Hi all,
1. IAA LECTURE: Wednesday 18 March, 7.30 p.m. Larmor Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB"Exo-rings and Exo-comets" by Dr Ernst de Mooj, Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB :
SYNOPSIS
Over the past 30 years, we have discovered thousands of exoplanets, but at the same time we have also started to find other objects around these stars, including exo-comets and giant exorings, some of which might be one astronomical unit across. I will discuss some of these strange objects, how we find them and how we can investigate them.
Brief biography
Dr. Ernst de Mooij is a Senior Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast. He obtained his PhD from Leiden University, after which he became a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto. Subsequently he moved to Queen's University Belfast as the Michael West Fellow, following on from that he was an assistant professor for 3 years at Dublin City University.
His research is focused on the characterisation of exoplanets, focusing in particular on their atmospheres and the circumplanetary environment, including exorings. He has also been investigating exo-comets, particularly those orbiting beta Pictoris.
2. COMET MAPS IS PLUNGING TOWARD THE SUN: Remember Comet Lovejoy (C/2011 W3)? On Dec.16, 2011, that comet skimmed the surface of the sun and survived, becoming a spectacular sight in the southern sky. The same thing could happen just weeks from now. This time the sungrazer is Comet MAPS (C/2026 A1), witth perihelion on April 4. "How bright will sungrazing Comet MAPS become?" wonders photographer Gerald Rhemann. "Since it was discovered on Jan. 13th, the comet has increased in brightness by 5 magnitudes (100-fold). Speculation that it could develop into a comet visible during the daylight around its perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on April 4th is entirely justified."
The comet's encounter with the sun will be extremely close. "The latest orbit indicates a perihelion of only ~160,000 km above the photosphere," says Qicheng Zhang of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The corresponding distance for Comet Lovejoy was 140,000 km, about the same. Like Lovejoy, MAPS will pass well inside the sun's corona.
Whether or not Comet MAPS survives depends on the size and cohesion of its nucleus. "This remains highly uncertain for the time being," says Zhang. "We don't yet know if it is a typical small Kreutz sungrazer that will disintegrate before it gets to the sun--or something more substantial like Comet Lovejoy."
3. Venus climbs out of the W twilight.
Venus gradually moves up along the ecliptic, away from the Sun, and will be getting easy to see by mid March, though still quite low at first.
4. Good Chance to see a White Dwarf:
The brightest and best known white dwarf star is Sirius B, the 'Pup', or companion of Sirius, the 'Dog Star'. Sirius A is a main sequence hot A type star of about 2 solar masses. The WD is a collapsed star, of just over 1 solar mass, but a diameter roughly that of the Earth. The magnitudes are -1.46 and + 8.4, so the Pup is 10,000 times fainter than Sirius! With such a difference in brightness, it's very hard to see the WD! But now is a good time to try, as the pair are currently at their maximum possible separation of about 12" (arcsecs). That's about the same as Eta Cas, or triple that of Castor or Gamma Leo, but the big problem is the huge difference in brightness. The position angle of the companion is NE from Sirius.
If you have an eyepiece with an occulting bar, that will hide most of the light from Sirius. If not, another option is to put Sirius just outside the field of view, leaving the companion just inside it, and trying to spot it. You'll need quite a high magnification to separate the two enough for this to work, and very good and clean optics to minimise scattered light. For example, if you push the magnification so that the field of view is 2', or 120", then the companion will be about 1/10 a field diameter inside the edge if Sirius is just outside it.
Modern wide-field eyepieces are just what you DON'T want – try a good old-fashioned Orthoscopic with about a 40 degree apparent field of view!
5. AOP celebrates Lottery Open Week on 10 March.
Armagh Observatory & Planetarium will mark National Lottery Open Week with free tickets to the telescope dome on 10th March between 2 pm to 4 pm, and 50% off dome shows, with a valid lottery ticket.
6. JUPITER PAST OPPOSITION .
Giant Jupiter was at 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!
The satellite shadow transits are much easier to see than the transits of the satellites themselves, 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.
7. SPRING EQUINOX: The Sun will cross the equator Northwards on March 20 at 15h 03m, marking the start of Spring in the N. Hemisphere. From then on, the days will be longer than the nights.
8. Skellig DarkSky Festival, Co Kerry, March 20-22
9. Irish Astronomy Week, March 20 – 28. Events throughout the whole island.
10. COSMOS Star Party, Midlands Astronomy Club, Teach Lea, Boora, Co Offaly April 11
This is a nice dark sky site, and with the Moon just past Last Quarter, it won't be a problem unless you want to stay well after midnight.
11. ZODIACAL LIGHT: The next period in this Spring to look for this very faint cone of light, extending along the ecliptic on either side of the Sun, will be from March 10 to 19. It's caused by a concentration of very fine dust, in the plane of the solar system, and is brightest fairly close to the Sun. Look in the west, along the line of the ecliptic, i.e. from Venus up towards the Pleiades/Hyades. Start from when the last vestiges of twilight are fading. You'll need a very clear sky, a clear W horizon, and no light pollution!
