Hi all,
1. INSAP, QUB – Exhibition extended!
The extra exhibition in the McClay Library in QUB has proved very popular, and it has now beb extended until July 31. Particular thanks are due to Bernie Brown who curated both photo exhibitions.
2. NEW INTERSTELLAR VISITOR FOUND.
It's official! An interstellar object is visiting our solar system
With an absolute magnitude of about 12, it will be interesting to see how much it brightens as it nears perihelion. We may get our best view as it moves out from the solar glare in December, and gets closest to Earth, although even then it will be about 1.6 AU away.
LATEST – Here's A Photo Telescope spies rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS zooming through our solar system (photos)
Latest, from Dan Fisher - It is going to reach a magnitude of 6 in late October, although it will be very close to the Sun (I wonder? – this goes against other predictions!).
There is now also a CBET about 3I/ATLAS:
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iau/cbet/005500/CBET005578.txt - it gives the comet as 13th magnitude after perihelion in November with the elongation around 60°.
Since this is the first chance any of us will have had to see a non-stellar object from outside our solar system, I'm giving the following details for initial planning. No doubt more accurate details will be available in due course:
Epoch = 2025 Oct. 12.0 TT
T = 2025 Oct. 29.41062 TT Peri. = 127.93850
e = 6.1801697 Node = 322.18759 2000.0
q = 1.3620397 AU Incl. = 175.11382
(Note that the inclination is much more than 90 degrees – almost 180, in fact. This means that it is travelling round the Sun in almost the opposite direction to all the planets.)
The following ephemeris is from the above orbital elements, and uses photometric power-law parameters H = 9.5 and 2.5n = 8 for the magnitudes. (Delta is distance from Earth, and r (Radius Vector) is distance from the Sun, both in AUs)
Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase Mag.
2025 07 14 17 38.72 -18 25.8 3.155 4.087 153.0 6.5 16.9
2025 07 24 17 13.19 -18 00.6 2.945 3.758 137.6 10.5 16.4
2025 07 29 16 59.75 -17 43.0 2.860 3.594 129.6 12.6 16.2
2025 08 03 16 46.07 -17 22.0 2.789 3.431 121.6 14.6 16.0
2025 08 08 16 32.32 -16 57.8 2.730 3.269 113.5 16.5 15.8
2025 08 13 16 18.64 -16 30.6 2.682 3.109 105.5 18.3 15.6
2025 08 18 16 05.18 -16 00.8 2.644 2.951 97.4 19.9 15.4
2025 08 23 15 52.06 -15 29.1 2.615 2.794 89.4 21.2 15.2
2025 08 28 15 39.37 -14 55.8 2.593 2.640 81.5 22.2 14.9
2025 09 02 15 27.16 -14 21.4 2.576 2.489 73.7 22.9 14.7
2025 09 07 15 15.46 -13 46.3 2.563 2.341 65.9 23.1 14.5
2025 09 12 15 04.25 -13 10.8 2.552 2.197 58.3 22.9 14.3
2025 09 17 14 53.51 -12 35.0 2.542 2.059 50.8 22.2 14.0
2025 09 22 14 43.19 -11 59.1 2.531 1.928 43.3 20.9 13.8
2025 11 21 12 34.09 -02 22.3 2.040 1.593 49.8 28.3 12.7
2025 11 26 12 18.72 -01 01.8 1.978 1.694 58.9 29.9 12.8
2025 12 01 12 01.83 +00 27.9 1.920 1.808 68.4 30.5 13.0
2025 12 06 11 43.30 +02 06.8 1.871 1.932 78.4 30.0 13.1
2025 12 11 11 23.10 +03 54.3 1.833 2.063 88.8 28.5 13.3
2025 12 16 11 01.34 +05 48.4 1.811 2.202 99.7 26.1 13.5
2025 12 21 10 38.31 +07 45.8 1.808 2.345 110.8 23.1 13.7
2025 12 26 10 14.50 +09 42.1 1.828 2.493 122.1 19.5 14.0
2025 12 31 09 50.52 +11 32.4 1.872 2.645 133.3 15.7 14.2
2026 01 05 09 27.06 +13 12.7 1.941 2.799 144.3 11.8 14.5
2026 01 10 09 04.75 +14 40.1 2.035 2.956 155.0 8.1 14.8
2026 01 15 08 44.07 +15 53.7 2.153 3.114 165.1 4.6 15.1
2026 01 20 08 25.34 +16 53.8 2.293 3.274 174.5 1.7 15.4
2026 01 25 08 08.70 +17 41.8 2.454 3.436 175.2 1.4 15.7
2026 01 30 07 54.15 +18 19.6 2.632 3.599 167.0 3.5 16.1
3. ISS
The ISS continues its series of morning passes until 23 July.
