Hi all,
1. IAA LECTURE, 30 October. Dr Andy McCrea, IAA. " Aurorae and Astronauts".
Well known amateur astronomer, astro-imager, past IAA President, and
proprietor of North Down Telescopes, Dr Andy McCrea will give the next
lecture, based on his recent highly successful aurora hunting trip to
Iceland, and his similarly successful astronaut-hunting exploits (only
with cameras & an autograph book!). Andy will reveal all about
aurorae, what causes them, where and how to see them and image them.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments.
It will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in
hosting these lectures.
2. ULSTER MUSEUM's METEORITE DAY: Sat 2 November, 13.00 - 16.00 Your
chance to learn about rocks from space, and handle several examples.
See the largest meteorite ever known to fall in the UK or Ireland, and
a piece of the recent Russian Fireball Chelyabinsk meteorite. See
http://www.nmni.com/um/What-s-on/Events/Meteorite-Day
3. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th, at 7:30pm. As part
of the lead up to Science Week, Brecht's "The Life of Galileo" will be
staged by the Greenwood Theatre Company in Dunsink Observatory in a
specially adapted version by David Hare. As the observatory is over
200 years old, it seems like the perfect venue in which to set the
play. Most of the performance will be staged in the Meridian Room
where "Dublin Time" was kept but the audience will have the chance to
move into the South Dome (with its large Victorian Grubb Telescope)
and the Solar System Room for a number of scenes. Seating is very
limited for the 3 performances and tickets (15 euro) can be booked
through the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies website www.dias.ie
by following the links to the "The Life of Galileo". See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
4. ARMAGH PLANETARIUM OPEN NIGHT, 12 November: See
http://www.armaghplanet.com/events/see-the-stars-at-our-november-open-night.html
5. RIA LECTURE, CORK, 12 November: The RIA's biennial McCrea lecture
will hosted by UCC on 12 November. Venue: G10 Lecture Theatre,
Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork. Date:
Tuesday 12 November 2013, 6 pm.
Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork Biennial McCrea
Astronomy Lecture for Science Week 2013: Are the Laws of Physics
Changing? by Professor John D Barrow FRS, University of Cambridge
Abstract: Astronomers have investigated whether the laws and constants
of physics are the same today as they were billions of years ago. We
will look at what these high-precision observations have been telling
us and see why many physicists believe that the laws of physics may be
different elsewhere in the Universe.
Biography: John D Barrow is an English cosmologist, theoretical
physicist and mathematician. He is currently Research Professor of
Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He was elected
as a Fellow to the Royal Society in 2003 and was awarded the Faraday
Medal and Prize in 2008. He is Director of the Millennium Mathematics
Project. See: http://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Biennial-McCrea-Lecture
6. COMET ISON - PHOTO COMPETITION: Now brightening significantly; the
comet is now up to about mag 10, moving from Leo towards Virgo.
There's now a major photo competition for amateurs: see
http://www.space.com/23345-comet-ison-photo-contest-amateur-astronomy.html?cmpid=555125
The latest images are posted at
http://www.isoncampaign.org/potw-oct21 and a recent update on the
comet's status can be found here:
http://www.isoncampaign.org/karl/ison-is-just-fine
More information on the Comet ISON Observation Campaign website at
http://www.isoncampaign.org/.
Also see: http://www.space.com/topics/comet-ison/,
and for a bit of fun:
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-comet-ison-accompanied-by-ufos.
ISON = NIBIRU? Indeed, as I predicted when ISON was first discovered,
there's now the usual nonsense on the Web about it being the new
'Nibiru', since Comet Elenin wasn't! See for example:
http://nibirurise.com/nibiru-is-comet-ison-actually-nibiru/#.UZJTQaIqzg0
Also, and just as weird -
A bright comet in year 2013? -- Comet ISON -- an Astrology, New Age
and Bible Prophecy analysis
This rivals the Nibiru doom-mongers for being nothing but complete and
utter rubbish. Read it at your peril - you will laugh so hard that it
hurts!
7. The website for the new Space Science Technology qualification
being piloted in Northern Ireland is now live at:
http://rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/space_science_technology/index.asp
Support materials are in the pipeline. (Per Robert Hill, who is
driving this welcome initiative.)
8. European Southern Observatory Astronomy Camp (Italy)
The first ESO Astronomy Camp will take place from 26 - 31 December
2013 at the Astronomical Observatory of the Aosta Valley, located in
Saint-Barthelemy, Nus, Italy. The camp will explore the theme of the
visible and the invisible Universe through lectures, hands-on
activities, and nighttime observations with the telescopes and
instruments at the observatory. Social activities, winter sports, and
excursions will contribute to making the camp a memorable experience
for the participants. ESO will be responsible for the scientific
programme for the ESO Astronomy Camp, and will, together with other
partners, provide lecturers and material. The camp will be available
for a maximum of 55 secondary school students aged between 16 and 18
years old. More information at:
http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann13044/
9. EAAE Winter School 2013 (Finland)
The Winter School will be organized by the EAAE-WG3 in Enontekiö,
Finland from the 28th to the 30th December 2013. This Winter School is
open to all teachers who work in primary and secondary schools in
European countries. The School will be held next December in Finland
(Lapland). The registration fee is 50 Euros. During the Winter School
teachers will attend general lectures, workshops and daily
observational sessions. Participants should wrap up warm during these
sessions because of the cold weather. Note that although Sun never
rises and daylight of dawn is only seen for a very short period at
this time of the year in Enontekio, observation sessions can only be
held during the Winter School if weather conditions are good.
Instructors at the Winter School will be members of EAAE-WG3, and they
come from different countries in Europe. The theme of this Winter
School is Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. Professor Rosa Maria
Ros (ros@ma4.upc.edu) is the Chairperson of EAAE-WG3 and should be
contacted for any further inquiries.
10. Armagh Observatory "Human Orrery" Goes Global
From the Director, Professor Mark Bailey (edited from IAU Newsletter):
The Armagh Human Orrery is the first large-scale outdoor exhibit to
show with precision on the ground the positions of the main planets, a
dwarf planet and two comets. It is an innovative education and
learning tool designed to explain the motion of the planets around the
Sun and the changing position of Earth relative to those planets as it
too revolves around the Sun every year.
Launched at the Observatory nearly nine years ago, the model is fun
to use, entertaining and participative. The model has now been
reproduced at a number of locations, notably at the Kings School,
Peterborough, and at Christ the Redeemer Primary School, Belfast, and
most recently at the Eureka High School, Nepaltar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
For full details of the Armagh Human Orrery, see
http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/. For a summary review of the Human
Orrery and the background to the model, see:
http://star.arm.ac.uk/~meb/human_orrery_2012oct11_handouts_small.pdf;
and for an example of a novel portable human orrery, see:
http://www.astrosociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/uitc82.pdf. For
further images, follow: http://star.arm.ac.uk/~meb/orrery_2013oct/.
11. The Andromeda Project is Back!
From Rob and the Zooniverse Team: Last year we launched the Andromeda
Project (http://www.andromedaproject.org/) and asked the public to
help us locate star clusters in our nearest neighbouring galaxy:
Andromeda (M31). The project was a phenomenal success and in less than
three weeks volunteers had classified more than a million images.
Today we're releasing a whole new batch of data into the Andromeda
Project and we're calling this Round 2.
The data you will see are amazingly detailed images from the Hubble
Space Telescope, which has peered deep into Andromeda as part of the
PHAT survey. The aim of the Andromeda Project is to the locate all the
star clusters and background galaxies found in PHAT and to build up
the most complete map of any spiral galaxy anywhere. This is amazing
science that can only be done with the help of citizen scientists.
12. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014, at Cultra. The IAA
has once again been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for
this prestigious event. The main local event will be at the Ulster
Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra. More details later, but mark your
diaries now. (I'm going to a planning meeting with the BBC and the
Cultra people tomorrow, so I'll update after that.)
13. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.space.com/23329-lego-space-building-future-book.html?cmpid=555125
http://www.space.com/16339-private-asteroid-telescope-sentinel-mission.html
http://www.space.com/23344-asteroid-threat-earth-united-nations-response.html?cmpid=555125
http://www.space.com/23345-comet-ison-photo-contest-amateur-astronomy.html?cmpid=555125
http://www.space.com/23343-diamond-planets-water-alien-life.html?cmpid=555125
http://www.livescience.com/40753-mount-etna-eruption-from-space.html?cmpid=555219
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1310/26dreamchaser/
http://www.space.com/23317-saturn-rings-photos-dark-side.html?cmpid=555124
http://www.space.com/23327-mars-rover-opportunity-climbs-martian-hill.html?cmpid=555124
http://www.space.com/23326-saturn-moon-titan-lakes-photos.html?cmpid=555124
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2476471/Revealed-Ghostly-shape-coldest-place-universe-sheds-new-light-death-throes-sun-like-stars.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2475152/Japanese-asteroid-blasting-space-cannon-reveal-origins-universe.html
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/25oct_aviationswx/
http://www.iau.org/public/publications/newsletter/2013_10/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2473693/Galaxy-30bn-light-years-away-confirmed-distant-neighbour.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2473706/The-satellite-help-detect-forest-fires-control-save-money-lives.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/24/1000-alien-planets_n_4154360.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2471709/How-atmosphere-Mars-turned-STONE-Clues-red-planet-help-battle-climate-change-Earth.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2463153/Russia-U-S-sign-nuclear-agreement-protect-planet-asteroids.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2473083/Chelyabinsk-meteor-goes-Giant-600kg-chunk-displayed-hauled-Russian-lake.html
http://www.space.com/13681-mars-biggest-mysteries-water-life.html
http://www.space.com/23287-mars-atmosphere-trapped-inside-rocks.html?cmpid=555123
http://www.space.com/23293-astronaut-hair-zero-gravity-video.html?cmpid=555123
http://www.space.com/23291-space-tourism-balloon-flights.html?cmpid=555123
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/could-extraterrestrials-really-invade-earth-and-how-0740/
http://www.livescience.com/33091-slideshow-strange-everyday-things-space.html
http://www.livescience.com/14462-amateur-astronomer-spot-secret-mars-base.html
(Sorry folks - but No!)
http://www.space.com/23209-super-earth-super-venus-nasa.html?cmpid=555122
http://www.space.com/22577-earth-life-from-mars-theory.html (and how
did it get to Mars?)
http://www.space.com/23144-earth-life-autocells-gas-giants.html
14. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
15. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This
link downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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
IAA News by Terry Moseley
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Monday, 21 October 2013
Lectures, Orionids, Meterorites, Fireballs, ISS, ISON, KillerAsteroid? CERN, etc
Hi all,
1. IAA LECTURE, 30 October. Dr Andy McCrea, IAA. " Aurorae and Astronauts".
Well known amateur astronomer, astro-imager, past IAA President, and
proprietor of North Down Telescopes, Dr Andy McCrea will give the next
lecture, based on his recent highly successful aurora hunting trip to
Iceland, and his similarly successful astronaut-hunting exploits (only with
cameras & an autograph book!). Andy will reveal all about aurorae, what
causes them, where and how to see them and image them.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. It
will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting
these lectures.
2. ORIONID METEORS PEAK TONIGHT: The Earth is passing through a stream of
debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. The
shower should peak on the night of Oct. 21 with a ZHR of approximately 20
meteors per hour. But the bright moon in nearby Taurus will reduce the
number seen to only about 60% od that rate. The best time to look is during
the hours before local sunrise when the shower's radiant in the
constellation Orion is high in the sky. The radiant is in the NE corner of
Orion, not far from the 'feet' of Gemini.
3. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha Chernyakova
(DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray Binaries: Theory and
Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/ for details.
4. ULSTER MUSEUM's METEORITE DAY: Sat 2 November, 13.00 - 16.00 Your chance
to learn about rocks from space, and handle several examples. See the
largest meteorite ever known to fall in the UK or Ireland, and a piece of
the recent Russian Fireball Chelyabinsk meteorite. See
http://www.nmni.com/um/What-s-on/Events/Meteorite-Day
5. SCOTTISH FIREBALLS MYSTERY:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465828/Fireballs-streak-Scotlands-skies-SAME-time-Northern-Lights.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
Can anyone comment on the fourth image in this article, by Byron
Griffiths - why is the trail interrupted? There doesn't seem to be any sign
of cloud there. There might be something very thin, but in that case the
bright fireball should still be visible, even faintly, through it. In fact,
you CAN see the trail even where it passes through a band of thicker cloud
lower down (or maybe it's just 'bleeding' across the pixels).
This is only my speculation, and from a limited knowledge of the
science, but to try to explain the gap in the trail -
* A meteor's visible trail is due to ionisation of the air molecules, and
* An aurora is caused by ionisation of the air molecules.
So could the gap in the trail be due to the bolide passing through a layer
of the atmosphere where it was already ionised, and no further ionisation
was possible?
6. ISS: the ISS continues a series of evening passes over Ireland. For
details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
7. COMET ISON - LATEST: Now brightening significantly; it's now up to about
mag 10, so there is still hope.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465867/Dazzling-comet-century-intact-Icy-ball-15-times-brighter-moon-visible-December-IF-survives.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
and for a bit of fun:
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-comet-ison-accompanied-by-ufos. Indeed,
as I predicted when ISON was first discovered, there's now the usual
nonsense on the Web about it being the new 'Nibiru', since Comet Elenin
wasn't!
8. ANOTHER KILLER ASTEROID? Well, no, it won't be. The chances of a
collision are estimated at 1:63,000. But even if later observations indicate
that it would hit Earth, we'll have tome to deflect it. Still, it shows that
there are still dangerous ones out there, and if one was on a collision
course with only a few years warning, we might not be able to deflect it in
time.
http://en.ria.ru/science/20131017/184201264/400-Meter-Wide-Asteroid-Could-Hit-Earth-in-2032.html
(ignore the fact that the image is of a comet!)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465563/Will-world-end-2032-Ukrainian-astronomers-discover-massive-asteroid-hit-earth-power-2-500-nuclear-bombs.html
http://en.ria.ru/science/20131017/184201264/400-Meter-Wide-Asteroid-Could-Hit-Earth-in-2032.html
9. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University College
Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th. The exhibition
is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on weekdays. A guided tour
can be arranged with the faculty in UCD beforehand though. See
http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
10. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th, at 7:30pm. As part of
the lead up to Science Week, Brecht's "The Life of Galileo" will be staged
by the Greenwood Theatre Company in Dunsink Observatory in a specially
adapted version by David Hare. As the observatory is over 200 years old, it
seems like the perfect venue in which to set the play. Most of the
performance will be staged in the Meridian Room where "Dublin Time" was kept
but the audience will have the chance to move into the South Dome (with its
large Victorian Grubb Telescope) and the Solar System Room for a number of
scenes. Seating is very limited for the 3 performances and tickets (15 euro)
can be booked through the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies website
www.dias.ie by following the links to the "The Life of Galileo". See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
11. RIA LECTURE, CORK, 12 November: The RIA's biennial McCrea lecture will
hosted by UCC on 12 November. Venue: G10 Lecture Theatre, Brookfield Health
Sciences Complex, University College Cork. Date: Tuesday 12 November 2013, 6
pm.
Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork Biennial McCrea Astronomy
Lecture for Science Week 2013: Are the Laws of Physics Changing? by
Professor John D Barrow FRS, University of Cambridge
Abstract: Astronomers have investigated whether the laws and constants of
physics are the same today as they were billions of years ago. We will look
at what these high-precision observations have been telling us and see why
many physicists believe that the laws of physics may be different elsewhere
in the Universe.
Biography: John D Barrow is an English cosmologist, theoretical physicist
and mathematician. He is currently Research Professor of Mathematical
Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He was elected as a Fellow to the
Royal Society in 2003 and was awarded the Faraday Medal and Prize in 2008.
He is Director of the Millennium Mathematics Project. See:
http://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Biennial-McCrea-Lecture
12. The website for the new Space Science Technology qualification being
piloted in Northern Ireland is now live at:
http://rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/space_science_technology/index.asp
Support materials are in the pipeline. (Per Robert Hill, who is driving this
welcome initiative.)
13. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival which
takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an emphasis on
how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and cultures in our
city that would not otherwise do so, to think about the Universe. From its
humble beginnings in January 2004 to the present day our Astronomy Festival
has become Ireland's biggest annual gathering of amateur astronomers who
come here from around the country to meet in friendship and to exchange
information, successful stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks split
into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime interlude with
two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we present the new Sir
Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of Globular
Star Clusters"
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD: "Exploring the Universe: The View from Hubble
and Beyond"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye astronomers: Measuring the
Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross: Observing
the southern sky Down Under"
Workshops
7. Paul Byrne: "Binary Stars: Double Your Pleasure - Two's Company, Three's
A Triple System"
8. Brian MacGabhann, "Building a DIY solar filter for observing our nearest
Star" (Talking through building a solar filter for a refractor, reflector or
SCT, with a complete demo and examples of the finished product).
