Monday, 24 December 2012

Solstice, No Armageddon, Sir PM, ISS, New Year Party, Astronomy course, GSP, web

Hi all,
 
1. Solstice, but the World did not end:
I was invited to be at Newgrange on December 21, for interviews by RTE about the Solstice, and about the much hyped, but ridiculous, 'End of the world on December 21' predictions. These interviews were broadcast several times on RTE1, including the a.m. solstice programme and the 6.0 and 9.0 news.
   The crowds there were double the usual size, and though it was cloudy, there was a great atmosphere. As well as the RTE interviews, I was also interviewed by an English language Chinese TV station, and a Canadian documentary maker. It was an amazing day.
  And RTE also took the opportunity to interview me about Sir Patrick Moore: obviously that was too late for the main news items on his death, but it may be broadcast at the time of the commemoration to be held on 4 March. If I get any more news on that I'll let you know.
 
2. Funeral of Sir Patrick Moore: I was honoured to be present at the funeral of my very old friend Patrick, last Wednesday afternoon. It was a private affair, for close friends only, in Chichester crematorium, and then afterwards at his house, Farthings, in Selsey. I flew over to Gatwick that morning, and then drove a hire car to Chichester, and then on to Selsey. The date, time or venue were strictly confidential, as they didn't want gatecrashers or the media turning up, since there were a few celebrities there. There were security guards at both the crematorium and at Farthings, and if your name wasn't on the list, you didn't get in!
    The event was organised by his other old friends John Mason, Iain Nicolson & Peter Cattermole, who all paid tributes at the ceremony. The others who spoke during the service were his old friend Lawrence Clarke, Pieter Morpurgo (one of the early & longest serving SAN Directors), Chris Lintott and Brian May.
   The voices of some of these seasoned public speakers were breaking as they delivered their tributes, but the tears were interspersed with much laughter as some of their hilarious episodes with Sir P were recounted. Just as he would have wished.
    Other well known people present were Prof Garry Hunt, Sir Terry Pratchett (the SF author), Allan Chapman, and John Culshaw, well known for his impersonations of Patrick - although he was there as a friend, and did not do any impersonations. And of course, Jane Fletcher, the current producer, and some of the others now associated with the SAN. I was the only one from Ireland - it really was 'by invitation only'. Much food and drink was then consumed at Farthings, just as it was when I visited when he was alive. It was a lovely and a fitting send-off for a truly unique individual. 
   There will be a public celebration of his life on 4 March, which would have been his 90th birthday.
 
3. ISS: The International Space Station is readily visible during its current series of evening passes over Ireland, and will actually be providing some nice Xmas treats
   If the sky is clear, anyone out just before 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve might think that they are seeing Santa flying across the sky, led by a brilliantly-nosed Rudolf! But Rudolf's nose will be brilliant white, instead of red, as it's the International Space Station (ISS) making a spectacular pass over Ireland. And there will be more.
XMAS EVE, Pass 1. Start looking at about 5.40 or a bit later depending on where you live; the further West you are, the earlier it will appear. From Belfast, start looking about 5.45. It will rise in the West, not very bright at first, and moving quite slowly initially, but as it gets higher up it will get much brighter and appear to move faster. It will eventually get even brighter than Jupiter, which will be just below and left of the Moon. It will be moving steadily from West to East and then when it gets fairly low down in the East it will fade away as it passes into the shadow of the Earth. Altogether, it will be visible for about 4 minutes.
Xmas Eve, Pass 2, It will appear again, lowish in the Western sky, at about 7.20 to 7.25, but not nearly so bright, and it won't get so high up, and won't be visible for as long, so the second pass is not nearly so good as the first one. But it's worth remembering that the ISS will have travelled right round the world in the interval since the first pass!
XMAS DAY, Pass 1. This will be almost identical in appearance to the first one on Xmas Eve, but it will start to be visible from about 4.55 p.m. to 5.0 p.m. depending where you are: again if you live in the West, it will appear a bit earlier.
Xmas Day, pass 2. This won't be quite as good as the earlier one, but not bad: it will not get quite so high up, nor quite as bright, but it will still be easily visible if the sky is clear. Again, start looking from about 6.30 to 6.35 p.m., depending on your location. This time it will pass into the Earth's shadow when it's due South in the sky, and not quite so high up.  
ANOTHER XMAS SKY TREAT: And if it's clear at around midnight on Xmas Night (i.e. 25th/26th), you'll see the brilliant almost Full Moon very close to brilliant Jupiter! At midnight they are getting very close - under 1 degree apart, and the actual closest approach will be at about 00.45, when they are only 3/4 degree apart.
   So before you go to bed that evening, pop outside if the sky is clear, and see this spectacular conjunction.
Full details of the ISS passes for your own location, along with lots of other information, are on the free site www.heavens-above.com.
 
