1. IAA New Year Party, Saturday 8th January 2011
IAA NEW YEAR PARTY DEADLINE: Because of the recent bad weather, it has been decided to extend the deadline for booking seats for the IAA's New Year Party, details below: Please send application forms and payment ASAP to Josephine Magill or contact her to confirm attendance either by mobile. or e-mail as follows: Mob. 07735403866. e-mail: jo_magill@yahoo.co.uk
2. TV - STARGAZING LIVE. BBC 2 will be screening a programme called 'Stargazing Live' on three consecutive evenings, Jan. 3, 4 & 5 at 8pm. Prof. Brian Cox and Dara O'Briain co-host the programmes and various Celebrities feature each evening. Topics include using telescopes, observing the Quadrantids, visiting Jodrell Bank and observatories in Hawaii plus Prof. Cox in conversation with Astronauts on the ISS.
The programme will also feature various 'live' astronomy events, and the IAA will be participating in at least two, which we hope will be featured in the broadcast, as follows - see items 3 & 4.
3. Firstly, the IAA 'Meteor Watch' for the Quadrantid Meteors shower on the evening of Monday 3 January, at our usual observing venue at Delamont Country Park, near Killyleagh, Co Down.
4. PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, 4 JAN: Secondly, we hope to have a public observing event for the Partial Solar Eclipse which occurs at sunrise next morning. We may hold this at the car park at the Co Antrim War Memorial at Knockagh, near Greenisland. That's the big obelisk on top of the Knockagh cliffs. There's a good car park at the monument, which has fantastic views across Belfast Lough & Co Down, and would give a superb view of the sun rising in eclipse.
The Monument is at 54 deg 42' 41" N, 5 deg 52' 45" W. The Monument is accessed via Knockagh Road, off Old Carrick Road / Upper Road, Greenisland: the junction is at 54 deg 41 47" N, 5 deg 54' 56" W. Look for the signpost on the left hand side of the road as you go from New Mossley towards Greenisland. You can get to Old Carrick Road / Upper Road Greenisland either -
A: via the Shore Road, then Doagh Road, then Monkstown Road, or
B: via the Doagh Road, off the A8 from Sandyknowes Roundabout towards Larne.
Eclipse details (from STARDUST) as follows:
PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE, 4 JANUARY.
We'll see quite a significant eclipse, with about 42% of the Sun's diameter still hidden by the Moon at the time when the whole Sun has risen above the horizon from the E coast.
On the E Coast, maximum eclipse, with a magnitude of 75%, occurs when the Sun is still 4.3˚ below the horizon, so the eclipse will be steadily decreasing from then until sunrise at 08h 43m (magnitude about 42%) and decreasing further until it ends at 09.29, when the Sun will be only 3.9˚ above the horizon.
The low altitude will make it quite tricky to view the eclipse – you'll need an almost perfect SE horizon, and of course no low clouds or mist to spoil the view! The Sun will start to rise at an azimuth of about 131˚.
This will be the last solar eclipse of any sort visible from Ireland until 20 March 2015. (That one will be total in the North Atlantic, including the Faeroes and Svalbard, but only 95% in NW Mayo and NW Donegal. It will reach 98% in the extreme W Hebrides, but even Rockall just misses out on totality – it will be about 99% there!)
NB! SAFETY WARNING! You can only look at the Sun, even if partially eclipsed, with proper solar filters! This applies to viewing with both the naked eye, and equipment such as telescopes and binoculars. Use only filters designed specifically for solar viewing.
However, as the Sun will be so low down during this eclipse, the full strength visual 'mylar' type filters such as Baader Astrosolar may be too dense, and you might want to try the slightly less dense photographic grade instead, especially if there is a lot of haze or mist. But the golden rule is, if in doubt, use only the densest solar filter that will show you the image.
More details on both these events, together with weather updates, will be on the IAA website www.irishastro.org.
5. FIRST IAA LECTURE MEETING of 2011. The first lecture of the second half of the Lecture Programme, and the first in 'The Tweenies', will be by Dr Kate Russo: Provisional Title "Eclipse Adventures; and Prospects for the Australia Eclipse of 2012". Kate is a seasoned eclipse chaser, with various successes under her belt, in some of the most interesting and exotic locations on Earth. She will be concentrating more on the human effects of observing eclipses rather than the astronomical details, with interesting stories of people and places. She also happens to be from Queensland, Australia, which is the only land area where it will be possible to see the next Total Solar Eclipse, in November 2012. She has already been out scouting suitable observing locations for a probable eclipse expedition to the Cairns area, which is almost on the central line of the eclipse. The benefit of her local knowledge and contacts will be invaluable for anyone considering going to this eclipse.
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NEW YEAR PARTY BOOKING DETAILS:
The Irish Astronomical Association's New Year Party will be held as usual in the Tudor Cinema, Drumhirk, Comber on Saturday 8th January 2011. A buffet meal will be available in McBride's, The Square, Comber. Food will be served at 6.00pm, but it is advisable to be there at 5.30pm. After the meal, members and guests will then make their way to the nearby Tudor Cinema for the feature film IRON MAN starting at 7.30pm and followed by a prize quiz. Free light refreshments will be available at the cinema, including Terry Moseley's famous hot punch.
N.B. Due to seating capacity restrictions at the Tudor Cinema, numbers will be limited to 60, so early booking is advisable.
BOOKING FORM
Name ……………………………………………………………………………
Address …………………………………………………………………………
E-mail ……………………………………………………………………
Contact phone number …………………………………………………
Number of adults @ £12 per person …………
Number of children under 12 years @ £6 …………
Total amount submitted £……………
Payment is by sterling cheque, payable to The Irish Astronomical Association, or cash. The booking form and remittance must reach the IAA Treasurer's assistant: Mrs Josephine Magill, 5 Fairhill Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 6LY, no later than 4th January 2011.
Money will be refunded only if the event is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. N.B. Please note that tickets will not be issued. Admission is guaranteed on receipt of this booking form and remittance.
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Finally, may I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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