12. THREE COMETS! – one or two maybe naked-eye?
And another - Comet Wierzchos Vaults Into the March Evening Sky - Universe Today
Astronomers may have already spotted the 'Great Comet of 2026' — and it could soon be visible to the naked eye | Live Science https://share.google/4bpJEJOmnVCrPu9ws and
Will comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) be the 'great comet' of 2026? And
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 12 March. Details for your location are available on www.heavens-above.com
15: Connemara Astronomy Club and Connemara Dark Skies present Valuing our Dark Skies. 21 March
Exploring how we can preserve the Dark for the benefit of all of us by learning about light pollution by Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig, Connemara Dark Skies. Further information about Connemara Dark Skies can be found on www.connemaradarkskies.ie
"Valuing Our Dark Skies" - Caitríona Nic Ghiollaphádraig, 21st March @ 11 am, Clifden Library, Market Street, Clifden, Co. Galway, H71 Y892
This is a free event for Irish Astronomy Week Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult
16. HEADS UP – VOLUNTEERS WANTED - IFAS Convention, Saturday 19 September 2026. (Note change of date)
"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, 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.
Anyone who is interested in helping to organise this event, or to help out on the day, please contact Ronan Newman: I can give you his contact details on request.
17: 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 eruption could occur on 25 June 2026, 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)
(It's two years 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 rising in the NE from about 11 pm.
It's at Declination: 25° 55′ 12.6″; R.A.: 15h 59m 30.2s)
18. NEW EASY TEASER:
What coincidence is remarkable about the first four men on the Moon?
Clue: It's nominal
Rule: You are only eligible to enter the Easy Teaser if you have not been a member of an astronomy club or society for more than 10 years, or if you have not already correctly answered one of the difficult ones. This is to give the beginners and young readers a chance!)
19: DIFFICULT TEASER – ANSWERED!
Why should M110 actually be M1?
Clue: It's Right….
Congratulations to many times previous winner Peter Millar, who's back on the top podium again. The answer is that if the Messier catalogue was ordered by the Right Ascension of its objects, as almost all astronomical catalogues are, then M110 would be first instead of last! The RA is 00h 40.4m, just slightly before big sister M31, at 00h 42.7m (and M32)
20: NEW DIFFICULT TEASER:
What's next in this sequence A, A, C, E, M, M ?
Remember, send answers to me only at my aol address: terrymosel@aol.com.
21. 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 giant cosmic sheet around the Milky Way | ScienceDaily https://share.google/TdqyBzcKYdDxfAGGS (My Milky Way has always come in a wrapper!Gravitational waves reveal hidden structure of galactic centers https://share.google/OxvizB97sTtEMv5B3Meet 'lite intermediate black holes,' the supermassive black hole's smaller, much more mysterious cousin Some objects we thought were planets may actually be tiny black holes from the dawn of time NASA's Hubble spots galaxy made of 99% dark matter | CNN https://share.google/aebUGKI1J0yE2O7IDCosmic Hawk spreads its wings| Space photo of the day for March 6, 2026 | SpaceAstronomers unveil largest 3D universe map of its kind, illuminating 'hidden' cosmic structuresAstronomers spot 8.5 billion year old 'jellyfish galaxy' This record-breaking quadruple star system is so jam-packed it could fit between Jupiter and our sun Mysterious 'dots' discovered by JWST may be the 1st stars in the universe on the verge of collapse Most normal matter in the universe isn't found in planets, stars or galaxies – an astronomer explains where it's distributed https://phys.org/news/2026-03-compact-quadruple-star-area-size.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter A Pulsar Near The Milky Way's Galactic Center Is A Perfect Set-up To Test General Relativity - Universe Today COSMOLOGYNeutrinos could explain why matter survived the Big Bang | ScienceDaily https://share.google/ib9p7ygvveF2sQzX1 Ripples in space-time predicted by Einstein could mend our broken understanding of the universeEnormous 3D map of the universe shows brilliant 'sea of light' near the cosmic dawnWhy do the numbers that shape our universe exist at all? The universe may be lopsided, new research says 'This is the holy grail of theoretical physics.' Is the key to quantum gravity hiding in this new way to make black holes?A crisis in cosmology may mean hidden dimensions really exist | New ScientistThe bombshell results that demand a new theory of the universe | New ScientistAstronomers unveil largest 3D universe map of its kind, illuminating 'hidden' cosmic structures Infamous 'neutron lifetime puzzle' may finally have a solution — but it involves invisible atoms Why does the universe exist? This does not address the question: - Why was there any matter and antimatter in the first place? For that, I suggest reading "A Universe From Nothing" by Laurence M Krauss. EARTH & MOONSpectacular fireball over Europe sends meteorite crashing through roof of German home | SpaceSpace launches are changing the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere, studies warn – here's what can be done https://share.google/sh9aWGwwwK6iE9TnjGood news for the