Astrofest dinner 7.30 pm - Price (€25)
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-201
Since 'The Astronomer' was formed in 1964, there have been a remarkable
series of achievements which have been published in the magazine and these
highlights are given in this talk. As editor since 1975, Guy describes how
it feels to be in 'the hot seat' when checking and hopefully confirming the
many discoveries reported to TAHQ! The liaison with professionals at the
Central Bureau (USA) remains a vital service by TA to filter out false
alarms.
14. MICHAEL WEST LECTURE AT QUB, 5 Feb 2014: PROF GERRY GILMORE, U of
Cambridge:
"The GAIA space mission and the origins of the Milky Way".
Prof Gerry Gilmore from Cambridge will give the next Michael West lecture
at QUB, as a joint event between QUB and the IAA. Prof Gilmore is a lading
researcher on the GAIA mission, due to launch 20th November, and an
excellent speaker, so mark your diaries now!
15. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once again
been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this prestigious event.
More details later, but mark your diaries now. See:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2468351/800m-space-probe-spot-button-moon-launching-month-act-early-warning-asteroids.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
16. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2463153/Russia-U-S-sign-nuclear-agreement-protect-planet-asteroids.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/the-plans-to-use-nuclear-weapons-to-blow-up-incoming-asteroids/280593/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2467356/London-Sydney-TWO-hours-Virgin-Galactic-space-flight-technology-used-build-new-generation-super-jets-replace-Concorde.html
(It doesn't specifically say so, but such a flight would probably take you
into space, or at least very near it. TM)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/19/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-matt-smith-david-tennant_n_4127020.html
http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/09/19/welcome-to-the-church-of-the-chelyabinsk-meteorite/
(I thought that this could only happen in the USA. But evidently the
Russians are just as susceptible....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465739/Mercury-unlock-secrets-moon-formed-Scientists-striking-similarities-cosmic-bodies.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2464397/Saturns-HEXAGONAL-storm-revealed-true-colour-time.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.space.com/23207-spacex-commercial-launch-competition-china.html?cmpid=555120
http://www.space.com/23208-existing-tech-can-take-humans-to-mars.html?cmpid=555120
http://www.space.com/23216-black-hole-indigestion-alma-photos.html?cmpid=555120
Now YOU can cruise around the Milky Way: Amazing interactive space map lets
users navigate the galaxy in incredible detail | .
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/16/100000-suns-google-chrome_n_4108277.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-tech
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2463313/Chelyabinsk-meteor-piece-pulled-Russian-lake.html
17. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
18. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link
downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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
1. IAA LECTURE, 30 October. Dr Andy McCrea, IAA. " Aurorae and Astronauts".
Well known amateur astronomer, astro-imager, past IAA President, and
proprietor of North Down Telescopes, Dr Andy McCrea will give the next
lecture, based on his recent highly successful aurora hunting trip to
Iceland, and his similarly successful astronaut-hunting exploits (only with
cameras & an autograph book!). Andy will reveal all about aurorae, what
causes them, where and how to see them and image them.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments. It
will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in hosting
these lectures.
2. ORIONID METEORS PEAK TONIGHT: The Earth is passing through a stream of
debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. The
shower should peak on the night of Oct. 21 with a ZHR of approximately 20
meteors per hour. But the bright moon in nearby Taurus will reduce the
number seen to only about 60% od that rate. The best time to look is during
the hours before local sunrise when the shower's radiant in the
constellation Orion is high in the sky. The radiant is in the NE corner of
Orion, not far from the 'feet' of Gemini.
3. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha Chernyakova
(DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray Binaries: Theory and
Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/ for details.
4. ULSTER MUSEUM's METEORITE DAY: Sat 2 November, 13.00 - 16.00 Your chance
to learn about rocks from space, and handle several examples. See the
largest meteorite ever known to fall in the UK or Ireland, and a piece of
the recent Russian Fireball Chelyabinsk meteorite. See
http://www.nmni.com/um/What-s-on/Events/Meteorite-Day
5. SCOTTISH FIREBALLS MYSTERY:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465828/Fireballs-streak-Scotlands-skies-SAME-time-Northern-Lights.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
Can anyone comment on the fourth image in this article, by Byron
Griffiths - why is the trail interrupted? There doesn't seem to be any sign
of cloud there. There might be something very thin, but in that case the
bright fireball should still be visible, even faintly, through it. In fact,
you CAN see the trail even where it passes through a band of thicker cloud
lower down (or maybe it's just 'bleeding' across the pixels).
This is only my speculation, and from a limited knowledge of the
science, but to try to explain the gap in the trail -
* A meteor's visible trail is due to ionisation of the air molecules, and
* An aurora is caused by ionisation of the air molecules.
So could the gap in the trail be due to the bolide passing through a layer
of the atmosphere where it was already ionised, and no further ionisation
was possible?
6. ISS: the ISS continues a series of evening passes over Ireland. For
details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
7. COMET ISON - LATEST: Now brightening significantly; it's now up to about
mag 10, so there is still hope.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465867/Dazzling-comet-century-intact-Icy-ball-15-times-brighter-moon-visible-December-IF-survives.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
and for a bit of fun:
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-comet-ison-accompanied-by-ufos. Indeed,
as I predicted when ISON was first discovered, there's now the usual
nonsense on the Web about it being the new 'Nibiru', since Comet Elenin
wasn't!
8. ANOTHER KILLER ASTEROID? Well, no, it won't be. The chances of a
collision are estimated at 1:63,000. But even if later observations indicate
that it would hit Earth, we'll have tome to deflect it. Still, it shows that
there are still dangerous ones out there, and if one was on a collision
course with only a few years warning, we might not be able to deflect it in
time.
http://en.ria.ru/science/20131017/184201264/400-Meter-Wide-Asteroid-Could-Hit-Earth-in-2032.html
(ignore the fact that the image is of a comet!)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465563/Will-world-end-2032-Ukrainian-astronomers-discover-massive-asteroid-hit-earth-power-2-500-nuclear-bombs.html
http://en.ria.ru/science/20131017/184201264/400-Meter-Wide-Asteroid-Could-Hit-Earth-in-2032.html
9. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University College
Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th. The exhibition
is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on weekdays. A guided tour
can be arranged with the faculty in UCD beforehand though. See
http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
10. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th, at 7:30pm. As part of
the lead up to Science Week, Brecht's "The Life of Galileo" will be staged
by the Greenwood Theatre Company in Dunsink Observatory in a specially
adapted version by David Hare. As the observatory is over 200 years old, it
seems like the perfect venue in which to set the play. Most of the
performance will be staged in the Meridian Room where "Dublin Time" was kept
but the audience will have the chance to move into the South Dome (with its
large Victorian Grubb Telescope) and the Solar System Room for a number of
scenes. Seating is very limited for the 3 performances and tickets (15 euro)
can be booked through the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies website
www.dias.ie by following the links to the "The Life of Galileo". See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
11. RIA LECTURE, CORK, 12 November: The RIA's biennial McCrea lecture will
hosted by UCC on 12 November. Venue: G10 Lecture Theatre, Brookfield Health
Sciences Complex, University College Cork. Date: Tuesday 12 November 2013, 6
pm.
Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork Biennial McCrea Astronomy
Lecture for Science Week 2013: Are the Laws of Physics Changing? by
Professor John D Barrow FRS, University of Cambridge
Abstract: Astronomers have investigated whether the laws and constants of
physics are the same today as they were billions of years ago. We will look
at what these high-precision observations have been telling us and see why
many physicists believe that the laws of physics may be different elsewhere
in the Universe.
Biography: John D Barrow is an English cosmologist, theoretical physicist
and mathematician. He is currently Research Professor of Mathematical
Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He was elected as a Fellow to the
Royal Society in 2003 and was awarded the Faraday Medal and Prize in 2008.
He is Director of the Millennium Mathematics Project. See:
http://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Biennial-McCrea-Lecture
12. The website for the new Space Science Technology qualification being
piloted in Northern Ireland is now live at:
http://rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/space_science_technology/index.asp
Support materials are in the pipeline. (Per Robert Hill, who is driving this
welcome initiative.)
13. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival which
takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an emphasis on
how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and cultures in our
city that would not otherwise do so, to think about the Universe. From its
humble beginnings in January 2004 to the present day our Astronomy Festival
has become Ireland's biggest annual gathering of amateur astronomers who
come here from around the country to meet in friendship and to exchange
information, successful stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks split
into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime interlude with
two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we present the new Sir
Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of Globular
Star Clusters"
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD: "Exploring the Universe: The View from Hubble
and Beyond"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye astronomers: Measuring the
Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross: Observing
the southern sky Down Under"
Workshops
7. Paul Byrne: "Binary Stars: Double Your Pleasure - Two's Company, Three's
A Triple System"
8. Brian MacGabhann, "Building a DIY solar filter for observing our nearest
Star" (Talking through building a solar filter for a refractor, reflector or
SCT, with a complete demo and examples of the finished product).
Astrofest dinner 7.30 pm - Price (€25)
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-201
Since 'The Astronomer' was formed in 1964, there have been a remarkable
series of achievements which have been published in the magazine and these
highlights are given in this talk. As editor since 1975, Guy describes how
it feels to be in 'the hot seat' when checking and hopefully confirming the
many discoveries reported to TAHQ! The liaison with professionals at the
Central Bureau (USA) remains a vital service by TA to filter out false
alarms.
14. MICHAEL WEST LECTURE AT QUB, 5 Feb 2014: PROF GERRY GILMORE, U of
Cambridge:
"The GAIA space mission and the origins of the Milky Way".
Prof Gerry Gilmore from Cambridge will give the next Michael West lecture
at QUB, as a joint event between QUB and the IAA. Prof Gilmore is a lading
researcher on the GAIA mission, due to launch 20th November, and an
excellent speaker, so mark your diaries now!
15. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once again
been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this prestigious event.
More details later, but mark your diaries now. See:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2468351/800m-space-probe-spot-button-moon-launching-month-act-early-warning-asteroids.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
16. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2463153/Russia-U-S-sign-nuclear-agreement-protect-planet-asteroids.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/the-plans-to-use-nuclear-weapons-to-blow-up-incoming-asteroids/280593/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2467356/London-Sydney-TWO-hours-Virgin-Galactic-space-flight-technology-used-build-new-generation-super-jets-replace-Concorde.html
(It doesn't specifically say so, but such a flight would probably take you
into space, or at least very near it. TM)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/19/doctor-who-50th-anniversary-matt-smith-david-tennant_n_4127020.html
http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2013/09/19/welcome-to-the-church-of-the-chelyabinsk-meteorite/
(I thought that this could only happen in the USA. But evidently the
Russians are just as susceptible....)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2465739/Mercury-unlock-secrets-moon-formed-Scientists-striking-similarities-cosmic-bodies.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2464397/Saturns-HEXAGONAL-storm-revealed-true-colour-time.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.space.com/23207-spacex-commercial-launch-competition-china.html?cmpid=555120
http://www.space.com/23208-existing-tech-can-take-humans-to-mars.html?cmpid=555120
http://www.space.com/23216-black-hole-indigestion-alma-photos.html?cmpid=555120
Now YOU can cruise around the Milky Way: Amazing interactive space map lets
users navigate the galaxy in incredible detail | .
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/16/100000-suns-google-chrome_n_4108277.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-tech
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2463313/Chelyabinsk-meteor-piece-pulled-Russian-lake.html
17. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
18. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link
downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Fwd: 4 Lectures, Play, TV, Eclipse, ISS, ISON, CERN @ UCD, GSP, S-L, Weblinks etc
1. IAA LECTURE, 16 October. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. "Exploring the
Cosmos: the View from Hubble and Beyond".
The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has pushed the frontiers of
astronomical knowledge further outwards in many different fields, as
well as giving us some of the most stunning views of our amazing
universe ever seen. But a much more powerful telescope is planned to
replace it - the James Webb Space Telescope. In this talk, Dr Coffey
will outline some of the major achievements of the HST, and look
forward to the JWST, and other important new instruments.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments.
It will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in
hosting these lectures.
2. RAeS Lecture, by Robert Hill. Room 02/026, Peter Froggatt Centre,
QUB, on Thursday 17th Oct. Developing The Final Frontier: the Space
Revolution:
All are very welcome to attend this free lecture, being presented
by Robert Hill from Armagh Planetarium. Robert is the Director of the
Northern Ireland Space Office, and an amazing speaker. The Peter
Froggett Centre is on the N side of the main campus, and adjoins
University Square. The lecture is due to commence at 7 PM, with
refreshments available from 6:30 PM
3: TV - HORIZON: Thursday, 17 Oct. BBC4 8.0 - 9.00pm. "The Horizon
Guide to Mars" Dr. Kevin Fong draws on 45 yrs. of footage from the
Horizon archives. (Thanks to Peter Paice for the alerts)
4. ISS: the ISS has started a new series of evening passes over
Ireland. For details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
5. COMET ISON - LATEST: Now brightening significantly; it's now up to
about mag 10, so there is still hope.
See http://www.cometison2013.co.uk/,
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/11/comet-ison-plays-coy-with-astronomers/,
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/weather-blog/bal-wx-comet-ison-likely-to-pass-by-sun-intact-scientists-say-20131015,0,6436774.story,
http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/node/2539
and for a bit of fun:
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-comet-ison-accompanied-by-ufos
6. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University
College Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th.
The exhibition is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on
weekdays. A guided tour can be arranged with the faculty in UCD
beforehand though. See http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
7. PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: The moon slides through the northern part
of the Earth's penumbral shadow in a 'partial penumbral lunar eclipse'
on Oct. 18 - 19. In this type of eclipse, the Moon misses the central,
or umbral, shadow of the Earth, but passes wholly, or in this case
partially, through the outer fainter penumbral shadow.
The eclipse begins at 22.51 and ends at 02.50. At mid-eclipse, at
00.50, 76 per cent of the moon's diameter will be immersed in the
penumbra, probably deep enough to cause a faint, yet discernible
darkening of the moon's lower limb.
8. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha
Chernyakova (DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray
Binaries: Theory and Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/
for details.
9. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th, at 7:30pm. As part
of the lead up to Science Week, Brecht's "The Life of Galileo" will be
staged by the Greenwood Theatre Company in Dunsink Observatory in a
specially adapted version by David Hare. As the observatory is over
200 years old, it seems like the perfect venue in which to set the
play. Most of the performance will be staged in the Meridian Room
where "Dublin Time" was kept but the audience will have the chance to
move into the South Dome (with its large Victorian Grubb Telescope)
and the Solar System Room for a number of scenes. Seating is very
limited for the 3 performances and tickets (15 euro) can be booked
through the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies website www.dias.ie
by following the links to the "The Life of Galileo". See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
10. RIA LECTURE, CORK, 12 November: The RIA's biennial McCrea lecture
will hosted by UCC on 12 November. Venue: G10 Lecture Theatre,
Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork. Date:
Tuesday 12 November 2013, 6 pm.
Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork Biennial McCrea
Astronomy Lecture for Science Week 2013: Are the Laws of Physics
Changing? by Professor John D Barrow FRS, University of Cambridge
Abstract: Astronomers have investigated whether the laws and constants
of physics are the same today as they were billions of years ago. We
will look at what these high-precision observations have been telling
us and see why many physicists believe that the laws of physics may be
different elsewhere in the Universe.
Biography: John D Barrow is an English cosmologist, theoretical
physicist and mathematician. He is currently Research Professor of
Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He was elected
as a Fellow to the Royal Society in 2003 and was awarded the Faraday
Medal and Prize in 2008. He is Director of the Millennium Mathematics
Project. See: http://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Biennial-McCrea-Lecture
11. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival
which takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an
emphasis on how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and
cultures in our city that would not otherwise do so, to think about
the Universe. From its humble beginnings in January 2004 to the
present day our Astronomy Festival has become Ireland's biggest annual
gathering of amateur astronomers who come here from around the country
to meet in friendship and to exchange information, successful
stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks
split into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime
interlude with two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we
present the new Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. title tba
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of
Globular Star Clusters"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Professor Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye
astronomers: Measuring the Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross:
Observing the southern sky Down Under"
2 x 25 min workshops: Paul Byrne IFAS: "Double Stars: Celestial Couples"
2nd workshop TBC
Paul Mohr is provisionally launching his new book about Greek
Astronomy for the amateur astronomer
Tom will exhibit his photos
Paul Byrne is a double star enthusiast from Dublin
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Talk: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-2014
12. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once
again been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this
prestigious event. More details later, but mark your diaries now.
13. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2461418/How-medieval-stained-glass-creating-ultimate-SPACE-camera-Nanoparticles-used-church-windows-help-scientists-Mars-true-colours-extreme-UV-light.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2461133/Google-D-Wave-quantum-computing-solve-global-warming.html,
Where will it all end? Will the ending be good, or bad? Who knows....
TM
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/clangers-back-childrens-tv-235434460.html#BkMVVvr
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2457332/SpaceX-Grasshopper-rocket-makes-744m-LEAP-sky.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2458602/Scientists-believe-Jupiter-Saturn-rain-DIAMONDS.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2458541/Mars-3D-Images-reveal-red-planets-Grand-Canyon-detail.html
http://www.space.com/23182-gravity-film-worst-space-disasters.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23164-supernova-explosion-seeded-solar-system-meteorites.html?cmpid=545404
14. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
15. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This
link downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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 (occasionally - I don't have enough time!),
after some temporary hiccups: @terrymoseley2
Cosmos: the View from Hubble and Beyond".
The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has pushed the frontiers of
astronomical knowledge further outwards in many different fields, as
well as giving us some of the most stunning views of our amazing
universe ever seen. But a much more powerful telescope is planned to
replace it - the James Webb Space Telescope. In this talk, Dr Coffey
will outline some of the major achievements of the HST, and look
forward to the JWST, and other important new instruments.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments.
It will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in
hosting these lectures.
2. RAeS Lecture, by Robert Hill. Room 02/026, Peter Froggatt Centre,
QUB, on Thursday 17th Oct. Developing The Final Frontier: the Space
Revolution:
All are very welcome to attend this free lecture, being presented
by Robert Hill from Armagh Planetarium. Robert is the Director of the
Northern Ireland Space Office, and an amazing speaker. The Peter
Froggett Centre is on the N side of the main campus, and adjoins
University Square. The lecture is due to commence at 7 PM, with
refreshments available from 6:30 PM
3: TV - HORIZON: Thursday, 17 Oct. BBC4 8.0 - 9.00pm. "The Horizon
Guide to Mars" Dr. Kevin Fong draws on 45 yrs. of footage from the
Horizon archives. (Thanks to Peter Paice for the alerts)
4. ISS: the ISS has started a new series of evening passes over
Ireland. For details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
5. COMET ISON - LATEST: Now brightening significantly; it's now up to
about mag 10, so there is still hope.
See http://www.cometison2013.co.uk/,
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/11/comet-ison-plays-coy-with-astronomers/,
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/weather-blog/bal-wx-comet-ison-likely-to-pass-by-sun-intact-scientists-say-20131015,0,6436774.story,
http://www.faulkes-telescope.com/node/2539
and for a bit of fun:
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-comet-ison-accompanied-by-ufos
6. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University
College Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th.
The exhibition is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on
weekdays. A guided tour can be arranged with the faculty in UCD
beforehand though. See http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
7. PENUMBRAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: The moon slides through the northern part
of the Earth's penumbral shadow in a 'partial penumbral lunar eclipse'
on Oct. 18 - 19. In this type of eclipse, the Moon misses the central,
or umbral, shadow of the Earth, but passes wholly, or in this case
partially, through the outer fainter penumbral shadow.
The eclipse begins at 22.51 and ends at 02.50. At mid-eclipse, at
00.50, 76 per cent of the moon's diameter will be immersed in the
penumbra, probably deep enough to cause a faint, yet discernible
darkening of the moon's lower limb.
8. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha
Chernyakova (DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray
Binaries: Theory and Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/
for details.
9. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th, at 7:30pm. As part
of the lead up to Science Week, Brecht's "The Life of Galileo" will be
staged by the Greenwood Theatre Company in Dunsink Observatory in a
specially adapted version by David Hare. As the observatory is over
200 years old, it seems like the perfect venue in which to set the
play. Most of the performance will be staged in the Meridian Room
where "Dublin Time" was kept but the audience will have the chance to
move into the South Dome (with its large Victorian Grubb Telescope)
and the Solar System Room for a number of scenes. Seating is very
limited for the 3 performances and tickets (15 euro) can be booked
through the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies website www.dias.ie
by following the links to the "The Life of Galileo". See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
10. RIA LECTURE, CORK, 12 November: The RIA's biennial McCrea lecture
will hosted by UCC on 12 November. Venue: G10 Lecture Theatre,
Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork. Date:
Tuesday 12 November 2013, 6 pm.
Royal Irish Academy and University College Cork Biennial McCrea
Astronomy Lecture for Science Week 2013: Are the Laws of Physics
Changing? by Professor John D Barrow FRS, University of Cambridge
Abstract: Astronomers have investigated whether the laws and constants
of physics are the same today as they were billions of years ago. We
will look at what these high-precision observations have been telling
us and see why many physicists believe that the laws of physics may be
different elsewhere in the Universe.
Biography: John D Barrow is an English cosmologist, theoretical
physicist and mathematician. He is currently Research Professor of
Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He was elected
as a Fellow to the Royal Society in 2003 and was awarded the Faraday
Medal and Prize in 2008. He is Director of the Millennium Mathematics
Project. See: http://www.ria.ie/Events/Events-Listing/Biennial-McCrea-Lecture
11. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival
which takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an
emphasis on how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and
cultures in our city that would not otherwise do so, to think about
the Universe. From its humble beginnings in January 2004 to the
present day our Astronomy Festival has become Ireland's biggest annual
gathering of amateur astronomers who come here from around the country
to meet in friendship and to exchange information, successful
stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks
split into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime
interlude with two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we
present the new Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. title tba
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of
Globular Star Clusters"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Professor Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye
astronomers: Measuring the Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross:
Observing the southern sky Down Under"
2 x 25 min workshops: Paul Byrne IFAS: "Double Stars: Celestial Couples"
2nd workshop TBC
Paul Mohr is provisionally launching his new book about Greek
Astronomy for the amateur astronomer
Tom will exhibit his photos
Paul Byrne is a double star enthusiast from Dublin
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Talk: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-2014
12. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once
again been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this
prestigious event. More details later, but mark your diaries now.
13. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2461418/How-medieval-stained-glass-creating-ultimate-SPACE-camera-Nanoparticles-used-church-windows-help-scientists-Mars-true-colours-extreme-UV-light.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2461133/Google-D-Wave-quantum-computing-solve-global-warming.html,
Where will it all end? Will the ending be good, or bad? Who knows....
TM
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/clangers-back-childrens-tv-235434460.html#BkMVVvr
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2457332/SpaceX-Grasshopper-rocket-makes-744m-LEAP-sky.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2458602/Scientists-believe-Jupiter-Saturn-rain-DIAMONDS.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2458541/Mars-3D-Images-reveal-red-planets-Grand-Canyon-detail.html
http://www.space.com/23182-gravity-film-worst-space-disasters.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23164-supernova-explosion-seeded-solar-system-meteorites.html?cmpid=545404
14. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
15. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This
link downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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 (occasionally - I don't have enough time!),
after some temporary hiccups: @terrymoseley2
Friday, 11 October 2013
Lecture, IAA @ BCL, AP Events, Space talk, TV, Galway SP, Cork, Dublin events...
Hi all,
1. IAA LECTURE, 16 October. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. "Exploring the
Cosmos: the View from Hubble and Beyond".
The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has pushed the frontiers of
astronomical knowledge further outwards in many different fields, as
well as giving us some of the most stunning views of our amazing
universe ever seen. But a much more powerful telescope is planned to
replace it - the James Webb Space Telescope. In this talk, Dr Coffey
will outline some of the major achievements of the HST, and look
forward to the JWST, and other important new instruments.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments.
It will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in
hosting these lectures.
2. IAA Display at Belfast Central Library: Saturday 12 October.
To mark the 125th anniversary of the Library, and World Space Week:
the Irish Astronomical Association will be holding another of their
very popular public astronomy events, at Belfast's main library, on
Saturday afternoon, 12 October from 1.30 to 4.00p.m. We'll have an
amazing exhibition, including fantastic space photos, various
astronomical telescopes, meteorites, and a mobile stardome planetarium
(with thanks to Armagh Planetarium). Depending on availability of a
suitable site, we will also use a selection of special telescopes for
viewing the Sun in a variety of types of light in complete safety
(weather permitting). And the event is totally free!
If it's clear, you will be able to see giant sunspots which are
larger than the Earth, huge flares of incredibly hot gas shooting off
the Sun's surface, and other amazing detail on its surface.
