamore, as I nearly did! More details when available. See www.tullamoreastronomy.com/pages/cosmos-2014.php
 
15. Astrophotography Competition:  The Royal Observatory, Greenwich includes a Robotic Scope prize in their Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 competition.

   'The competition is now in its sixth year and welcomes entries from astronomy photographers of all levels from around the world. Last year we had a record number of entries, with over 1200 images being entered from entrants across 49 countries.

   The competition receives a vast amount of press coverage, both when the shortlist is released and when the winners are announced in September. The Robotic Scope prize was introduced in 2011 in recognition of the trend for astronomy photographers to use telescopes that are remotely operated and publicly accessible via the internet.'

   To take part in the competition follow the link below for more details: The competition is open for another seven weeks and the deadline for entries is midday (BST) on April 24th. Full details can be found on their website here:

www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/competition<http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year/competition>.

 

 
16. IAA Event at North Down Museum, Bangor, 3 May. After last year's very successful IAA event there, we have been invited back for another evening, on 3 May. More details in future bulletins.
 
17. Major Astronomy Conference in Galway;  Speed and Sensitivity, Expanding Astronomical Horizons with ELTs. NUI, Galway, 13-16 May 2014
 Led by Prof Andy Shearer: this will be a fascinating look at the future of astronomy as offered by Extremely Large Telescopes, and ever increasingly sensitive detectors. See www.astro.nuigalway.ie/speeadandsensitivity or www.htra.ie/speedandsensitivity
With reference to this, these articles may be of interest: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2580965/New-space-race-begins-Astronomers-compete-build-generation-super-telescopes-reveal-hidden-universe.html  It doesn't say here what the diameter of the E-ELT will be: it was originally to be 42m (the answer to the ultimate question about 'Life, The Universe, and Everything" was "42"), but it was later scaled back to a still huge 39m.
   But how can any science journalist refer to a roughly circular mirror as 'thirty meters long'?
and  http://nautil.us/issue/11/light/the-billion_dollar-telescope-race
 
18. STFC Roadshow at QUB, 17 - 24 May. Note that this event will now start 2 days earlier, and finish one day earlier, than in previous emails. The revised dates are as shown above. The roadshow, entitled "Seeing the Universe in all its light" features stunning science images and interactive exhibits,   Check the `Seeing the Universe in All its Light’ webpage at:www.stfc.ac.uk/2740
 
19. SOLARFEST, DUNSINK:
Solarfest 2014 is now confirmed for Saturday 21st June. Further details will be posted here in due course:
http://www.irishastronomy.org/index.php/kunena?view=topic&catid=11&id=99787
 
20. Astronomy site in Morocco: This looks like a good option for serious dark sky observing and imaging fanatics. Dark and clear skies, great equipment, English language and nice facilities. Email paul@kasbahangour.com, or see www.kasbahangour.com
 
21. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.livescience.com/44017-explorers-club-dinner-preview.html?cmpid=556798
http://www.space.com/25054-google-lunar-xprize-game-design-contest.html?cmpid=556785
http://www.space.com/25063-spacex-dragon-rocket-launch-delay.html?cmpid=556785
http://www.space.com/25064-producing-live-from-space-soledad-o-brien-video-interview.html?cmpid=556785
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140314093648.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2581115/Can-YOU-British-astronauts-mission-space-Tim-Peake-soon-blast-ISS-wants-help.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2581024/Budget-XCOR-space-trip-set-launch-2016-let-pilot-ship-57-000.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2579462/Space-tourism-holidays-Mars-Former-astronaut-Jon-McBride-makes-predictions-future-travel.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/14/real-death-stars_n_4963159.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-tech&ir=UK+Tech
 
 
22. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro

 
 
23. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
    If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you. You can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button.  See also www.irishastro.org.
 
Finally, in tribute to the late great John Dobson, a quote from him which is typical of the man, and very appropriate:  "If you figure something out for yourself, it doesn't make no never-mind who figured it out first, it's yours."
 
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Lecture update, Flyby, Occultation, IAA events, New planets, Other events, more.