4. NLCs
There have already been some sightings of these beautiful ethereal wispy 'night-shining' clouds, which are cause by meteoric dust very high up in our atmosphere. Look low in the North as soon as the sky gets dark enough to see the Plough. Quite often you'll see Capella shining in the late twilight in the same area. They are easy to photo – use the night setting on your smartphone,
5. MARS now fading. The Red Planet is fading and shrinking in apparent size and gradually getting lower in the W twilight.
6. VENUS BECOMING VISIBLE IN MORNING SKY
Our sister planet is just becoming visible low in the bright morning twilight, but only for a very short period before the sky gets too bright.
7. 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.
8. Skellig Star Party, Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, August 15-18.
Always a good event, in the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve
9. ALAN 2025, 28 – 30 October 2025, Westport, Co.Mayo.
Preparations are under way for the 9th Scientific Conference on Artificial Light At Night, ALAN2025, from October 28-30, 2025, in Westport, Ireland. Our host will be Dark Sky Ireland. The invited speakers will be revealed soon, but we can already promise you interesting talks about science, governance, dark sky outreach, and lighting design.
The conference offers a platform for interdisciplinary networking and exchange on the topics Biology & Ecology, Governance & Regulations, Health, Measurements & Modelling, Social Sciences & Humanities, Technology & Design.
We welcome researchers, lighting professionals, policy makers, light pollution activists, and everybody who is interested in the effects of artificial light at night. The conference aims to present new findings, exchange experiences and ideas, network, and discuss hoe artificial light can be used with less negative impacts.
I'm on the organising committee for this event, so I'll keep you posted regarding the programme.
For more information check out our website at artificiallightatnight.org .
This event will be followed immediately by the wonderful Mayo Dark Sky Festival in nearby Newport –
10. October 4: International Observe the Moon Night
11. October 4 – 10: World Space Week. Irish events will be co-ordinated by BCO in Cork.
12: Mayo Dark Sky Festival, 31 October – 2 November. More details later.
13. CAP May 2026, Armenia:
As the only large-scale international conference dedicated to astronomy communication, CAP gathers science communicators, educators, planetarium professionals, journalists, astronomers, and creatives to explore the best ways to share astronomy with diverse audiences. Whether you work in outreach, media, museums, or informal education, CAP is where you'll find inspiration, fresh perspectives, and a welcoming global community.
The next CAP Conference will happen in May 2026, hosted by the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory and the Armenian Astronomical Society, in-person in Yerevan, Armenia, and online. This hybrid format ensures that participants from all corners of the world can take part in the discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Organised by IAU Commission C2 and the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, CAP 2026 promises to be an unmissable event. If you're passionate about bridging the gap between science and society, this is your chance to connect, learn, and contribute to the future of astronomy communication.
14: 2026 Eclipse planning.
1 year since the Great North American Eclipse — Here's how the 2026 total eclipse will compare
This may be of interest to those planning observing locations for the total solar eclipses in 2026 and 2027
Global risk map reveals the most dangerous countries and cities
And weather prospects for the coming eclipses such as the one in Spain in 2026, and N. Africa in 2027, are on www.eclipsophile.com . The discussions there will help you pick a site for the eclipse, as weather is one of the important factors to consider.
