Hi all,
May I wish you all the very best of good luck, and clear skies in 2026.
1. IAA LECTURE Wednesday 7 January , 7.30 p.m. Larmor Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB: : "Hypernovae and the origin of the heavy elements " by Professor Stuart Sim, ARC, QUB,
Synopsis:
"It is generally agreed that only hydrogen and helium were present in significant quantities immediately after the Big Bang, and so the question of how astronomical objects have created all the heavier elements has been a longstanding topic of research. In particular, the origin of the heaviest elements (those beyond the iron group) has been particularly difficult to explain. New insights on this have emerged in recent years thanks to the first clear identifications of astronomical explosions associated with the mergers of neutron stars, so-called "kilonovae": these transients have been found thanks to advances in "multi-messenger" astrophysics, in which gravitational wave detectors and satellite telescopes (including gamma-ray and infrared observations) have made it possible to find and study these events. I will discuss our progress in the study of kilonovae, particularly efforts at Queen's and elsewhere to understand the role they play in creating the heavy elements."
Bio:
Originally from the north east of Scotland, Stuart Sim studied at the University of Oxford (1995 to 2002) before working as an astrophysics researcher in London, Munich and Canberra. Since 2013 he has been a member of the Astrophysics Research Centre and Queen's University Belfast where he was made professor of theoretical astrophysics in 2024. His research is focussed on studying astrophysical explosions, including supernovae and kilonovae, with an emphasis on using computer simulations to interpret data and understand the physics that undermines these phenomena.
2. EARTH AT PERIHELION – and Moon at Perigee:
The Earth will be closest to the Sun in its elliptical orbit on January 3 at 17h, at a distance of
0.98330 AU (about 147,099,586 km).
This also coincides with a so-called 'SuperMoon, i.e. when Full Moon occurs at or very near its Perigee. So the Sun, Earth and Moon are simultaneously unusually close to each other. Although it's not a record-breaking Perigee, since the whole Earth-Moon system is at its closest to the Sun, the Moon will be receiving extra solar illuminance, so it will appear brighter than usual.
3. QUADRANTIDS, 3-4 January
The Quadrantid meteors will be hampered with a full Moon on the night of maximum, predicted for 22h on Jan 3rd, so only the brightest members will be seen. The best trick is to put the Moon out of your field of vision, e.g. behind a building or an evergreen tree, and view towards the general direction above the radiant which lies about halfway between the end of the handle of The Plough and the head of Draco. The ZHR can approach 80, but in these conditions, probably only 5-10 or so per hour at maximum is what to expect, especially as the radiant is low in the N at the rime of maximum.
The Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is the rate which would be seen by an experienced observer, in a VERY dark sky, an unobstructed horizon, and with the radiant in the zenith: actual observed rates very rarely reach the nominal ZHR for various reasons.
4. BT Young Scientists, event, Jan 7 – 10, RDS, Dublin
5. JUPITER AT OPPOSITION ON JAN 10.
Giant Jupiter will reach a very favourable opposition on Jan 10 in Gemini, at mag -2.7, second only to Venus in brightness, and with an equatorial diameter of 46.5".
An amazing fact is that at close oppositions, the disc of Jupiter is greater in apparent area than the maximum illuminated discs of all the other planets combined! Venus can have a greater apparent diameter, but only when it is a very thin crescent, with most of its disc dark. AFAIK, I'm the only one to have ever mentioned this, but I have double checked it, and it's true!
At and very near opposition,. Jupiter's shadow lies directly behind it, so we don't see the satellites disappearing into, or reappearing from, eclipse in its shadow. And during satellite transits across the disc, their shadows lie very close to the satellites themselves. The shadows are much easier to see, as the satellites often blend in to the disc background, so they are very hard to see, except at the very beginning and end of transits.
6. Galway Astronomy Club, Annual Astronomy Festival, January 31. More details later.
7. Feb 11 – 22: NI Science Festival. IAA events on 14, 15 & 18 Feb.
8. Skellig DarkSky Festival, Co Kerry, March 20-22
9. Irish Astronomy Week, March 20 – 26
10. COSMOS Star Party, Midlands Astronomy Club. April 11
11. SATURN fading but still visible:
The second biggest planet in our system is still observable after its opposition on Sep 21.