4. IAA New Year Party. This will be held on Saturday 5 January. We start with a buffet meal at McBrides restaurant in The Square, Comber, followed by a special private screening of a film in the local Tudor private cinema. Meet at McBrides at about 5.30 p.m. for 6.0. p.m. The film will be "Men in Black 3". This film is supposed to be funny, but has some S/F violence, and has a rating of PG-13, so parental discretion is advised regarding any children. We will also have free refreshments at the Tudor Cinema, including my notorious seasonal punch (notorious because no-one else can make one like it!), tea & coffee, and soft drinks. We will also have George's entertaining and challenging quiz. You MUST book in advance, by 28 November: £15 per adult - see the IAA website www.irishastro.org for details.
 
5. IAA LECTURE: The next IAA public lecture will be on 9 January, at 7.30 p.m.. It will be given by Prof Phil Dufton, of Queen's University. Entitled "45 Years in Astronomy"; Phil will recount the tremendous changes that have occurred in astronomy 'under his watch', as he now retires after a long and distinguished career. I've a feeling that some interesting anecdotes will also be included. This will be an interesting and entertaining start to the new lecture season, and all are welcome.
  Admission is free, including light refreshments
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 
6. BBC's STARGAZING LIVE:  Venue: Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (LNDC), Oxford Island, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, on 10 January.
The whole event will be over the period  8 - 10 January, and the IAA is once again the main partner with the BBC in delivering this major public broadcast initiative. Last year was an unbelievable success, and the plans are to make the next one much bigger and even better.
   There will be stargazing if clear, mobile planetarium shows, telescope displays, telescope workshops, meteorites, comet-making, astronomy drama, stargazing cruises on the Maid of Antrim on Lough Neagh (weather permitting), live telescope links to other observatories, 'Ask an Astronomer', hands-on events, the BBC Bus, and much more.
   Final programme details in the next bulletin.  
 The other main special event is a repeat of the highly successful Jupiter Watch held by the IAA and QUB, in the front of the main QUB campus. This will be on 8 January, commencing at 6 p. m.
   More details in the next bulletin, but keep these dates free:
8 January, 18.00: Jupiter Watch at QUB main campus.
9 January: 19.30: IAA Public Lecture, Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB
10 January: Main event: live radio and tv broadcasts of a wide and varied range of activities at LNDC.
 
7. ASTRONOMY COURSE at STRANMILLIS COLLEGE, BELFAST. I will be delivering a two part course, introduction to astronomy, as follows:

Astronomy:  Our place in the Universe

Looking to the sky for the first time you may feel overwhelmed and confused by the spectacle of thousands of stars above your head.  Astronomy is a great gateway science that can inspire you to do great things!  Participants will gain enjoyment from exploring the wonders of the night sky.  The topics covered include Greek mythology, Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology, Astrobiology, Quantum Physics, Terrestrial and Jovian planets and Solar System to help us understand our place in the cosmos.   This is a great way for the community to come together and take a fresh look at our night sky.....it belongs to us all.  No experience necessary and questions encouraged! 

Tutor:             Terry Moseley, Time:              7.00pm - 9.00pm

Session 1:         Tuesdays, 5 weeks; dates:      19th February 2013 – 19th March 2013 

Location:        Central Building.

Session 2:         Tuesdays, 5 weeks. Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm. Dates:      9th April 2013 – 7th May 2013.   Location:        Central Building

There will also be a daytime visit to Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, provisionally on 17 May.