Hi all,
 
1.  IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION Public Lecture, March 5, 7.30pm: Update   "Making Your Own Telescope", by Dave Grennan. NB: this replaces the previously advertised lecture by Carl O'Beirnes, who has had to cancel at short notice for personal reasons. We are VERY thankful to Dave for stepping in at short notice.
Dave Grennan has been an amateur astronomer for over 35 years. In 2006 Dave built his own private observatory in his backyard in Raheny, North Dublin, for the purpose of conducting astronomical science. In recent years Dave's research has resulted in a number of new discoveries including two main belt asteroids and two supernovae.
   In this presentation Dave will provide an overview of the equipment which underpins his research.  Dave will explain how the main telescope was recently replaced with a homebuilt 14" astrograph.  The new telescope was founded around a wide field 14" telescope mirror which Dave ground and polished himself. Dave will outline the process of making this mirror and show that undertaking such a project is well within the capabilities of everyone. The talk will conclude with an overview of his current research and future research plans.
  The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. Venue: the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
   Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting these lectures.
(This lecture forms part of the IAA's participation in National Astronomy Week)
 
 
2. Close asteroid Flyby today: You can watch it live on line. See;
 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2572908/Asteroid-race-past-Earth-tomorrow-YOU-watch-live-online.html
 
3. Bright Asteroid Occultation, 7 March: (From the BAA)
On 2014 March 7 at 0308UT, (Night of March 6/7) the main belt asteroid (9) Metis (diameter 200km) occults a v7.9 star in Libra, HIP 78193.  This favourable event (99%) is visible over much of the UK & Ireland and presents an ideal opportunity to record an asteroid occultation visually.   Observe from 0306 to 0310 UT
Finder charts can be found on asteroidoccultation.com
http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/2014_03/0307_9_32274.htm
  The maximum duration at the center of the shadow is predicted to be 24.5sec. and the magnitude drop is 3.3 magnitudes. To a visual observer the star will disappear, although the asteroid should remain visible with larger apertures, Video or CCD at magnitude 11.  Observers situated near the edge of the occultation path will experience shorter durations. A Miss event should be reported if no occultation was detected.
   Timings of the duration and UT of disappearance are desired over as wide an area as possible. Conditions allowing, this could be the first observation of a Metis event for UK observers. There have been 11 observed occultations since the first reported in 1979.  An event seen in California in 2008 was perhaps the best observed to date with 26 observations, with three observers operating an unattended video station.
 Please send timed observations (Aim for an accuracy of 0.5 sec or better) to arps@britastro.org, including your name, instrument, timing method, and your Google Earth co-ordinates. (Datum WGS84).
  Good luck and best wishes. Tim Haymes, BAA Asteroid and Remote Planets Section - Occultation Co-ordinator
Added by T.M. The Star is
Tycho catalog number: TYC 6191-1726-1
Hipparcos catalog number: HIP 78193
PPM catalog number: PPM 231016
SAO catalog number: SAO 159605
HD catalog number: HD 142943
BD number: BD -16 4185
NB: Metis was the first, and until recently the ONLY asteroid discovered from Ireland! (by Andrew Graham, at Markree Obs in Sligo, in 1848 (sorry for the error in the date last time - a double typo, pointed out by John McConnell). The latest prediction shows the S limit of the track running roughly from Galway to Rosslare; all of the rest of the island of Ireland is within the track. The 1 sigma error limit at the S limit of the track would bring it roughly from the Burren to Waterford.
   Observations at the S limit would be particularly valuable, as they set a constraint to the diameter of the asteroid in that direction. If you observe and DON'T see an occultation, that is just as valuable, so report your details & exact location.
   Text in the link says it may be double, but Hipparcos lists it as single. However, any stepped variation in brightness (extinction or reappearance) should be carefully noted. The star is solar type (F5), a little bit bigger than the Sun, and at a distance of ~245 LY, so there would be no 'disc' effect - extinction of one, or both, components should be instantaneous.
 