15: Recurrent Nova T Corona Borealis – We're still waiting!
It's well over a year 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 now visible in the sky in the East each night before midnight.
It's at Declination: 25° 55′ 12.613″; R.A.: 15h 59m 30.1622s)
16: New EASY TEASER:
What's next in this sequence – I've added one more, so what's next after Betelgeuse: Aldebaran, Rigel, Capella, Betelgeuse …..?
Clue: It's Right….
17: New DIFFICULT TEASER:
Where in astronomy would you find the following sequence of letters (ignoring variable stars) - "Z Z'
Clue: Note the space between the letters.
Another clue: What's in a name?
Remember, send answers to me only at my aol address: terrymosel@aol.com.
18. 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:
Astronomers discover an unusual long-period radio transient https://share.google/bJE7R8hs8FycO299x100 undiscovered galaxies may be orbiting the Milky Way, supercomputer simulations hint | Live Science Neutrinos could have a secret life: Study suggests they may interact secretly during massive star collapse https://share.google/iHaB9HgLIFSMAS6vHScientists Detect Sign of Something Impossible Out in Deep Space https://share.google/TmyhkewBYbLUg8E9QHistory of galaxies https://www.aol.com/jwst-discovery-helps-answer-galaxies-000700089.htmlAstronomers discover brightest galaxy during 'cosmic noon' https://share.google/ph5n8FKJ4hcxp9nsfAre dark dwarfs lurking in the heart of the Milky Way? Distant galaxy protocluster harbors a remarkably evolved core, observations find https://share.google/e8dstW1gFcTEywNcMhttps://science.nasa.gov/blogs/webb/2025/07/15/nasas-webb-finds-possible-direct-collapse-black-hole/Astronomers witness the birth of a planetary system for the 1st time (video) | Space Astronomers observe the biggest booms since the Big Bang – Physics World https://share.google/aWMkh5PFlIiMWWVIN
James Webb telescope reveals dizzying galaxies in the Bullet Cluster: Space photo of the week | Live Science
Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes
Very massive stars vomit vast amounts of matter before collapsing into black holes They don't 'vomit' anything. They 'expel', or 'emit', or eject, or 'throw off' material. Please don't insult our intelligence by dumbing down and anthropomorphising a story. It just makes me sick.... (sorry!)
Captured dark matter may transform some 'failed stars' into 'dark dwarfs'
First Ever 'Double Supernova' Found In Night Sky — What To Know https://share.google/7CiufjpDoqnp2T7Nd
James Webb telescope discovers tentacled 'jellyfish' galaxy swimming through deep space
Citizen astronomers see moment star explodes by playing 'spot the difference'
Astonishing 'halo' of high-energy particles around giant galaxy cluster is a glimpse into the early universe
COSMOLOGYThe 'sound of the Big Bang' hints that Earth may sit in a cosmic void 2 billion light-years wide | Space https://share.google/k0MdiEtzFsEgJAq8SA spinning universe could crack the mysteries of dark energy and our place in the multiverse
EARTH & MOON It's official—the Earth's rotation is accelerating and days will be shorter over the coming months, according to geophysics experts https://share.google/j6NmWcDnNh6tpusAO
Earth Was Born With Water; No Delivery Needed - Universe Today https://share.google/qK5iq9kymsIb9kK8z
The largest Mars rock on Earth is up for auction in NYC — it could be yours for $4 million (or more) | Space https://share.google/sRlS2KUGpJrAHGMIm
Earth Is Spinning Faster Than Ever – A Rare Cosmic Shift Will Make August 5 the Shortest Day https://share.google/2fO094Y8YTmkYaVm9 Very bright Fireball seen over Scotland's skies - BBC News https://share.google/l2UUYHD0Y1XIi3pBn and Blazing Meteor Lights Up Scotland's Night Sky | Watch
The 'Great Dying' wiped out 90% of life, then came 5 million years of lethal heat. New fossils explain why | CNN https://share.google/wWHtKBDFQiHFsczfL
Meteor storm crashes through the roof of family home after fireball spotted in sky This was a bolide, or actual meteorite fall. A meteor storm is when there is a very high rate of normal meteors, which are tiny.