Full details and booking at:  http://www.stran.ac.uk/informationabout/courses/professionaldevelopmentlifelonglearning/

8. Galway Star Party:
The 10th Galway Starparty: "Ireland, the Final Frontier" takes place on Saturday, 2nd February, 2013 at the Westwood House Hotel, Galway City.
The speakers include:
Dr. Andy Shearer (Centre for Astronomy, NUIG): "Kepler: The Search for Habitable Planets"
Dave Gradwell: "OSCAR: A unique Irish Solar Observatory"
Ronan Newman (workshop): "Celestial Light: Chasing the Elusive Irish Aurora"
John Flannery (South Dublin AS): "What makes a Great Comet?"
Prof. Tom Ray (DIAS): "Making Stars and Planets: The First Three Billion Years"
Dave Grennan: "Hunting Extra-Galactic Supernovae from Ireland"
Terry Moseley (IAA): "Untold Stories of Sir Patrick Moore, FRS" (Celebrating his 90th Birthday)
Professor Lorraine O'Hanlon (UCD) "The GLORIA project"
Details & bookings at: http://galwayastronomyclub.ie/
 
9. IAA Annual Subscriptions: All IAA members are reminded that if they have not yet renewed their subscriptions for 2012 - 2013, they will not have received the last issue of STARDUST. You can do this easily online: http://irishastro.org.uk/join1.html, or via www.irishastro.org, or download a form, see Item 17 below.
 
10. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
Information on events at Blackrock Castle Observatory at www.bco.ie. These include Stardome shows daily at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 from December 27 – January 6.  Marvel at the Moon, see Saturn as never before and explore space travel with your friends and family.  
 
11. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


12. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
13. 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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
Posted by at 50 comments:

Saturday, 22 December 2012

STARGAZING LIVE, 2013


Hi all,
 
1. STARGAZING LIVE:
Most of you already know that the IAA will be the major local partner with the BBC in delivering the next Stargazing Live, on 8 - 10 January next.
 
A. On Tuesday 8 January, the IAA will be working with QUB to deliver another public 'Jupiter Watch', in the grounds just in front of the main Lanyon building of Queen's, starting at 6 p.m.. We will be bringing along as many telescopes as we can muster, as last year we had a lovely clear night, and there were 300-400 people queuing up to look through about 10 telescopes.
  The local QUB lights will be controlled as much as possible, but Jupiter is so bright that light pollution doesn't really affect it. So if you can bring any sort of a telescope (the bigger the better) that night for public viewing, please do so. Please be ready to observe by 6.0 p.m. if possible. And please let me know by return so that we know how many will be there.
   If it's cloudy there will instead be a public lecture by Dr Chris Watson of QUB, in the nearby physics building.
 B. On Wednesday 9 January, our event will be our own fortnightly IAA lecture, by Prof Phil Dufton of QUB: "Forty-five Years in Astronomy". Prof Dufton, who has given us several fascinating lectures before, has had a long and varied career in astronomy, and has seen some amazing changes in what we know, or think we know, about the universe. That promises to be a very interesting an informative talk. It will be at 7.30 p.m. in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB.
C. On Thursday 10 January, we will have the main event, once again at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (LNDC), Oxford Island, just off the Lurgan Junction on the M1. This will be a major event, with schools activities in the afternoon, and the programme for the general public starting at about 6 p.m. There will be a much bigger and more varied programme even than last year, so this is something not to be missed. And we need as many volunteers, particularly those with telescopes, as possible. Even if it's cloudy, we will have the telescopes set up inside on display.
   We are still finalising the exact details (to be circulated within the next few days), but we need to know asap how many people will be there to help, and how many telescopes and good binoculars, will be available for viewing. So please let me know by return if you will be available that evening, and what instrument(s) you will be able to bring.
 
(Some people may get more than one copy of this email, as your name may be on two different lists - apologies if you do.)
 
Please let me know, asap, as follows:
 
NAME:                                   Telephone number:                        Mobile:
 
A: I will / will not be able to attend the Jupiter Watch at QUB on Tuesday 8 January, and I will / will not be bringing a telescope as follows:
 
B. I hope to attend the lecture on Wednesday 9 January.
 
C. I will / will not be able to attend the main S-L event at LNDC on Thursday 10 January, and I will / will not be bringing a telescope and/or binoculars as follows:
 
2. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


3. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
4. 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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Many thanks,
 
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Posted by at 19 comments:

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Sir Patrick Moore, Lidl scope & bino offers, weblinks, + previous items.