4. IAA / St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon: Friday 7 March.
 The IAA will be returning to this venue with yet another of their very popular astronomy evenings, with observing using the school's own 14" Celestron in its big dome, and some of our own telescopes, if clear. Also presentations on astronomy & observing, telescope workshop, exhibitions, etc. Start 7.30 p.m. See IAA website for more details: www.irishastro.org.
 
5. Three new habitable planets found: A group of astronomers from the UK and Chile reports the discovery of eight new small planets orbiting nearby red dwarf stars, three of which may be habitable.  From this result the scientists, led by Mikko Tuomi of the University of Hertfordshire, estimate that a large fraction of red dwarfs, which make up at least three quarters of the stars in the universe, has associated low-mass planets. The new work appears in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. See http://star-www.herts.ac.uk/~hraj/mdwarfs/star_planets.png

6. March events at Blackrock Castle Observatory, including Space Camp. See www.bco.ie, or email info@bco.ie

7. COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey; Premieres March 9, 2014 on FOX TV. More than three decades after the debut of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Carl Sagan’s stunning and iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey sets off on a new voyage for the stars. Sagan’s original creative collaborators—writer/executive producer Ann Druyan and astronomer Steven Soter—have teamed with Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad) to conceive a 13-part series that will serve as a successor to the Emmy Award- and Peabody Award-winning original series. Hosted by renowned astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson (Death By Black Hole, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier), the series will explore how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. It will bring to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and transport viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey will premiere Sunday, March 9, 2014 (9/10pm ET/PT) on FOX. (You'll need to try for this via satellite or on-line)

8. ISS: The International Space Station will commence another series of morning passes over Ireland on 13 March. Details on www.heavens-above.com.
 
9. Dark Skies Competition: Second “Dark Skies Rangers" contest (deadline 20 March 2014)
   The second consecutive Dark Skies Rangers contest kicks off to inspire and make awareness of the importance of the dark skies. Our planet, seen from the International Space Station, looks like a Christmas tree. This light, visible from space, is called “light pollution” caused by street illumination that project the light to all directions, diminishing greatly the darkness of the night sky. Light Pollution is a global problem that we have to fight for. It contributes to a major waste of both energy and money, influence the climate change, affects living beings, prevents people from enjoying the beauty of the sky and disturb astronomical observations.
   In order to promote the project Dark Skies Rangers, the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, a night sky tourism destination certified by the Starlight Initiative, and NUCLIO – Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (Galileo Teacher Training Program) are organising the Dark Skies Rangers Contest for students and teachers with the objectives to stimulate the interest for research related to light pollution, promote the production of projects related to light pollution, develop skills in the field of: eLearning, writing, photography, video and artistic expression, contribute to establish a community of informed citizens, that participate in the solution to issues like this and with critical thinking about science in our daily lives.
   The contest is open to teachers and students between 6 to 18 from any country. Deadline is 20 March 2014. More info at: http://dsr.nuclio.pt/contest/. Winners will get a week in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve (Portugal), a tablet and a smartphone: http://www.galileoteachers.org/save-our-sky-and-win/
 
10.  Public Lecture, Dunsink, 26 March. I will be giving a public lecture for families at Dunsink Observatory, Dublin, on 26 March, at 7.30 p.m. followed by observing with the Observatory's 12" South / Grubb Refractor, and other telescopes, if clear. Booking via DIAS: More details in next bulletin.
 
11. Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm Lecture: "Blowing up a storm! Ireland’s record of great winds and the Irish characters who showed the world how to measure them." Dr Kieran R. Hickey, Dept of Geography, NUIG.
Venue: Room OG-029, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University Belfast, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1NN.
Tickets: free, please email to indicate attendance E rgsni@hotmail.co.uk
   
12. Global Astronomy Month, April 2014:
See http://astronomerswithoutborders.org/global-astronomy-month-2014.html
 
13. Trip to Newgrange - Update: Mar 29, 2014: 09.30 – 17.00 NB: this trip had been listed as 'Full' by Stranmillis College, but the demand has been such that we have upgraded it to a Double-Visit, so there are still places available:
   I will be leading an astronomy /archaeoastronomy trip to Newgrange, as part of the Stranmillis Adult Learning programme. A day long coach trip, with full commentary. Demand for this is already high, so book now if you are interested. There is a maximum number allowed on the trip, due to space restrictions within the Newgrange Mound. Booking is through Stranmillis College,  http://www.stran.ac.uk/informationabout/courses/professionaldevelopmentlifelonglearning/
The link to the enrolment form is on the same page, but this is the direct link: http://www.stran.ac.uk/media/media,231524,en.pdf
 