The Earth has now passed through the ring-plane again, so the rings now 'opening up' slightly, after being edge on to Earth. Given their extreme thinness, they should be almost invisible from earth except in very large telescopes, but they can be seen in a moderate telescope in good seeing conditions.
The current satellite magnitudes (outwards from Mimas) are: Mimas 13.1, Enceladus 11,9, Tethys 10.4, Dione 10.6, Rhea 9.9, Titan 8.5. `
Saturn has now faded slightly to mag 1,1, diameter 17.3"
12. INTERSTELLAR COMET, 3I/ATLAS
3I/ATLAS mystery: Oxford professor reveals interstellar comet from a dead star - https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/3i-atlas-mystery-oxford-professor-reveals-interstellar-comet-from-a-dead-star/ar-AA1TlnJW?ocid=socialshare. Two people that have both lectured to the IAA Profs Chris Lintott, and Michelle Bannister when she was here at QUB!
See also section on this comet under 'weblinks' at the end
13. WhatsApp Group for alerts on Observing Nights.
The IAA have set up a WhatsApp Group for updates on Observing Nights. If you would like to be included in this group, please e-mail Mary at callistoboxers@hotmail.com with your full name & mobile telephone number.
No discussions about anything other than Observing Nights will be posted on this group.
14. ISS
The ISS will start a new series of evening passes on 13 January. Details for your location are available on www.heavens-above.com
15: HEADS UP – Advance notice. IFAS Convention, Saturday 12 September 2026.
"From Ancient Stones to Distant Stars". Birr Castle, Co Offaly. This event, being organised by Ronan Newman, chair of IFAS, is the first event of its kind. It will be an all-day event, with a possible optional dinner in the evening, and possibly observing if clear. Top speakers are being invited, and there will also be major contribution from IFAS clubs. Details still being arranged, but mark the date in your diaries.
16: Recurrent Nova T Corona Borealis – Latest predictions- 25 June 2026?:
By extrapolating the empirical fact that the previous T CrB eruption dates were separated by an integer multiple of the orbital period 228 days, the next eruptions should appear at 27 March 2025, 10 November 2025, 25 June 2026 or 8 Feb 2027. No physical hypothesis is made behind this extrapolation. I urge observers to be cautious about it, since an external perturbation could happen, and to continue to monitor the light-curve of the star. (By Jean Schneider, Paris Observatory)
Obviously it didn't explode on 27 March, so the next date is 10 November.
(It's well over a year and a half now since the first predictions of an 'imminent' outburst! But, it could explode any time, so, keep an eye on it - comparison charts can be found on the websites of the BAA Variable Star Section, or the AAVSO. The current magnitude is around 10, so you'll need a good telescope to see it now.
(BTW, don't confuse it with the other nearby famous variable star, R CrB, which does the opposite – it stays normally around 6th magnitude, but occasionally dims to as faint as magnitude 14 or 15!)
Anyway, do keep an eye out – T CrB lies just outside the East side of the circle of the 'Crown', about a degree from Epsilon CrB, but you really do need charts to observe it properly. It's visible in the WNW sky each evening until about 7 p.m., and again in the NE in the mornings from about 5 p.m. until dawn..
It's at Declination: 25° 55′ 12.613″; R.A.: 15h 59m 30.1622s)
17. NEW EASY TEASER:
Which 1960's song mentions an ideal stargazing opportunity in one of the USA States?
18. NEW DIFFICULT TEASER
There are two things which always have a Right Ascension of exactly 18h. You have to name them both.
Remember, send answers to me only at my aol address: terrymosel@aol.com.
19. INTERESTING WEBLINKS (Disclaimer – Use of material herein from various sources does not imply approval or otherwise of the opinions, political or otherwise, of those sources). NB: If the title in the weblink does not indicate the subject matter, I give a brief simple intro before the link. I may also comment about the link afterwards.