Hi all,
 
1. Death of Sir Patrick Moore, FRS.
I'm sure that every amateur, and many professional, astronomer in Britain and Ireland is mourning the sad death of Sir Patrick Moore, presenter of the Sky at Night for over 55 years, and author of more than 100 books. I was in Dublin when I got a call from his house the previous day to say that he was slipping away: even so the news that he had died the next day came as a great personal shock.
  I had the great honour and privilege to know him well, and I have posted a short tribute on the IAA website, www.irishastro.org. I hope to write a fuller tribute for the next issue of STARDUST. And my talk at the Galway Star Party (see below) will obviously contain a tribute to him, as well as the various anecdotes I was going to relate.
  There will be a special TV tribute to Sir Patrick tonight, Tuesday 11th, on BBC 1 at 10.35 p. m., lasting 75 minutes. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01psbjf
   I was at Newgrange yesterday being interviewed by RTE about the Solstice, and about the much hyped, but ridiculous, 'End of the world on December 21' predictions. These will be broadcast on December 20 and 21 on RTE1: more on those later.
   But while I was there, they took the opportunity to interview me about Sir Patrick: obviously that was too late for the main news items on his death, but it may be broadcast at the time of his funeral, or the commemoration to be held on what would have been his 90th birthday, on 4 March. If I get any more news on that I'll let you know.
 
2. IAA PUBLIC LECTURE:  The next IAA Public Lecture is a double bill. Andy McCrea and Terry Moseley will report on their successful trip to Australia to observe the Total Solar Eclipse, and David Collins will give a preview talk, based on his new book, entitled "The Star of Bethlehem". It will be on December 12, at 7.30 p.m. 
  Admission is free, including light refreshments
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 

3. Star of Bethlehem: Book Launch. IAA member David Collins will be giving a lecture on the Star of Bethlehem to launch his recently published book of that title. It will be on Friday 14 December, at the Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m. The Maynard Sinclair Pavilion is the home of the NICS Sports Clubs, and is on the LHS of the road as you go out from Belfast, a few hundred yards past the main entrance to Stormont - it's the first exit off that main road on the left after the Stormont main entrance. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

   I read the book from cover to cover on my recent flight to Australia, and I was very impressed. I've read many other books on this subject, and in my opinion this is the most comprehensive, analytical, unbiased and best presented of the lot! He looks at everything from all the original source material, including other ancient non-biblical texts, the mythology, the social background, the theology, to the astronomy. I happen to agree with his conclusions, but even if you take a different view, you will find herein the most complete set of background information on the puzzle, and the best analysis of all the different theories which have been put forward over the years.

    It should be read by anyone with an interest in the astronomical angle, and by anyone with an interest in biblical scholarship and interpretation.

 

4. ISS: The International Space Station will commence another series of evening passes over Ireland on December 13. Full details for your own location, along with lots of other information, on the free site www.heavens-above.com.

 
5. Good Prospects for Geminid Meteors: The Geminids will peak at about 19h on 13 December, so the night of 13/14 should give some very good activity if the sky is clear. It is now the best shower of the year, with rates of 100 or so per hour visible to an experienced observer under ideal observing conditions at maximum. There will be very little interference from moonlight this year, so have a look as soon as the sky gets dark: the radiant, near Castor, will be rising in the East. It gets higher as the night progresses and very good rates should be observed from about 11pm to about 04.00. 
 
6. Blackrock Castle Observatory Events. Their post on 'Awesome Universe' is at http://www.bco.ie/2012/11/awesome-universe-exhibition/. More information about the rest of the events is at http://www.bco.ie. .
 
7. NIEA's SOLSTICE EVENT: The Monuments and Buildings Record (MBR) of the NIEA, which is based at Waterman House, 5-33, Hill Street, Belfast is marking the Midwinter Solstice on Wednesday, 19th December 2012 by hosting two topical public talks.
The first will be at 13.00, by Prof Mark Bailey, Director of Armagh Observatory, entitled "Comets and Cometary Concepts in History: Identifying the Celestial connection." It will be followed by light seasonal refreshments, and then a talk on the myths and traditions of Xmas by Roddy Hegarty.
. All are welcome to attend these lectures and admission is free. As space is limited, you are advised to come early to secure a seat.  For further information please call 028 9054 3159 or email hmenquiries@doeni.gov.uk

8. IAA New Year Party. This will be held on Saturday 5 January. We start with a buffet meal at McBrides restaurant in The Square, Comber, followed by a special private screening of a film in the local Tudor private cinema. Meet at McBrides at about 5.30 p.m. for 6.0. p.m. The film will be "Men in Black 3". This film is supposed to be funny, but has some S/F violence, and has a rating of PG-13, so parental discretion is advised regarding any children. 