moon: Famous asteroid 2024 YR4 won't smash into it in 2032 | Space It's amazing that they can calculate its position to a precision of 100km as far ahead as December 2032Asteroids that would be unstoppable if they threatened Earth Scientists propose a new theory for the origin of the moonThermal Lunar Eclipse New Lunar Samples Challenge the "Late Heavy Bombardment" - Universe Today EXOLIFE:Scientists may have found a huge new shortcut for finding alien planetsAlien worlds may not necessarily need water for life, scientists find: 'We just opened a Pandora's box'Lifeforms can planet-hop on asteroids and survive Our chances of finding alien life could soon skyrocket. Here's why | BBC Science Focus Magazine Very Few Planets Have the Right Chemistry for Life - Universe Today EXOPLANETSEarthlike exoplanets https://search.app/kMcPtScientists have finally worked out where the common planets come from https://phys.org/news/2026-03-astronomers-toi-hot-neptune-earth.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter New planet named Enaiposha is unlike anything in our solar system - Earth.com https://share.google/pA3SjuEyUz0giiLHoBirth of planetary system https://x.com/i/status/2025093881247735999 Very Few Planets Have the Right Chemistry for Life - Universe Today IMAGES:Cosmic Hawk spreads its wings | Space photo of the day for March 6, 2026 Am I the only one who struggles to see a hawk in this pic? Or indeed any sort of bird! N.B.: There is no actual obligation to give a nickname to every single nebula or galaxy in the universe, as imaged by modern telescopes!Stunning Mars image highlights one of Red Planet's oldest cratered regions Watch supernova unfold in stunning 25-year NASA time-lapse | WatchThermal Lunar Eclipse Butterfly nebula captured by Gemini South to celebrate observatory's 25th anniversary | Watch Amazing! LIGHT & SPACE POLLUTION:A Night Light in the Sky? Reflect Orbital Wants to Launch a Big Space Mirror. - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/climate/space-mirror-satellite-solar.html SOLAR SYSTEM The Comet From Another Star - Universe Today Scientists want to send a spacecraft to chase comet 3/ATLAS out of the Solar System | BBC Sky at Night Magazine https://share.google/AMJfuGDHly3khu7KTWhy Jupiter is one of the solar system's greatest mysteries | WatchWhat Crystals Older Than the Sun Reveal About the Start of the Solar System | Quanta Magazine https://share.google/aDEMT792aaqEfonrxAtmosphere of Uranus revealed in new 3D Webb observations Auroras on Jupiter's giant moon Ganymede look like Earth's northern lights, NASA spacecraft reveals Is life out there? NASA finds essential sugars on ancient asteroidWater bears on Mars: Tardiguardians of the Galaxy? Thickness of Europa's ice shell https://x.com/i/status/2024746844467704179 James Webb Space Telescope captures strange magnetic forces warping Uranus | ScienceDaily https://share.google/N8M7GWZh98PSgDEXy An Ancient Merger Could Have Created Titan and the Debris Created Saturn's Rings - Universe Today Scientists Make a Game-Changing Find in the Bennu Asteroid - Universe Today SPACE NASA selects Centaur for new SLS upper stage - SpaceNews
Europe's Answer to Starship - Universe Today
https://share.google/3ygUQKbO8O3d0gyEA
First Starship V3 launch slips - SpaceNews https://share.google/9bqAJkoU3KnC5128t
Space launches are changing the chemistry of Earth's atmosphere, studies warn – here's what can be done https://share.google/sh9aWGwwwK6iE9Tnj
Boeing's Contribution to NASA's Moon Program Just Took a Major Hit https://gizmodo.com/boeings-contribution-to-nasas-moon-program-just-took-a-major-hit-2000730082
How NASA contractors are pressing on to bring humans to the moon with Artemis
Congress wants the International Space Station to keep flying until 2032. Here's why
NASA fixes Artemis II rocket for April launch to take astronauts around moon | Live Science
NASA repairs Artemis 2 moon rocket in hopes of an April lunar launch | Space
NASA 'cancels' Artemis III moon landing as space agency issues update on latest lunar mission
Europe's answer to Starship https://share.google/1ybEvBrQZbYjjJhiU
Occupy Mars? Or the Moon? Get a Reality Check on Elon Musk's Plans - Universe Today
How Mars' Toxic Soil Actually Makes Stronger Bricks - Universe Today
SUN
https://nso.edu/blog/uncovering-the-waves-that-power-the-suns-outer-atmosphere/
Mars orbiters witness solar superstorm striking the Red Planet: 'The timing was extremely lucky'
Predicting the Sun's Most Violent Outbursts - Universe Today
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES:
Ex-Google boss may launch a bigger-than-Hubble space telescope within three years | BBC Sky at Night Magazine https://share.google/PbpJEsL8JovZqnYDW
Quantum entanglement offers route to higher-resolution optical astronomy https://share.google/VLbawLvLeRAF8r4x9
Scientists may have found a huge new shortcut for finding alien planets
World's biggest astronomy camera seeks to answer pressing questions about the universe Good article by Joshua Weston, of the ARC at QUB
The world's 1st private space telescope just spotted its 1st star. Here's what it saw.
Quantum entanglement could link distant telescopes for sharper images https://share.google/1era63KGWwGz2ET3P
Our chances of finding alien life could soon skyrocket. Here's why | BBC Science Focus Magazine
FINAL WORD:
"The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment." - Johannes Kepler
22. 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
mob: (0044) (0) 7979 300842