ASTROPHYSICS:
Why Supermassive Black Holes Turn Down Feasts - Universe Today https://share.google/PH6t5OBws6gYVemrY
Three Supermassive Black Holes Discovered on Collision Course in a Cosmic First : ScienceAlert https://share.google/8HSczGfrSKu74kFbS
Stars near Sun move in a rare spiral manner https://x.com/i/status/2005747661425824070
Rare Cosmic Event May Be First-Ever 'Superkilonova,' Scientists Say https://share.google/emS9CyoAuj1dddJeD and
Superkilonova: Double explosion could be first ever seen
Dark matter may be made of pieces of giant, exotic objects — and astronomers think they know how to look for them | Space https://share.google/sAvrTRonyLADZiulm
A "heartbeat" detected every 20 days in a shattered star, and the clue points to something Einstein predicted more than a century ago https://share.google/bDwkhSFyUYSzqdKgg
Supermassive black hole on a 'collision course' with the Milky Way
Antonio Martin-Carillo of UCD spots oldest supernova! James Webb Space Telescope has detected a Supernova from when the universe was just 730 million years old, offering new insights into the life cycles of early massive stars and their host galaxies. @ucddublin @AandA_journal doi.org/hbfk59 https://search.app/Dgzcj
Also see this - Space breakthrough as Nasa detects supernova from dawn of the universe in 'remarkable' discovery https://share.google/8HwsAnRq0zYD7XjO9
Antonio MC is a lead author
Galactic seismology https://x.com/i/status/2004618714897944662
Black hole has enough water to fill "trillions of Earth-size oceans" - Earth.com https://share.google/VZyVVtRGgCcaTp9og
Dark matter may be made of pieces of giant, exotic objects — and astronomers think they know how to look for them | Space https://share.google/sAvrTRonyLADZiulm
Gemini and Blanco telescopes unlock clues to origin of longest gamma-ray burst ever observed https://share.google/mMKthan8lvgfbPp3A
Flaring Black Hole https://search.app/fHc4w
We're in a local void in the universe! https://x.com/i/status/2004112630252732753
COMET I3/ATLAS (I3 stands for 'Interstellar 3', i.e. the 3rd known interstellar object)
Most sensitive radio observations to date find no evidence of technosignature from 3I/ATLAS https://share.google/nS5MsRsYbhs1xDbH73I/ATLAS Sheds Particles that Are Much Bigger Than Common Sunlight-Scattering Dust | by Avi Loeb | Dec, 2025 | Medium https://share.google/0gqDmqRTazTXzAQcG He never stops!
COSMOLOGYDark Energy may be changing and with it the fate of the Universe - BBC News https://share.google/f8peZhldMrH7ltQSqNASA's SPHEREx Observatory Completes Its First Map of the Cosmos in 102 Infrared Wavelengths - Universe Today https://share.google/wDxgsBgAJEw3XZ8QrControversial Dark Energy Theory Divides Astronomers - BBC iPlayer https://share.google/lzFZBBa69euwQkS6a EARTH & MOONInside China's 66 trillion dollar plan for the moon | WatchBefore We Build on the Moon, We Have to Master the Commute - Universe Today https://share.google/TKWLWg7sXmg7PGbVCThe Northern Lights may ramp up in intensity for the next 50 years as the sun potentially enters a new long-term phase of heightened activity, suggests a new study by solar scientists. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/05/09/get-ready-for-50-years-of-intense-northern-lights-scientists-say/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainTwitter&utm_source=ForbesMainTwitter&utm_medium=social (Photo: Nurphoto via Getty Images) https://search.app/3fvd4Life on other planets 'not such a long shot' after historic new scientific discovery Goodbye Earth: 3,000,000 tons extremely far from the Earth — NASA finds the future of the mankind https://share.google/n7HkrazyBnqNtVXsi (yeah – now get it here!) We're in a local void in the universe! https://x.com/i/status/2004112630252732753 Astronaut photographs a beautiful phenomenon called 'lunar halo' - Earth.com https://share.google/D6JsrhIWIQa7NpCaQ EXOLIFELife on other planets 'not such a long shot' after historic new scientific discovery EXOPLANETSKepler-22b exoplanet facts for curious 'Pluribus' fans | Mashable "Dracula's Chivito": Astronomers Use Hubble To Capture Largest Birthplace Of Planets Ever Found https://share.google/KOvpRD3ubLPPy8zX8 Most exciting exoplanets of 2025 https://search.app/TsudA IMAGES, VIDEOSCuriosity Sends Holiday Postcard from Mars - NASA https://share.google/0fcdOLuBFKo7kO6DMNASA's Chandra rings in the new year with the Champagne Cluster https://share.google/7kViEXutHRIZ48FGPThis image of MACS 0416 from NASAWebb and Hubble shows two galaxy clusters in the process of combining. Their mass magnifies the light from more distant background galaxies, helping astronomers identify distant supernovas and even individual stars: http://bit.ly/4qSNy5T 🔠https://search.app/ei96M
SOLAR SYSTEM Did Earth's life originate on Mars? The intriguing hypothesis that life on Earth may have originated on Mars stems from persistent uncertainties about how non-living chemistry transitioned to biology on our planet.