We will also have free refreshments at the Tudor Cinema, including my notorious seasonal punch (notorious because no-one else can make one like it!), tea & coffee, and soft drinks. We will also have George's entertaining and challenging quiz. You MUST book in advance - see the IAA website www.irishastro.org for details.

9. CERES unusually bright: (Thanks to Richard Miles of the BAA for this item, slightly edited: TM).
Asteroid (1) Ceres reaches opposition on December 18.3 reaching a V (visual) magnitude of 6.73, respectively.   
   What makes this special is that Ceres will not surpass this opposition brightness for the next 46 years. On 2035 December 17.1, it will attain the same brightness; on 2058 Dec 14.4 it reaches V=6.72; and that of 2081 Dec 12.2 is V=6.69, i.e. almost as bright as it ever reaches.  These especially bright oppositions recur every 22.998 years.
   You can source its position in Taurus via the web, or I can send details of where to look on request. I've never even tried to see Ceres, as its usually much fainter than this. This is a chance for a first, since as far as I know it has never been seen without optical aid before, and certainly not from Ireland.
    You will need exceptionally clear and dark skies but have a go and let me know if you succeed.
 
10. BBC's STARGAZING LIVE: This is now confirmed for the dates 8 - 10 January, and the IAA is once again the main partner with the BBC in delivering this major public broadcast initiative. Last year was an unbelievable success, and the plans are to make the next one much bigger and even better. Final details and programme are still being worked out, but the main event will once again be at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (LNDC), Oxford Island, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, on 10 January.
   The other main event is a repeat of the highly successful Jupiter Watch held by the IAA and QUB, in the front of the main QUB campus. This will be on 8 January, commencing at 6 p.m.
   Full details in the next bulletin, but keep those dates free:
8 January, 18.00: Jupiter Watch at QUB main campus.
9 January: 19.30: IAA Public Lecture, Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB
10 January: Main event: live radio and tv broadcasts of a wide and varied range of activities at LNDC.
 
11. Galway Star Party:
The 10th Galway Starparty: "Ireland, the Final Frontier" takes place on Saturday, 2nd February, 2013 at the Westwood House Hotel, Galway City.
The speakers include:
Dr. Andy Shearer (Centre for Astronomy, NUIG): "Kepler: The Search for Habitable Planets"
Dave Gradwell: "OSCAR: A unique Irish Solar Observatory"
Ronan Newman (workshop): "Celestial Light: Chasing the Elusive Irish Aurora"
John Flannery (South Dublin AS): "What makes a Great Comet?"
Prof. Tom Ray (DIAS): "Making Stars and Planets: The First Three Billion Years"
Dave Grennan: "Hunting Extra-Galactic Supernovae from Ireland"
Terry Moseley (IAA): "Untold Stories of Sir Patrick Moore, FRS" (Celebrating his 90th Birthday)
Professor Lorraine O'Hanlon (UCD) "The GLORIA project"
Details & bookings at: http://galwayastronomyclub.ie/
 
12. Lidl Telescope and binocular offers: 
Lidl are currently offering their 70mm refractor, 900mm FL, on tripod & altazimuth mount with slow motions, finder, 3 eyepieces, for £64.99.
    Also 15-30 x 60mm zoom binocs at £19.99
 
13. IAA Annual Subscriptions: All IAA members are reminded that if they have not yet renewed their subscriptions for 2012 - 2013, they should do so at once, otherwise they will not receive the next issue of STARDUST. You can do this easily online: http://irishastro.org.uk/join1.html, or via www.irishastro.org, or download a form, see Item 17 below.
 
14. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
NASA's Opportunity mission, labouring halfway around Mars from the headline-stealing Curiosity rover, is giving geologists their first up-close glimpse of Martian clays, leftovers from an ancient watery environment on the red planet. http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1212/09opportunity/
 
15. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


16. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
http://www.bbc.co.uk/thingstodo. Look under 'Countryfile'.
 