14. Advance Notice: COSMOS 2014.  This will be held from 4-6 April, but this year it will be in Athlone, not Annaharvey, Tullamore! So don't be booking any accommodation in Tullamore, as I nearly did! More details when available. See www.tullamoreastronomy.com/pages/cosmos-2014.php
 
15. Advance Notice: Major Astronomy Conference in Galway;  Speed and Sensitivity, Expanding Astronomical Horizons with ELTs. NUI, Galway, 13-16 May 2014
 Led by Prof Andy Shearer: this will be a fascinating look at the future of astronomy as offered by Extremely Large Telescopes, and ever increasingly sensitive detectors. See www.astro.nuigalway.ie/speeadandsensitivity or www.htra.ie/speedandsensitivity

 
16. NB: Change of Date - Advance Notice: STFC Roadshow at QUB, 17 - 24 May. Note that this event will now start 2 days earlier, and finish one day earlier, than in previous emails. The revised dates are as shown above. The roadshow, entitled "Seeing the Universe in all its light" features stunning science images and interactive exhibits,   Check the `Seeing the Universe in All its Light’ webpage at:www.stfc.ac.uk/2740
 
17. Astronomy site in Morocco: This looks like a good option for serious dark sky observing and imaging fanatics. Dark and clear skies, great equipment, English language and nice facilities. Email paul@kasbahangour.com, or see www.kasbahangour.com
 
18. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140303084300.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29  A few corrections are needed:
1. The area of an average wingsuit is 1.4 sq metres, not 1.4 metres squared (which is 1.96 sq m)
2. He would not be able to fly - he would be able to glide for a short distance before air resistance slowed him down to below glide speed.
3. There is no way he could reach the required running speed while wearing a wingsuit!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/02/nasa-gravity-real-life_n_4884967.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/04/nasa-unexplained-files-_n_4894684.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-tech&ir=UK+Tech (more bad news for the UFOlogists)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2572317/Are-YOU-living-sync-Amazing-map-reveals-manmade-timezones-countries-false-sense-sun-rises.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2572972/Forget-Google-Earth-app-gives-unprecedented-access-space-satellites-monitor-forest-fires-sea-life.html Look at the image of Europe at night - awful light pollution!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2572870/Could-harpoon-capture-COMETS-Canisters-fired-space-return-ice-samples-answer-life-formed-Earth.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1402/25gssap/ Watching the ones that watch us,,,,
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1402/26kepler/
http://spaceflightnow.com/station/exp36/140226evawater/
http://spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f23/140227launch/
http://www.space.com/24880-gravity-oscars-wins-academy-awards.html?cmpid=556780
http://www.space.com/24882-nasa-astronauts-gravity-oscar-wins.html?cmpid=556780
http://www.space.com/24866-mars-one-colony-uwingu-martian-map.html?cmpid=556780 (The proposed 'Peoples Map' will be totally unofficial. And it may also be incomplete, if not enough people pay to have their chosen name applied to a crater or other feature.
http://www.space.com/24847-venus-exploration-vamp-inflatable-aircraft.html?cmpid=556780 I presume that they have allowed for the corrosive acidic content of the Venusian atmosphere? Maybe it's not so bad at that altitude.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304071437.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304094841.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304113515.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304141732.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
The dumbing down continues: "guts' is bad enough, although it might just scrape into acceptability as a term for 'the internal parts of the galaxy', but where does the blood come from? And as for a "cosmic crime" - the only crime here is that perpetrated on language by the author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304141852.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304154527.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29
 
 
19. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro

 
 
20. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
    If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you. You can also make a donation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button.  See also www.irishastro.org.
 