Traditional models of terrestrial abiogenesis, where simple molecules spontaneously form increasingly complex organic structures under early Earth conditions, remain incomplete in explaining the emergence of life's first self-replicating systems. An alternative scenario suggests that Mars, which formed slightly earlier and may have maintained stable liquid water, a protective atmosphere, and active hydrothermal systems during its first few hundred million years, could have been a more favorable setting for prebiotic chemistry and early life to originate. If primitive microorganisms or pre-life organic systems evolved on early Mars, impacts ejecting rocks into space could have transported them to Earth via meteorites, depositing viable building blocks or even living cells into Earth's nascent environment https://search.app/zFTMvPerseverance continues science mission amid uncertainty about Mars Sample Return - SpaceNews https://share.google/NHykwble7RCGo57w9A Meteorite Found in Antarctica May Be the Key to Mining in Space https://share.google/X8ZInjn0k7CvBF3FwAstronomers find unexpected cluster of objects in the Kuiper Belt - Earth.com https://share.google/LNtUs7Cku7ar4sQPAMars streaks are dust, not water. https://x.com/i/status/2005292656767996180Saturn's moon could harbour alien life: Scientists discover 'slushy tunnels' on Titan Meet Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons and the biggest moon in our Solar System and one seriously giant cosmic snowball. Its icy shell may hide a deep, global ocean beneath… one that could hold more water than all of Earth's oceans combined. : NASA https://search.app/ah4JL SPACE Isn't this appalling? Amanda Nguyen: Blue Origin astronaut reveals depression after space flight backlash - BBC News https://share.google/vTSw1eoJoUJ3PxUaH
Orion Capsule's Maker Set To Offer Moon Treks To Spacefarers Worldwide https://share.google/1u7V1RTrHomOJIAd0
Bonkers New Space Station Expands to Full Size From Single Capsule https://share.google/qLzqqHjTyq9tVZ3T5 But it won't provide much protection from solar radiation or Cosmic rays.
SpaceX shatters its rocket launch record yet again — 165 orbital flights in 2025 | Space
Inside China's 66 trillion dollar plan for the moon | Watch
Starlink Rival Launches Its Largest Satellite Yet for Space-Based Cellular Network https://share.google/WWRqrbuOWy8VgPnja
SUN
The Northern Lights may ramp up in intensity for the next 50 years as the sun potentially enters a new long-term phase of heightened activity, suggests a new study by solar scientists.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/05/09/get-ready-for-50-years-of-intense-northern-lights-scientists-say/?utm_campaign=ForbesMainTwitter&utm_source=ForbesMainTwitter&utm_medium=social (Photo: Nurphoto via Getty Images) https://search.app/3fvd4
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
James Webb Space Telescope Had A Flaw That Rendered Certain Data Useless, But It Was Overcome Thanks To A PhD Student's Efforts https://share.google/5QyCWnRbaLHecv6ik
FINAL WORD:
"The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment." - Johannes Kepler
20. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. This link gives options to join the IAA.
https://irishastro.org/join-the-iaa/ If you are a UK taxpayer, please select 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 https://irishastro.org/
The Irish Astronomical Association is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 105858
DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily represent those of the IAA.
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