17. 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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

Posted by at 35 comments:

Friday, 7 December 2012

Lectures, Book launch, Geminids, Ceres, BBC's S-L, BCO, GSP & MORE

Hi all,
 
(NB: there are many new items in this bulletin)
 
1. IAA PUBLIC LECTURE:  The next IAA Public Lecture is a double bill. Andy McCrea and Terry Moseley will report on their successful trip to Australia to observe the Total Solar Eclipse, and David Collins will give a preview talk, based on his new book, entitled "The Star of Bethlehem". It will be on December 12, at 7.30 p.m. 
  Admission is free, including light refreshments
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 

2. Public Lecture:  "From here to Infinity: Gravity and the Cosmos" by Professor (Lord) Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, O.M., F.R.S. Friday 7 December, MacNeill Lecture Theatre 3, Hamilton Building, TCD. This is the Synge Public Lecture for 2012. Admission free

 

3.  Venus, Mercury and Moon: conjunction. On Dec 11, Venus and Mercury will be joined by a thin waning crescent moon, lying just to the right of Venus. You also get an excellent chance on the morning of Dec 12 to see a rare phenomenon: Mercury appearing further from the Sun than the Moon. On that morning the 1.7% illuminated Moon will lie as much as 5˚ below and left of the innermost planet.  Look from about 07.40, low in the SE: find Venus first, then scan with binoculars to the lower left to find Mercury, and beyond it, the very thin crescent of the Moon. A lovely photo opportunity: Saturn, Venus, Mercury & an almost impossibly thin crescent moon.

 

4. Star of Bethlehem: Book Launch. IAA member David Collins will be giving a lecture on the Star of Bethlehem to launch his recently published book of that title. It will be on Friday 14 December, at the Maynard Sinclair Pavilion, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m. The Maynard Sinclair Pavilion is the home of the NICS Sports Clubs, and is on the LHS of the road as you go out from Belfast, a few hundred yards past the main entrance to Stormont - it's the first exit off that main road on the left after the Stormont main entrance. Admission is free, and all are welcome.

   I read the book from cover to cover on my recent flight to Australia, and I was very impressed. I've read many other books on this subject, and in my opinion this is the most comprehensive, analytical, unbiased and best presented of the lot! He looks at everything from all the original source material, including other ancient non-biblical texts, the mythology, the social background, the theology, to the astronomy. I happen to agree with his conclusions, but even if you take a different view, you will find herein the most complete set of background information on the puzzle, and the best analysis of all the different theories which have been put forward over the years.

    It should be read by anyone with an interest in the astronomical angle, and by anyone with an interest in biblical scholarship and interpretation.

 

5. ISS: The International Space Station will commence another series of evening passes over Ireland on December 13. Full details for your own location, along with lots of other information, on the free site www.heavens-above.com.

 
6. Good Prospects for Geminid Meteors: The Geminids will peak at about 19h on 13 December, so the night of 13/14 should give some very good activity if the sky is clear. It is now the best shower of the year, with rates of 100 or so per hour visible to an experienced observer under ideal observing conditions at maximum. There will be very little interference from moonlight this year, so have a look as soon as the sky gets dark: the radiant, near Castor, will be rising in the East. It gets higher as the night progresses and very good rates should be observed from about 11pm to about 04.00. 
 
7. Blackrock Castle Observatory Events Details of the next 'First Fridays' event are at  http://www.bco.ie/2012/11/ffatcdec/ . Their post on 'Awesome Universe' is at http://www.bco.ie/2012/11/awesome-universe-exhibition/. More information about the rest of the events is at http://www.bco.ie. .
 
