Invitation to BBC Spotlight, ISS, NLCs, IAA events, Space Expo, Solarfest, Web

Hi all,

  

1. INVITATION TO BBC SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL From Pippa Cooke, BBC:

I am trying to find audience members for Spotlight Special. I was hoping that some members of the Irish Astronomical Association may be interested in participating and would appreciate it if you could circulate this email. This audience special will be presented by Noel Thompson, and will be recorded in Blackstaff Studios, Great Victoria Street, Belfast on Tuesday 18^th June.

   Like Question Time, the style of the programme is a question-and-answer format and we would like to find people who have a keen interest in current affairs, and who want to get their voices heard by our panel. We do ask those wishing to attend to do so in their own capacity, rather than as a representative of any group or organisation.

We ask people to arrive at Blackstaff Studios between 6:30pm-6:45pm on Tuesday 18^th June. On arrival, audience members will be required to submit their questions to the panel, and will also have the opportunity to catch up on the news of the day and have a cup of tea. The programme recording will take place between 8:15pm-9:15pm, and the programme will broadcast at 10:35pm on BBC1 that same evening.

   Although we cannot guarantee that every audience member will have a chance to ask a question, we do encourage all audience members to get involved in any debate that follows a question. For that reason, we are interested in finding audience members who would be keen to get involved on the night, as audience participation really is at the heart of a successful programme. We need to contact all audience members. So, if people wish to attend with friends or family, please could they give the names and daytime telephone numbers of all the members of their group.

Please ask anyone who is interested to contact me: 028 9033 8378, or  Pippa.Cooke@bbc.co.uk

   (NB: This programme will be on the final day of the G8 summit. We will not know in advance what topics will be covered, but given the timing, possible subjects might include global issues such as climate change, overpopulation, space exploration or maybe even the impact threat to Earth & what are we doing about it? 

   And remember: if you ask a question, or speak, you do so as an individual, not representing the IAA! 

   If you intend to go, please let me know so that we have some idea of the response to this invitation.  Thanks. Terry

2. ISS morning passes: The ISS is now giving a series of morning passes over Ireland, and these are now gradually merging into evening passes, as the nights shorten. Details as always on the excellent, and free www.heavens-above.com

3. Noctilucent Clouds: We are now entering the season for NLCs, and there was a lovely display last week. Andy McCrea & Paul Evans got some superb images, look on the IAA website: www.irishastro.org. Look low on the Northern horizon for the hour or two around local midnight (that's in GMT: by your watch, say around 01.00)

4. IAA at Glenavy: We will be presenting another evening of astronomy at Glenavy on Friday 14 June as part of their Fun Week. This will run from 7 to 10 pm, with shows in the Stardome, telescopes and binoculars on display, an exhibition of meteorites and space memorabilia. If it's clear, we'll be observing a nice fat crescent Moon, and maybe we'll be able to get Mercury and Venus, although they will both be low down in the brightish twilight. More details, including directions, will be on the IAA website: www.irishastro.org. 

5. IAA SOLAR DAY, CARNFUNNOCK COUNTRY PARK. We'll be holding another of these very popular solar days at Carnfunnock Country Park on the A2 Antrim Coast Road just a few miles N of Larne, on Saturday 15 June, 2 - 5 p.m. Solar telescopes, the biggest collection of sundials in Ireland, an astronomy exhibition, and of course the mobile planetarium with shows for young and old. More details later.

6. IAA MIDSUMMER BBQ: This will be held at about 5.15 p.m., immediately after our Solar day at Carnfunnock CP on Saturday 15 June: see above;

7. EUROPEAN SPACE EXPO:  The European Space Expo (www.SpaceExpo.ie) will land in the Front Square of Trinity College Dublin on June 4-9. The Expo attracted over 12,000 visitors when it visited London last December so we are expecting a large number of visitors. 

   The European Space Expo is an exciting, interactive exhibition visiting Dublin in June. Hosted by the School of Physics, the spectacular Space Expo dome will be in Front Square and open to the public from 4th – 9th June. Inside the dome visitors will get to experience the wonders of space through interactive exhibits and will learn how space science can benefit us all.

   Each day a series of short Soapbox Talks will be given by talented scientists and communicators from all over Ireland. A team of dedicated mediators will take you on a fun-filled tour of the dome and answer all of your questions.

   At lunch time every day we will host the Sun@One – your chance to remotely control a world-famous telescope on the Canary Islands and take pictures of the sun.

    Inside the dome visitors will get to experience the wonders of space through interactive exhibits and will learn how space science can benefit us all.
     For those of you attending the ASGI meeting in TCD on June 7, there will be a public talk at 5:30pm by Dr. Anna Scaife, a recent ERC awardee, followed by a reception in the Space Expo at 7:00pm.

8. SOLARFEST 2013, DUNSINK: Saturday, June 29th, will feature 5 talks on our nearest star from both amateur and professional astronomers. There will also be a workshop on building a magnetometer and solar observing if the weather permits. Tours will be given of the Observatory and the South Dome. All are welcome and admission is free.

  Among the amateur astronomer speakers are John O'Neill and Terry Moseley. More details can be found at  http://www.irishastronomy.org/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=11&id=97507&Itemid=40#97540

9. 

INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 

 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/04/coronal-hole-nasa-sdo_n_3382291.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/news/keplerm-20130521.html

http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/mother-nature-joins-hunts-for-exoplanets-130603.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/04/proxima-centauri-planet-search_n_3382632.html (Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, so not really a likely candidate for a planetary system like ours)

http://www.space.com/21396-mars-rat-curiosity-rover-photo.html?cmpid=527253 (Let's hope it doesn't eat the 'Mars lizard'!

http://www.space.com/21395-alien-planet-direct-image.html?cmpid=527253

http://www.space.com/21392-mock-mars-mission-arctic.html?cmpid=527253

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/ATV/ATV-4_i_Albert_Einstein_i

http://www.space.com/21364-moon-gravity-mascons-mystery.html?cmpid?cmpid=525407

http://www.space.com/21353-space-radiation-mars-mission-threat.html?cmpid=525407

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1305/30dione/

http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/130527organics/

10. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro

11. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.

12. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://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. 

  

Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

I'm now back on Twitter, after some temporary hiccups: @terrymoseley2