Innovation ready for take-off in Paris with Moon-bound rover | Watch
EXOLIFELife on Venus? Exciting new VERVE mission could find itChina's Mars Mission Could Answer the Ultimate Question: Are We Alone? - Universe Today https://share.google/NyNVqP7rulafishQiThe precursors of life could form in the lakes of Saturn's moon Titan | Space https://share.google/FPVsQDwepM3DGhFNg EXOPLANETSAstronomers discover monster exoplanet hiding in 'stellar fog' around young star | Space https://share.google/f3nP3VjTSgjrbYBlsThis Earth-sized Exoplanet is On a Death Spiral - Universe Today https://share.google/h9pNduXH54MWu4XkYScores of exoplanets may be larger than realized https://share.google/uAiIvF7IIvD2FENJIAstronomers discover giant alien planet 35 times more massive than Earth hiding in a known star system | Space https://share.google/sgs1LQ2jC8SSp1Kup Astronomers witness the birth of a planetary system for the 1st time (video) | Space andScientists watch a solar system being born for the first ever time | The Independent https://share.google/pBt195q5H6Y4c1LZH The odd new worlds we've discovered in 2025 | Mashable Rare new planet discovered 400 light years from Earth
Planet with a death wish triggers its own doom
James Webb telescope captures direct images of Saturn-sized exoplanet
Astronomers discover origins of mysterious double hot Jupiter exoplanets: 'It is a dance of sorts'
Astronomers discover baby planets taking their 1st steps in nearby stellar nursery (images)
IMAGESAstronomers have captured multiple images of the black hole at the centre of our Galaxy. Here are some of the best | BBC Sky at Night Magazine https://share.google/6YjDuWOybwePaFmbFPhotographer's Incredible Nebula Photo Took Three Years to Capture | PetaPixel https://share.google/KMJM60UORILapj506James Webb telescope reveals dizzying galaxies in the Bullet Cluster: Space photo of the week | Live Science
James Webb telescope spots super rare 'Cosmic Owl' structure
Radiant Nebulae And A 500,000-Kilometer Solar Prominence Shortlisted For Astronomy Photographer Of The Year | IFLScience https://share.google/YF2djutEnAlqHgpyw
Biting the 'Bullet': Amazing new JWST photo shows titanic collision of galaxy clusters | Space https://share.google/EKZEhvGiiiye1a9Xo
Astrophotographer snaps 'once-in-a-lifetime' shot of solar flare photobombing the ISS
Hello, neighbor! See the Andromeda galaxy like never before in stunning new image from NASA's Chandra telescope (video)
Hubble Telescope finds stellar nursery in Taurus Molecular Cloud photo of the day for July 2, 2025 | Space https://share.google/9tN8pbhbvT0jCdIKD
LOCALArmagh Observatory: 230 years of unbroken weather recordings - BBC News https://share.google/YqAmWk1JQzvlcXagq NASA:NASA's been pulling out of major astronomy meetings — and scientists are feeling the effects
SOLAR SYSTEM Meet 'Ammonite' — A New World Just Found In The Solar System https://share.google/lJbGAHbyRkUO8UTnwScientists find Uranus is surprisingly warm, heating up the case for a new planetary mission | Space Researchers may have found first Mercury meteorites | CNN https://share.google/bwWWd3xPIoZWoeDAPNASA Rover Breaks Record For Longest Road Trip on Another Planet : ScienceAlert https://share.google/HcjSrDr9vxgCpZ7OP"Elon, Mars Is a Hellhole": Astrophysicist Slams Musk's Vision, Says Even Nuclear Apocalypse Makes Earth a Safer Bet - Sustainability Times https://share.google/U5eNpU7TJisikAUNDChina's Mars Mission Could Answer the Ultimate Question: Are We Alone? - Universe Today https://share.google/NyNVqP7rulafishQiScientists Just Found a Way to Grow Algae on Mars https://share.google/hftgm83bqHNaHdklfRare distant object 2020 VN40 found in perfect sync with Neptune https://share.google/CMEpe5qoSkDuSkVOYhttps://science.nasa.gov/blog/curiosity-blog-sols-4600-4601-up-and-over-the-sand-covered-ramp/Interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS might be oldest comet yet