And the first person from Ireland who has booked to go into space,
IAA member Derek Heatly from Groomsport, will be there to talk about
his preliminary training flights, and what his actual flight with
Virgin Galactic will be like.
People will also be able to touch and hold genuine meteorites,
pieces of rock that have come from outer space. These are about 4,600
million years old - the oldest things you will ever see in your life!
These are always very popular events, and it's a central location
with easy access by public transport.
For more details see: www.irishastro.org
Thanks to Armagh Planetarium for loan of the Stardome.
3. SUNDIVING COMET: A comet is falling into the sun today. Images from
the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show a bright comet rapidly
evaporating as the sun turns up the heat, and it may be only hours
away from complete disintegration. Check http://spaceweather.com for
images of the death plunge.
4. Armagh Planetarium
(1) Math 'a' Magic; Saturday 12 October 2013
Who says that maths is boring? Join us as we discover the magic and
mystery of maths. Capturing the imagination of children and adults
alike, the math 'a' magicians from Cahoots will demonstrate the power
of mathematics through illusion, misdirection and even mind reading on
Saturday 12 October!
This is an unforgettable learning experience that will blow your mind!
Ages: 7 – 13, Duration: 1 hour, Times: 12.30pm and 2.30pm.
Tickets are free but spaces are limited so please pre-book on 028 37523689.
(2) Planetarium Open Night, Tuesday 15 October
Armagh Planetarium will be hosting a public telescope viewing session
as part of our programme of FREE Open Nights starting on Tuesday 15
October 2013. On this evening night sky observation is hoped to take
place (weather permitting) from 7pm-9pm.
At 7.30pm there is also an opportunity to see the stars whatever
the weather in our Digital Theatre show 'Beyond the Blue'. If you
already have a telescope or binoculars you are welcome to bring them
with you for your own use. Dressing warmly is essential for outdoor
stargazing!
Times: Open 7pm-9pm, Digital Theatre Show: 7.30pm
TEL: 028 37523689. Pre-booking essential
5. RAeS Lecture, by Robert Hill. Room 02/026, Peter Froggatt Centre,
QUB, on Thursday 17th Oct. Developing The Final Frontier: the Space
Revolution:
All are very welcome to attend this free lecture, being presented
by Robert Hill from Armagh Planetarium. Robert is the Director of the
Northern Ireland Space Office, and an amazing speaker. The Peter
Froggett Centre is on the N side of the main campus, and adjoins
University Square. The lecture is due to commence at 7 PM, with
refreshments available from 6:30 PM
6. NEXT SAN PROGRAMME: SKY AT NIGHT 'BRECON BEACONS' ASTRO CAMP:
Saturday 12 Oct. BBC 2 (repeat)
7: TV - HORIZON: Thursday, 17 Oct. BBC4 8.0 - 9.00pm. "The Horizon
Guide to Mars" Dr. Kevin Fong draws on 45 yrs. of footage from the
Horizon archives. (Thanks to Peter Paice for the alerts)
8. PRESERVING THE SKY AT NIGHT (Letter in next Radio Times: passed on
by Peter Millar):
LETTER OF THE WEEK
I'm an assistant at the Hampstead Observatory in north London. Ten
years ago we used to get 90 or so visitors per year - now we get that
in one night! Most of these people found out about us as a result of
The Sky at Night filming here. Everyone involved in the observatory
grew up with this show and became passionate about astronomy as a
result.
The Sky at Night needs to be on more often, earlier, longer and with a
serious budget. Stargazing Live is only on once a year and Horizon
only covers astronomy from time to time. The public has a thirst for
this subject. Our visitors are from every age group and there's a
50-50 gender split. They aren't geeks and old men but everyday folk.
This audience has a right to find out more and the BBC has a duty to
provide them with that knowledge. The Sky at Night has the history,
reputation and the team to deliver that, so please give them the tools
and let them do it! Kevin McNulty London NW3
A petition urging the BBC not to axe The Sky at Night has already
collected 30,000 signatures. The BBC says: "Sky at Night is on air
until the end of the year. Plans for subsequent series are being
discussed."
9. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival
which takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an
emphasis on how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and
cultures in our city that would not otherwise do so, to think about
the Universe. From its humble beginnings in January 2004 to the
present day our Astronomy Festival has become Ireland's biggest annual
gathering of amateur astronomers who come here from around the country
to meet in friendship and to exchange information, successful
stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks
split into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime
interlude with two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we
present the new Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. title tba
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of
Globular Star Clusters"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Professor Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye
astronomers: Measuring the Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross:
Observing the southern sky Down Under"
2 x 25 min workshops: Paul Byrne IFAS: "Double Stars: Celestial Couples"
2nd workshop TBC
Paul Mohr is provisionally launching his new book about Greek
Astronomy for the amateur astronomer
Tom will exhibit his photos
Paul Byrne is a double star enthusiast from Dublin
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Talk: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-2014
10. Martin Campbell's Photo in APOY 2013: Congrats to IAA member
Martin Campbell whose short listed entry in this year's APOY
competition features in the recently published book APOY 2013 edition.
11. COMET ISON - LATEST: Still fainter than originally predicted, but
now up to about mag 11 - 12. See:
http://www.space.com/23006-comet-ison-comet-of-century-chances.html,
and
http://www.universetoday.com/105380/new-data-will-comet-ison-survive-its-close-perihelion-passage/
but also
http://www.ibtimes.com/comet-ison-may-be-disintegratingthe-comet-century-could-prove-be-dud-1415574.
12. ISS: the ISS has started a new series of evening passes over
Ireland. For details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
13. Cork Astronomy Club meeting, October 14th: "From Sputnik to the
Moon Landings: A History of the Russian Space Programme", by Con
McCarthy, Project manager for ESA's Mars Express Lander, and Systems
Engineer for Huygens and Venus Express. See
http://www.corkastronomyclub.com/ for details.
14. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha
Chernyakova (DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray
Binaries: Theory and Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/
for details.
15. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University
College Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th.
The exhibition is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on
weekdays. A guided tour can be arranged with the faculty in UCD
beforehand though. See http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
16. International Observe the Moon Night -- October 12th (and IAS
event on the 11th) Celebrate the beauty of our companion world in
space on October 12th by viewing the Moon through binoculars, a
telescope, or just by gazing up in wonder. See
http://observethemoonnight.org/ for more details. The Moon will be at
First Quarter and the Irish Astronomical Society will be hosting a
Sidewalk Astronomy Event on October 11th at Sandymount Tower. See
http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/ for details. (Thanks to John Flannery)
17. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th. Bertolt Brecht's
acclaimed play about science, religion and authority, 'The Life of
Galileo', comes to Dunsink Observatory for three nights in November,
when the play will be staged around several unique spaces, including
the 150-year-old dome with its historic telescope. See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
18. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once
again been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this
prestigious event. More details later, but mark your diaries now.
19. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.space.com/23117-virgin-galactic-zero-gravity-flight.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23116-fast-alien-planets-skimming-stars.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23113-neptune-lost-moon-naiad-photos.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23123-comet-earth-impact-first-evidence.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2450798/Egyptian-pebble-filled-diamonds-evidence-comet-colliding-Earth.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2449476/Francois-Englert-Peter-Higgs-awarded-1-25-million-Nobel-Prize-Physics-God-particle-theory.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1310/07isromars/
http://www.space.com/21337-advanced-spacecraft-propulsion-concepts-images.html
http://www.space.com/23084-mars-exploration-nuclear-fusion-rocket.html?cmpid=545402
http://www.space.com/23090-astronauts-caves-mock-space-mission.html?cmpid=545402
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442025/Super-Earth-Gliese-1214-b-plasma-water-rich-atmosphere.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2448540/Mars-Mavin-mission-green-lit-government-shut-down.html
http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/giant-planet-seen-lurking-inside-the-galactic-bulge-131004.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2448878/Massive-planet-EIGHT-times-size-Jupiter-discovered-25-000-light-years-away.html
http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/study-reveals-alien-planet-likely-has-water-in-plasma-form/517957543/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24308?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2013-0310-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&,
www.bco.ie,
http://www.space.com/23030-government-shutdown-mars-maven-mission.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23035-government-shutdown-dangerous-asteroids-search.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23042-star-wars-film-set-sand-dunes.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23037-nasa-mars-rover-2020-government-shutdown.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2441761/Did-supervolcanoes-Mars-dramatically-change-climate.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442025/Super-Earth-Gliese-1214-b-plasma-water-rich-atmosphere.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2441445/This-Mars-Planets-incredible-varied-landscape-revealed-Nasa-satellite-images.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442134/NASA-map-cloud-cover-planet-1k-light-years-away-Earth.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2440777/Doctor-Who-50th-anniversary-special-broadcast-simultaneously-world.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2453519/Planets-like-Earth-existed-near-old-star-Astronomers-discover-evidence-planets-solar-system.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2452217/A-lonely-planet-Giant-gas-world-sun-orbit-floating-space.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029380.800?cmpid=NLC|NSNS|2013-1010-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10366055/Russian-meteor-was-partially-formed-from-hard-to-spot-dark-asteroid-material.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/07/meteor-ohio-video_n_4056246.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
http://www.space.com/23143-lonely-alien-planet-discovery.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23149-watery-asteroid-habitable-planets-white-dwarf.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/15841-mercury-aurora-7-scott-carpenter-mission-images.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23159-juno-jupiter-probe-glitch-outlook.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23162-nasa-sunjammer-solar-sail-test-complete.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23161-mars-clouds-earth-nuclear-reactor.html?cmpid=545404
http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/mississippi-man-stands-by-alien-abduction-claim/517967144/
It's no wonder they brought him back!