Finally, in tribute to the late great John Dobson, a quote from him which is typical of the man, and very appropriate:  "If you figure something out for yourself, it doesn't make no never-mind who figured it out first, it's yours."
 
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Sunday 2 March 2014

Lecture update, Aiurora, Occultation, IAA Events, Comps, GAM, Lectures, N'grange

Hi all,


1.  IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION Public Lecture, March 5, 7.30pm:   "Making Your Own Telescope", by Dave Grennan. NB: this replaces the previously advertised lecture by Carl O'Beirnes, who has had to cancel at short notice for personal reasons. We are VERY thankful to Dave for stepping in at short notice.
   Dave is also one of Ireland's best-known amateur astronomers, and he also has built a very advanced observatory, with which he was one of the very first to discover a new asteroid from Ireland. He's also a redoubtable telescope maker, with an amazing project under way at the moment, and he will tells us about that, as well as the simpler principles involved for anyone who wants to have a go at it.…
  The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. Venue: the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m. 
   Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting these lectures.
(This lecture forms part of the IAA's participation in National Astronomy Week)















2. Good aurora seen: A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Feb. 27th @ 1645 UT), and the impact triggered geomagnetic storms around Earth's poles.  The CME was an after-effect of the X4.9 class solar flare reported on Feb. 25th.  Observation of aurorae were reported widely from UK & North Ireland - see IAA website for some nice photos: www.irishastro.org. Also http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/02/27/northern-lights-aurora-borealis-britain_n_4869848.html
3. Bright Asteroid Occultation, 7 March: (From the BAA)
On 2014 March 7 at 0308UT, (Night of March 6/7) the main belt asteroid (9) Metis (diameter 200km) occults a v7.9 star in Libra, HIP 78193.  This favourable event (99%) is visible over much of the UK & Ireland and presents an ideal opportunity to record an asteroid occultation visually.   Observe from 0306 to 0310 UT
Finder charts can be found on asteroidoccultation.com
http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/2014_03/0307_9_32274.htm
  The maximum duration at the center of the shadow is predicted to be 24.5sec. and the magnitude drop is 3.3 magnitudes. To a visual observer the star will disappear, although the asteroid should remain visible with larger apertures, Video or CCD at magnitude 11.  Observers situated near the edge of the occultation path will experience shorter durations. A Miss event should be reported if no occultation was detected.
   Timings of the duration and UT of disappearance are desired over as wide an area as possible. Conditions allowing, this could be the first observation of a Metis event for UK observers. There have been 11 observed occultations since the first reported in 1979.  An event seen in California in 2008 was perhaps the best observed to date with 26 observations, with three observers operating an unattended video station.
 Please send timed observations (Aim for an accuracy of 0.5 sec or better) to arps@britastro.org, including your name, instrument, timing method, and your Google Earth co-ordinates. (Datum WGS84).
  Good luck and best wishes. Tim Haymes, BAA Asteroid and Remote Planets Section - Occultation Co-ordinator
Added by T.M. The Star is
Tycho catalog number: TYC 6191-1726-1
Hipparcos catalog number: HIP 78193
PPM catalog number: PPM 231016
SAO catalog number: SAO 159605
HD catalog number: HD 142943
BD number: BD -16 4185
NB: Metis was the first, and until recently the ONLY asteroid discovered from Ireland! (by Graham, at Markree Obs in Sligo, in 1949). The latest prediction shows the S limit of the track running roughly from Galway to Rosslare; all of the rest of the island of Ireland is within the track. The 1 sigma error limit at the S limit of the track would bring it roughly from the Burren to Waterford.
   Observations at the S limit would be particularly valuable, as they set a constraint to the diameter of the asteroid in that direction. If you observe and DON'T see an occultation, that is just as valuable, so report your details & exact location.
   Text in the link says it may be double, but Hipparcos lists it as single. However, any stepped variation in brightness (extinction or reappearance) should be carefully noted. The star is solar type (F5), a little bit bigger than the Sun, and at a distance of ~245 LY, so there would be no 'disc' effect - extinction of one, or both, components should be instantaneous.
4. IAA / St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon: Friday 7 March.