A Comet 85 Miles Wide Is Erupting In The Solar System — What To Know https://share.google/7z8ORfzS2QP2ZVi5Y
Evidence of Planet 9 in IRAS and AKARI surveys | BBC Sky at Night Magazine https://share.google/uPRLUkEVyoeVYBQu3
Was ancient Mars habitable? NASA's Perseverance rover is grinding into a 'weird, uncooperative' rock to find out
Mars rover captures first close-up photos of giant 'spiderwebs' on the Red Planet
You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040
A hidden asteroid family may share Venus' orbit: 'It's like discovering a continent you didn't know existed'
SPACE Elon Musk shares SpaceX video, says 'Starship will take humanity to Mars'; gives a 'timeline' too - Times of India https://share.google/wxqYeEZZH0CnkwXQX
SpaceX Makes History & Successfully Launches 500th Rocket Mission! https://share.google/2CfwsG28Z5QavhYSX
NASA just hit a major milestone in building a rocket that can take off from other planets – Supercar Blondie https://share.google/pPqxc9L0gIrKtyYv0
'Doghouse' days of summer — Boeing's Starliner won't fly again until 2026, and without astronauts aboard | Space https://share.google/siaNLiPfJ1MxaCOh4
We had a lecture from Prof Archie Roy in Belfast many many years ago! Machine that aided moon landing acquired by Scots museum as anniversary nears
"These Engines Rewrite the Rules": China's LandSpace Successfully Launches Upgraded Methane Rocket, Surpassing Global Expectations for Clean Space Propulsion - Rude Baguette https://share.google/yk8KzhZmMNTRKK54r
Rocket Report: SpaceX to make its own propellant; China's largest launch pad - Ars Technica
A deep-space navigation 1st, from New Horizons
A Fusion Rocket Could Soon Reach a World We Haven't Seen Since the Stone Age https://share.google/p3F1WKKCIWuHE7bLg Actually, we didn't see it in the Stone Age either….
NASA's Voyager Turns 48: Still Talking, Still Flying Beyond the Solar System Who could have imagined this? If either of them lasts to age 50, we should have a giant party!
How China is winning the military space race
Zombie NASA satellite emits powerful radio pulse after 60 years of silence
SpaceX Mission Uncovers Hidden Risk in Russian ISS Module
SUN
NASA just took the closest-ever images of the sun, and they are incredible (video)
Closest ever images taken of the Sun unveiled | Watch
Colossal eruption carves 250,000-mile-long 'canyon of fire' into the sun (video) | Space https://share.google/LQSsxWd9fyI24kqh8
Artificial solar eclipse created by 'driverless' spacecraft in world first
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
Globular clusters: The Vera Rubin Observatory is just getting started https://share.google/HH5YENsEs9M09cCCP
LIGO's heaviest black hole demands next-generation science - Big Think https://share.google/5nMGTxV5Ohy6h9YMm
Vera C. Rubin Observatory: Focus on the Universe - Technology Org https://share.google/OzbbyVkhQVHFKufqw
First images from the powerful new Vera X Rubin observatory revealed (Oops – wrong initial in title!)
"Uncharted Waters": Large Hadron Collider Begins Colliding Oxygen For The First Time | IFLScience https://share.google/R6XGZrGBbAOx1omeM
FINAL WORD:
"The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment." - Johannes Kepler
19. 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