http://www.space.com/23063-terraforming-planets-shell-worlds.html?cmpid=545402
That's not half ambitious enough. Why not do things properly - you
just have to create a new planet, of the right size, in the right
orbit, around the right star. If you've got one the size of even
Mercury to start with, all you need is to add some asteroids to
provide extra mass and minerals, some comets to bring water & thus
oxygen, and build it up to the mass where it can hold on to its
atmosphere. No problem......
But seriously, some of these fantasies, masquerading as 'science of
the future' do make me laugh. Of course the technology to do that sort
of thing may be possible in the far distant future. But in the so far
distant future that speculation is pointless, because we have no idea
what other new science and technology may emerge between now and then,
making such projects redundant. We don't know what the next few
centuries are going to bring, let alone the next few millennia. Just
think: did even the best scientific brains of the 19th century predict
nuclear power, nanotechnology, or the digital age? Or if you had asked
James Clerk Maxwell if it would ever be possible to cross the USA in
less than a day, he would probably have said 'Well, if you could build
a fast enough train and a dead straight track, with no stops ...."
These propositions are solutions to problems that may have to be
dealt with in the period at least 1,000, or probably 10,000, years in
the future, but NOT using the science and technology we know of in
2013.
T.M.
20. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
21. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This
link downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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 (occasionally - I don't have enough time!),
after some temporary hiccups: @terrymoseley2
1. IAA LECTURE, 16 October. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. "Exploring the
Cosmos: the View from Hubble and Beyond".
The iconic Hubble Space Telescope has pushed the frontiers of
astronomical knowledge further outwards in many different fields, as
well as giving us some of the most stunning views of our amazing
universe ever seen. But a much more powerful telescope is planned to
replace it - the James Webb Space Telescope. In this talk, Dr Coffey
will outline some of the major achievements of the HST, and look
forward to the JWST, and other important new instruments.
The lecture is free and open to all, including free refreshments.
It will be held in the Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, Queen's
University, Belfast, at 7.30 p.m.
Thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for help in
hosting these lectures.
2. IAA Display at Belfast Central Library: Saturday 12 October.
To mark the 125th anniversary of the Library, and World Space Week:
the Irish Astronomical Association will be holding another of their
very popular public astronomy events, at Belfast's main library, on
Saturday afternoon, 12 October from 1.30 to 4.00p.m. We'll have an
amazing exhibition, including fantastic space photos, various
astronomical telescopes, meteorites, and a mobile stardome planetarium
(with thanks to Armagh Planetarium). Depending on availability of a
suitable site, we will also use a selection of special telescopes for
viewing the Sun in a variety of types of light in complete safety
(weather permitting). And the event is totally free!
If it's clear, you will be able to see giant sunspots which are
larger than the Earth, huge flares of incredibly hot gas shooting off
the Sun's surface, and other amazing detail on its surface.
And the first person from Ireland who has booked to go into space,
IAA member Derek Heatly from Groomsport, will be there to talk about
his preliminary training flights, and what his actual flight with
Virgin Galactic will be like.
People will also be able to touch and hold genuine meteorites,
pieces of rock that have come from outer space. These are about 4,600
million years old - the oldest things you will ever see in your life!
These are always very popular events, and it's a central location
with easy access by public transport.
For more details see: www.irishastro.org
Thanks to Armagh Planetarium for loan of the Stardome.
3. SUNDIVING COMET: A comet is falling into the sun today. Images from
the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show a bright comet rapidly
evaporating as the sun turns up the heat, and it may be only hours
away from complete disintegration. Check http://spaceweather.com for
images of the death plunge.
4. Armagh Planetarium
(1) Math 'a' Magic; Saturday 12 October 2013
Who says that maths is boring? Join us as we discover the magic and
mystery of maths. Capturing the imagination of children and adults
alike, the math 'a' magicians from Cahoots will demonstrate the power
of mathematics through illusion, misdirection and even mind reading on
Saturday 12 October!
This is an unforgettable learning experience that will blow your mind!
Ages: 7 – 13, Duration: 1 hour, Times: 12.30pm and 2.30pm.
Tickets are free but spaces are limited so please pre-book on 028 37523689.
(2) Planetarium Open Night, Tuesday 15 October
Armagh Planetarium will be hosting a public telescope viewing session
as part of our programme of FREE Open Nights starting on Tuesday 15
October 2013. On this evening night sky observation is hoped to take
place (weather permitting) from 7pm-9pm.
At 7.30pm there is also an opportunity to see the stars whatever
the weather in our Digital Theatre show 'Beyond the Blue'. If you
already have a telescope or binoculars you are welcome to bring them
with you for your own use. Dressing warmly is essential for outdoor
stargazing!
Times: Open 7pm-9pm, Digital Theatre Show: 7.30pm
TEL: 028 37523689. Pre-booking essential
5. RAeS Lecture, by Robert Hill. Room 02/026, Peter Froggatt Centre,
QUB, on Thursday 17th Oct. Developing The Final Frontier: the Space
Revolution:
All are very welcome to attend this free lecture, being presented
by Robert Hill from Armagh Planetarium. Robert is the Director of the
Northern Ireland Space Office, and an amazing speaker. The Peter
Froggett Centre is on the N side of the main campus, and adjoins
University Square. The lecture is due to commence at 7 PM, with
refreshments available from 6:30 PM
6. NEXT SAN PROGRAMME: SKY AT NIGHT 'BRECON BEACONS' ASTRO CAMP:
Saturday 12 Oct. BBC 2 (repeat)
7: TV - HORIZON: Thursday, 17 Oct. BBC4 8.0 - 9.00pm. "The Horizon
Guide to Mars" Dr. Kevin Fong draws on 45 yrs. of footage from the
Horizon archives. (Thanks to Peter Paice for the alerts)
8. PRESERVING THE SKY AT NIGHT (Letter in next Radio Times: passed on
by Peter Millar):
LETTER OF THE WEEK
I'm an assistant at the Hampstead Observatory in north London. Ten
years ago we used to get 90 or so visitors per year - now we get that
in one night! Most of these people found out about us as a result of
The Sky at Night filming here. Everyone involved in the observatory
grew up with this show and became passionate about astronomy as a
result.
The Sky at Night needs to be on more often, earlier, longer and with a
serious budget. Stargazing Live is only on once a year and Horizon
only covers astronomy from time to time. The public has a thirst for
this subject. Our visitors are from every age group and there's a
50-50 gender split. They aren't geeks and old men but everyday folk.
This audience has a right to find out more and the BBC has a duty to
provide them with that knowledge. The Sky at Night has the history,
reputation and the team to deliver that, so please give them the tools
and let them do it! Kevin McNulty London NW3
A petition urging the BBC not to axe The Sky at Night has already
collected 30,000 signatures. The BBC says: "Sky at Night is on air
until the end of the year. Plans for subsequent series are being
discussed."
9. Galway Star Party. 1 February 2014.
"City of Stars" is the theme for the 2014 Galway Astronomy Festival
which takes place on February 1st at the Westwood House Hotel with an
emphasis on how exploration of the Cosmos has inspired communities and
cultures in our city that would not otherwise do so, to think about
the Universe. From its humble beginnings in January 2004 to the
present day our Astronomy Festival has become Ireland's biggest annual
gathering of amateur astronomers who come here from around the country
to meet in friendship and to exchange information, successful
stargazing and mutual progress.