 The IAA will be returning to this venue with yet another of their very popular astronomy evenings, with observing using the school's own 14" Celestron in its big dome, and some of our own telescopes, if clear. Also presentations on astronomy & observing, telescope workshop, exhibitions, etc. Start 7.30 p.m. See IAA website for more details: www.irishastro.org
5. ESA selects planet-hunting PLATO mission  “A space-based observatory to search for planets orbiting alien stars has been selected today as ESA’s third medium-class science mission. It is planned for launch by 2024. The PLATO (Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) mission was selected by ESA’s Science Programme Committee for implementation as part of its Cosmic Vision 2015–25 Programme. The mission will address two key themes of Cosmic Vision: what are the conditions for planet formation and the emergence of life, and how does the Solar System work?”. Read more at http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/ESA_selects_planet-hunting_PLATO_mission
And http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140220083255.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29 (Note that this is being led by Dr Don Pollacco, lately of QUB, who gave us several excellent lectures!)
6. Dark Skies Competition: Second “Dark Skies Rangers" contest (deadline 20 March 2014)   The second consecutive Dark Skies Rangers contest kicks off to inspire and make awareness of the importance of the dark skies. Our planet, seen from the International Space Station, looks like a Christmas tree. This light, visible from space, is called “light pollution” caused by street illumination that project the light to all directions, diminishing greatly the darkness of the night sky. Light Pollution is a global problem that we have to fight for. It contributes to a major waste of both energy and money, influence the climate change, affects living beings, prevents people from enjoying the beauty of the sky and disturb astronomical observations.
   In order to promote the project Dark Skies Rangers, the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, a night sky tourism destination certified by the Starlight Initiative, and NUCLIO – Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia (Galileo Teacher Training Program) are organising the Dark Skies Rangers Contest for students and teachers with the objectives to stimulate the interest for research related to light pollution, promote the production of projects related to light pollution, develop skills in the field of: eLearning, writing, photography, video and artistic expression, contribute to establish a community of informed citizens, that participate in the solution to issues like this and with critical thinking about science in our daily lives.
   The contest is open to teachers and students between 6 to 18 from any country. Deadline is 20 March 2014. More info at: http://dsr.nuclio.pt/contest/. Winners will get a week in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve (Portugal), a tablet and a smartphone: http://www.galileoteachers.org/save-our-sky-and-win/
7. Global Astronomy Month, April 2014:
8. Public Lecture, Dunsink, 26 March. I will be giving a public lecture for families at Dunsink Observatory, Dublin, on 26 March, at 7.30 p.m. followed by observing with the Observatory's 12" South / Grubb Refractor, and other telescopes, if clear. More details in next bulletin.
9. Thursday 27 March at 7.30pm Lecture: "Blowing up a storm! Ireland’s record of great winds and the Irish characters who showed the world how to measure them." Dr Kieran R. Hickey, Dept of Geography, NUIG.
Venue: Room OG-029, School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University Belfast, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT7 1NN.
Tickets: free, please email to indicate attendance E rgsni@hotmail.co.uk
   


10. Trip to Newgrange - Update: Mar 29, 2014: 09.30 – 17.00 NB: this trip had been listed as 'Full' by Stranmillis College, but the demand has been such that we have upgraded it to a Double-Visit, so there are still places available:
   I will be leading an astronomy /archaeoastronomy trip to Newgrange, as part of the Stranmillis Adult Learning programme. A day long coach trip, with full commentary. Demand for this is already high, so book now if you are interested. There is a maximum number allowed on the trip, due to space restrictions within the Newgrange Mound. Booking is through Stranmillis College,  http://www.stran.ac.uk/informationabout/courses/professionaldevelopmentlifelonglearning/
The link to the enrolment form is on the same page, but this is the direct link: http://www.stran.ac.uk/media/media,231524,en.pdf