8. NIEA's SOLSTICE EVENT: The Monuments and Buildings Record (MBR) of the NIEA, which is based at Waterman House, 5-33, Hill Street, Belfast is marking the Midwinter Solstice on Wednesday, 19th December 2012 by hosting two topical public talks.
The first will be at 13.00, by Prof Mark Bailey, Director of Armagh Observatory, entitled "Comets and Cometary Concepts in History: Identifying the Celestial connection." It will be followed by light seasonal refreshments, and then a talk on the myths and traditions of Xmas by Roddy Hegarty.
. All are welcome to attend these lectures and admission is free. As space is limited, you are advised to come early to secure a seat.  For further information please call 028 9054 3159 or email hmenquiries@doeni.gov.uk

9. IAA New Year Party. This will be held on Saturday 5 January. We start with a buffet meal at McBrides restaurant in The Square, Comber, followed by a special private screening of a film in the local Tudor private cinema. Meet at McBrides at about 5.30 p.m. for 6.0. p.m. The film will be "Men in Black 3". This film is supposed to be funny, but has some S/F violence, and has a rating of PG-13, so parental discretion is advised regarding any children. 

We will also have free refreshments at the Tudor Cinema, including my notorious seasonal punch (notorious because no-one else can make one like it!), tea & coffee, and soft drinks. We will also have George's entertaining and challenging quiz. You MUST book in advance - see the IAA website www.irishastro.org for details.

10. CERES unusually bright: (Thanks to Richard Miles of the BAA for this item, slightly edited: TM).
Asteroid (4) Vesta reaches opposition on December 09.5 followed soon after by (1) Ceres on December 18.3 reaching a V (visual) magnitude of 6.44 and 6.73, respectively.  During this interval, the two minor planets will be about 13 degrees apart in the sky, with the Moon at 25.5 days old and 5.0 days old on these two dates. This gives the chance to see both these small solar system objects with the unaided eye in sky unpolluted by moonlight. 
   What makes this special is that Ceres will not surpass this opposition brightness for the next 46 years. On 2035 December 17.1, it will attain the same brightness; on 2058 Dec 14.4 it reaches V=6.72; and that of 2081 Dec 12.2 is V=6.69, i.e. almost as bright as it ever reaches.  These especially bright oppositions recur every 22.998 years.
   You can source their positions (both in Taurus) via the web, or I can send details of where to look on request. Vesta sometimes gets considerably brighter than this (about 5m.7 or so), and I have seen it with the unaided eye myself at that magnitude in the past, but I've never even tried to see Ceres. This is a chance for a first, since as far as I know it has never been seen without optical aid before, and certainly not from Ireland.
    You will need exceptionally clear and dark skies, particularly for Ceres, but have a go and let me know if you succeed.
 
11. BBC's STARGAZING LIVE: This is now confirmed for the dates 8 - 10 January, and the IAA is once again the main partner with the BBC in delivering this major public broadcast initiative. Last year was an unbelievable success, and the plans are to make the next one much bigger and even better. Final details and programme are still being worked out, but the main event will once again be at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre (LNDC), Oxford Island, near Lurgan, Co Armagh, on 10 January.
   The other main event is a repeat of the highly successful Jupiter Watch held by the IAA and QUB, in the front of the main QUB campus. This will be on 8 January, commencing at 6 p.m.
   Full details in the next bulletin, but keep those dates free:
8 January, 18.00: Jupiter Watch at QUB main campus.
9 January: 19.30: IAA Public Lecture, Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, QUB
10 January: Main event: live radio and tv broadcasts of a wide and varied range of activities at LNDC.
 
12. Galway Star Party:
The 10th Galway Starparty: "Ireland, the Final Frontier" takes place on Saturday, 2nd February, 2013 at the Westwood House Hotel, Galway City.
The speakers include:
Dr. Andy Shearer (Centre for Astronomy, NUIG): "Kepler: The Search for Habitable Planets"
Dave Gradwell: "OSCAR: A unique Irish Solar Observatory"
Ronan Newman (workshop): "Celestial Light: Chasing the Elusive Irish Aurora"
John Flannery (South Dublin AS): "What makes a Great Comet?"
Prof. Tom Ray (DIAS): "Making Stars and Planets: The First Three Billion Years"
Dave Grennan: "Hunting Extra-Galactic Supernovae from Ireland"
Terry Moseley (IAA): "Untold Stories of Sir Patrick Moore, FRS" (Celebrating his 90th Birthday)
Professor Lorraine O'Hanlon (UCD) "The GLORIA project"
Details & bookings at: http://galwayastronomyclub.ie/
 
13. IAA Annual Subscriptions: All IAA members are reminded that if they have not yet renewed their subscriptions for 2012 - 2013, they should do so at once, otherwise they will not receive the next issue of STARDUST. You can do this easily online: http://irishastro.org.uk/join1.html, or via www.irishastro.org, or download a form, see Item 17 below.
 
14. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
 
 15. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


16. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
 
17. 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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Lectures, Awesome Universe, Conjunction, ISS, Geminids, IAA NY Party, weblinks


Hi all,
(Just back from an excellent and successful trip to Australia to observe the total solar eclipse.)
 
1. IAA PUBLIC LECTURE:  The next IAA Public Lecture is a double bill. Andy McCrea and Terry Moseley will report on their successful trip to Australia to observe the Total Solar Eclipse, and David Collins will give a talk, based on his new book, entitled "The Star of Bethlehem". It will be on December 12, at 73.0 p.m. 
  Admission is free, including light refreshments
This lecture will as usual be in the Bell Lecture theatre, Physics building, main QUB Campus.
 

2. AWESOME UNIVERSE, at ARMAGH PLANETARIUM: The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of when European astronomers headed south, to Chile, determined to build the most powerful ground-based telescopes in the world and founded ESO (European Southern Observatory).
   Armagh Planetarium is celebrating this anniversary by launching a new gallery exhibition.  Around 40 visually stunning images have been erected with captions, showcasing celestial objects such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters as seen by ESO's observatories, as well as beautiful images of the observatories themselves, which are located in some of the most unusual places on Earth.
   Join us for our launch night on Tuesday 4th December 2012 when we will unveil our gallery.  You will also have the opportunity to see our Christmas theatre show "Mystery of the Christmas Star" FREE and if the skies are clear we will be observing the wonders of the December night sky.  Please note that spaces are limited for our theatre show so pre-booking is essential.
6pm – Doors open
7pm – Gallery Launch
7:30pm – Mystery of the Christmas Star theatre show
8pm – Night sky observing
9pm – Doors close

3. Public Lecture:  "From here to Infinity: Gravity and the Cosmos" by Professor (Lord) Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, O.M., F.R.S. Friday 7 December, MacNeill Lecture Theatre 3, Hamilton Building, TCD. This is the Synge Public Lecture for 2012. Admission free

 

4. Venus, Mercury and Moon: conjunction. On Dec 11, Venus and Mercury will be joined by a thin waning crescent moon, lying just to the right of Venus. You also get an excellent chance on the morning of Dec 12 to see a rare phenomenon: Mercury appearing further from the Sun than the Moon. On that morning the 1.7% illuminated Moon will lie as much as 5˚ below and left of the innermost planet.  Look from about 07.40, low in the SE: find Venus first, then scan with binoculars to the lower left to find Mercury, and beyond it, the very thin crescent of the Moon. A lovely photo opportunity: Saturn, Venus, Mercury & an almost impossibly thin crescent moon.

 

5. ISS: The International Space Station will commence another series of evening passes over Ireland on December 13. Full details for your own location, along with lots of other information, on the free site www.heavens-above.com.

 
6. Good Prospects for Geminid Meteors: The Geminids will peak at about 19h on 13 December, so the night of 13/14 should give some very good activity if the sky is clear. It is now the best shower of the year, with rates of 100 or so per hour visible to an experienced observer under ideal observing conditions at maximum. There will be very little interference from moonlight this year, so have a look as soon as the sky gets dark: the radiant, near Castor, will be rising in the East. It gets higher as the night progresses and very good rates should be observed from about 11pm to about 04.00. 
 
7. IAA New Year Party. This will be held on Saturday 5 January, at McBrides restaurant in Comber, followed by a space or S/F based film in the local Tudor private cinema. Meet at McBrides at about 5.30 p.m. for 6.0. p.m. Full details to follow in next bulletin.
 
8. IAA Annual Subscriptions: All IAA members are reminded that if they have not yet renewed their subscriptions for 2012 - 2013, they should do so at once, otherwise they will not receive the next issue of STARDUST. You can do this easily online: http://irishastro.org.uk/join1.html, or via www.irishastro.org, or download a form, see Item 11 below.
 
9. INTERESTING WEBLINKS: 
 
10. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter:  @IaaAstro


11. BBC THINGS TO DO WEBSITE: See the forthcoming IAA events on  
 
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.  See also www.irishastro.org. 
  
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley

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