The event will follow the same format as last year with six talks
split into two sessions in the morning and evening. A new lunchtime
interlude with two mini observing workshops and in the late evening we
present the new Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Lecture.
1. Dr Deirdre Coffey, UCD. title tba
2. Dr Matt Redman, Director of Centre for Astronomy, NUI Galway: "Star
formation and Star Destruction"
3. Guy Hurst, Editor of "The Astronomer magazine" UK: "The Glory of
Globular Star Clusters"
4. Tom O'Donaghue: "Cosmic Vistas: The Universe in Colour"
www.astrophotography.ie
5. Professor Paul Mohr: "The genius of the Greek naked-eye
astronomers: Measuring the Cosmos with dioptra and trigonometry"
6. Michael O'Connell: "From the Big Dipper to the Southern Cross:
Observing the southern sky Down Under"
2 x 25 min workshops: Paul Byrne IFAS: "Double Stars: Celestial Couples"
2nd workshop TBC
Paul Mohr is provisionally launching his new book about Greek
Astronomy for the amateur astronomer
Tom will exhibit his photos
Paul Byrne is a double star enthusiast from Dublin
The Sir Patrick Moore Memorial Talk: Guy Hurst: "The Astronomer: The
First 50 years" celebrating their Golden Jubilee 1964-2014
10. Martin Campbell's Photo in APOY 2013: Congrats to IAA member
Martin Campbell whose short listed entry in this year's APOY
competition features in the recently published book APOY 2013 edition.
11. COMET ISON - LATEST: Still fainter than originally predicted, but
now up to about mag 11 - 12. See:
http://www.space.com/23006-comet-ison-comet-of-century-chances.html,
and
http://www.universetoday.com/105380/new-data-will-comet-ison-survive-its-close-perihelion-passage/
but also
http://www.ibtimes.com/comet-ison-may-be-disintegratingthe-comet-century-could-prove-be-dud-1415574.
12. ISS: the ISS has started a new series of evening passes over
Ireland. For details for your location, see: www.heavens-above.com
13. Cork Astronomy Club meeting, October 14th: "From Sputnik to the
Moon Landings: A History of the Russian Space Programme", by Con
McCarthy, Project manager for ESA's Mars Express Lander, and Systems
Engineer for Huygens and Venus Express. See
http://www.corkastronomyclub.com/ for details.
14. Irish Astronomical Society talk on October 21st: Dr Masha
Chernyakova (DCU) will give a talk entitled "Puzzling Gamma-Ray
Binaries: Theory and Observation". See http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/
for details.
15. CERN exhibition at UCD: The new Science Centre at University
College Dublin hosts an exhibition about CERN from now to Oct 28th.
The exhibition is self-guided and open to the public 9am to 9pm on
weekdays. A guided tour can be arranged with the faculty in UCD
beforehand though. See http://www.iopireland.org/events/ for details.
16. International Observe the Moon Night -- October 12th (and IAS
event on the 11th) Celebrate the beauty of our companion world in
space on October 12th by viewing the Moon through binoculars, a
telescope, or just by gazing up in wonder. See
http://observethemoonnight.org/ for more details. The Moon will be at
First Quarter and the Irish Astronomical Society will be hosting a
Sidewalk Astronomy Event on October 11th at Sandymount Tower. See
http://irishastrosoc.org/wp/ for details. (Thanks to John Flannery)
17. "The Life of Galileo" -- November 8th to 10th. Bertolt Brecht's
acclaimed play about science, religion and authority, 'The Life of
Galileo', comes to Dunsink Observatory for three nights in November,
when the play will be staged around several unique spaces, including
the 150-year-old dome with its historic telescope. See
http://www.dias.ie/index.php?lang=en for details.
18. STARGAZING LIVE returns on 7 - 9 January 2014. The IAA has once
again been asked to be principal partner with the BBC for this
prestigious event. More details later, but mark your diaries now.
19. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:
http://www.space.com/23117-virgin-galactic-zero-gravity-flight.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23116-fast-alien-planets-skimming-stars.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23113-neptune-lost-moon-naiad-photos.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.space.com/23123-comet-earth-impact-first-evidence.html?cmpid=545403
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2450798/Egyptian-pebble-filled-diamonds-evidence-comet-colliding-Earth.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2449476/Francois-Englert-Peter-Higgs-awarded-1-25-million-Nobel-Prize-Physics-God-particle-theory.html
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1310/07isromars/
http://www.space.com/21337-advanced-spacecraft-propulsion-concepts-images.html
http://www.space.com/23084-mars-exploration-nuclear-fusion-rocket.html?cmpid=545402
http://www.space.com/23090-astronauts-caves-mock-space-mission.html?cmpid=545402
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442025/Super-Earth-Gliese-1214-b-plasma-water-rich-atmosphere.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2448540/Mars-Mavin-mission-green-lit-government-shut-down.html
http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/giant-planet-seen-lurking-inside-the-galactic-bulge-131004.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2448878/Massive-planet-EIGHT-times-size-Jupiter-discovered-25-000-light-years-away.html
http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/study-reveals-alien-planet-likely-has-water-in-plasma-form/517957543/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24308?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2013-0310-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&,
www.bco.ie,
http://www.space.com/23030-government-shutdown-mars-maven-mission.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23035-government-shutdown-dangerous-asteroids-search.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23042-star-wars-film-set-sand-dunes.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.space.com/23037-nasa-mars-rover-2020-government-shutdown.html?cmpid=545400
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2441761/Did-supervolcanoes-Mars-dramatically-change-climate.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442025/Super-Earth-Gliese-1214-b-plasma-water-rich-atmosphere.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2441445/This-Mars-Planets-incredible-varied-landscape-revealed-Nasa-satellite-images.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2442134/NASA-map-cloud-cover-planet-1k-light-years-away-Earth.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2440777/Doctor-Who-50th-anniversary-special-broadcast-simultaneously-world.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2453519/Planets-like-Earth-existed-near-old-star-Astronomers-discover-evidence-planets-solar-system.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2452217/A-lonely-planet-Giant-gas-world-sun-orbit-floating-space.html?ico=sciencetech^headlines
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029380.800?cmpid=NLC|NSNS|2013-1010-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10366055/Russian-meteor-was-partially-formed-from-hard-to-spot-dark-asteroid-material.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/07/meteor-ohio-video_n_4056246.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
http://www.space.com/23143-lonely-alien-planet-discovery.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23149-watery-asteroid-habitable-planets-white-dwarf.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/15841-mercury-aurora-7-scott-carpenter-mission-images.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23159-juno-jupiter-probe-glitch-outlook.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23162-nasa-sunjammer-solar-sail-test-complete.html?cmpid=545404
http://www.space.com/23161-mars-clouds-earth-nuclear-reactor.html?cmpid=545404
http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/mississippi-man-stands-by-alien-abduction-claim/517967144/
It's no wonder they brought him back!
http://www.space.com/23063-terraforming-planets-shell-worlds.html?cmpid=545402
That's not half ambitious enough. Why not do things properly - you
just have to create a new planet, of the right size, in the right
orbit, around the right star. If you've got one the size of even
Mercury to start with, all you need is to add some asteroids to
provide extra mass and minerals, some comets to bring water & thus
oxygen, and build it up to the mass where it can hold on to its
atmosphere. No problem......
But seriously, some of these fantasies, masquerading as 'science of
the future' do make me laugh. Of course the technology to do that sort
of thing may be possible in the far distant future. But in the so far
distant future that speculation is pointless, because we have no idea
what other new science and technology may emerge between now and then,
making such projects redundant. We don't know what the next few
centuries are going to bring, let alone the next few millennia. Just
think: did even the best scientific brains of the 19th century predict
nuclear power, nanotechnology, or the digital age? Or if you had asked
James Clerk Maxwell if it would ever be possible to cross the USA in
less than a day, he would probably have said 'Well, if you could build
a fast enough train and a dead straight track, with no stops ...."
These propositions are solutions to problems that may have to be
dealt with in the period at least 1,000, or probably 10,000, years in
the future, but NOT using the science and technology we know of in
2013.
T.M.
20. TWITTER: Follow the IAA on Twitter: @IaaAstro
21. NEW LINK! JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This
link downloads a Word document to join the IAA.
http://documents.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 (occasionally - I don't have enough time!),
after some temporary hiccups: @terrymoseley2
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