11. Advance Notice: COSMOS 2014.  This will be held from 4-6 April, but this year it will be in Athlone, not Annaharvey, Tullamore! So don't be booking any accommodation in Tullamore, as I nearly did! More details when available. See www.tullamoreastronomy.com/pages/cosmos-2014.php
12. Advance Notice: Major Astronomy Conference in Galway;  Speed and Sensitivity, Expanding Astronomical Horizons with ELTs. NUI, Galway, 13-16 May 2014 Led by Prof Andy Shearer: this will be a fascinating look at the future of astronomy as offered by Extremely Large Telescopes, and ever increasingly sensitive detectors. See www.astro.nuigalway.ie/speeadandsensitivity or www.htra.ie/speedandsensitivity

13. Advance Notice: STFC Roadshow at QUB, 19 - 25 May. The roadshow, entitled "Seeing the Universe in all its light" features stunning science images and interactive exhibits,   Check the `Seeing the Universe in All its Light’ webpage at:www.stfc.ac.uk/2740 
14. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140220112515.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29 This is of great local interest. John Bell was a physicist at QUB, and indeed the lecture theatre in which the IAA holds its meetings is named after him!
1. They omitted the rest of the information after "From March 1" It won't be at its best 'until 2026'! It should say for about a week from March 1....
2. And Jupiter will set in the WEST not the East
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2564950/Could-Gravity-style-disaster-happen-18-000lb-lost-satellite-trigger-deadly-cloud-space-junk.html  1. It's not lost - we know exactly where it is! In fact you can see it easily with the NE! ". And no, it WON'T create anything like the scenes in 'Gravity'!


You would think they would know better! Have a look at the back cover of this week's issue of New Scientist (a respected UK weekly science magazine, out today, dated 1 March) - an ad from Omega....
Shortcut, and scroll down...:
http://www.space.com/24769-astronaut-dale-gardner-obituary.html?cmpid=556391 He didn't waste precious fuel by cavorting around the way that idiot in 'Gravity' did!
http://www.space.com/24784-big-bang-theory-five-weird-facts.html?cmpid=556717  The last 'fact' in the link is not true. Cosmic expansion only applies on the very large scale. It does not apply within galaxy clusters, such as our 'Local Cluster' containing, inter alia, the Milky Way, M31 and M33, where the gravitational attraction between the galaxies is stronger than the cosmical repulsion force whatever it may be. Indeed, it's probable that the expansion does not apply even at the scale of superclusters, such as the one containing our Local Cluster and the Virgo cluster.
   However, there is the possibility that all the clusters in a 'Local Cluster' will eventually merge, and even that it might also happen to all those on a Supercluster.
http://www.space.com/24811-mars-crater-name-project-uwingu.html?cmpid=556717 This is not much better than the unofficial 'name a star' schemes which have no validity whatsoever, and exist only to make money for their operators. If it's true that the money raised on this one will go "to fund grants in space exploration, research and education, which is the company's stated chief purpose" then that's better than nothing, but I still wouldn't recommend it.
http://www.space.com/24824-alien-planets-population-doubles-nasa-kepler.html?cmpid=556717 I think they mean the 'number' of known alien planets! We don't know anything at all about their populations - if indeed they have any!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140220132431.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29 This seems a contradiction in terms: WIMPs are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles, but this study is about very low mass particles. Or does it mean 'massive', but at the low end of the 'massive' category? Or do they just mean 'particles with mass'? A bit confusing to me....
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140226075019.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29 Current turbines may be able to "withstand" winds of up to 112mph, but only in safe mode, i.e. not operating, with the blades either feathered, or turned sideways to the wind. So they would present minimal resistance to the hurricane winds, and thus slow them down only very slightly.
   Any turbines which were turning in such winds would soon tear themselves to pieces! And if the hurricane was category 4 or 5 (like Katrina) you wouldn't have many turbines left, even if they were in safe mode! I'm sure no energy company in their right mind would build that many turbines in a hurricane area. TM
(Those should keep you happy even if we get a week of cloudy nights! TM)
15. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro

 
16. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc
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Finally, in tribute to the late great John Dobson, a quote from him which is typical of the man, and very appropriate:  "If you figure something out for yourself, it doesn't make no never-mind who figured it out first, it's yours."
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley