Hi all,
1. NEW PUBLIC LECTURE, BIRR, 5 September. As part of the INAM meeting, there will be a public lecture in the Birr Theatre, Oxmantown Mall, by Dr Pietro Zucco of ASTRON, on LOFAR at 7 p.m. Tickets can be booked at www.birrtheatre.com, or bought at the door.
2. Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Public Lecture, Wed 12 September. "Heavy Metals from Giant Stars". By Prof. Amanda Karakas, Associate Professor, Monash University, in Melbourne.
SYNOPSIS: While the chemical elements of Hydrogen and Helium were formed in the Big Bang at the starting point of our Universe, the heavier species were produced deep inside the stars in nuclear reactions. Through the combined fields of Physics & Astronomy humans have been able to determine the origin of the chemical species present in our Solar System. We know for example that most of the Oxygen in our atmosphere was created in ancient supernova explosions, which are the final phases of the lives of massive stars.
The Carbon in our bodies was made instead by stars covering a much wider range of stellar masses, from normal stars like our Sun through to the most massive stars. The biggest mystery today concerns the origins of the elements heavier than Iron.
In this talk, I will take you on a journey through the origin of the elements, with a special focus on where the heaviest species in nature are created. In order to do this, I will first discuss some of the basics about the life cycles of stars, which is intimately connected to the story of the origin of the chemical species.
For more information click here check out our website.
3. NEW Sep 19: Opening meeting of the IAA's new Lecture Season: Dr Frank Prendergast, DIT: "From Neolithic to Iron Age: case studies in irish Archaeoastronomy". Bell Lecture Theatre, Physics building, QUB, 7.30 p.m. Dr Prendergast is one of the leading experts in this field, and is the prime organiser of the Pathways to the Cosmos Conference in Dublin Castle (see 9 below). More details laterr.
All welcome. Free admission, including light refreshments.
4. ISS. The ISS commenced a new series of morning passes on 2 September. Details for your own location, and lots more info on space and astronomy, on www.heavens-above.com
5. SAC/LOOP HEAD STAR PARTY, 14 -16 Sep Shannonside Astronomy Club's annual starparty. This year SAC are delighted to announce a new dark-sky location for our annual weekend starparty...The beautiful Loop Head Peninsula in Co.Clare!
To be held over 2 nights this September - Friday 14th & Saturday 16th at St. Cuan's N.S. Kilbaha (20 min from Kilkee).
To be held over 2 nights this September - Friday 14th & Saturday 16th at St. Cuan's N.S. Kilbaha (20 min from Kilkee).
6. Archaeology Ireland: Pathways to the Cosmos event, Dublin Castle, on Sep 15th. UPDATE: Now booked out. This major European conference on Archaeoastronomy is now booked out. There are several speakers from Ireland. You can access details here:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pathways-to-the-cosmos-tickets-45383757039
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/
7. METEOR CONFERENCE, Dunsink, 15 September
NEMETODE and DIAS are organising a Meteor Workshop on Saturday 15th September at Dunsink Observatory. Entry is free. Talks will include the following subjects:
Meteor Workshop (hardware and software) - William Stewart (BAA) and Alex Pratt (BAA)
Meteor Showers for 2018 / 2019 - Michael O'Connell (IFAS)
BRAMS and Radio Meteor Zoo - Cis Verbeeck (IMO) (via video link)
Asteroid Occultations - Alex Pratt (BAA)
More talks will be announced shortly.
Further details will be posted on the IFAS website at the following link:
(Pity about the clash of dates with the item above)
.
8. Dunsink Observatory open night, 21 September. The observatory will be open to the public for Culture Night from 7-11 p.m,.
9. Two comets brightening
10. Amazing Video: Zoom into the centre of the Milky Way, see the stars orbiting the supermassive Black Hole there, and then see their orbits in 3-D.
11. Special showing of 2001 A Space Odyessey, with Keir Dullea in Q&A, 27 Sep! The Odysssey cinema, Belfast. The Odyssey are showing a special screening of 2001 on Thurs 27th September with a Q&A session with Keir Dullea afterwards. Tickets are £12 (may include drinks reception). I was told at the Odyssey that Keir Dullea will be there in person (not skype) to answer any questions etc. They also confirmed this on their Facebook page. (From Tony Kempston – thanks)
12. Space Generation Congress (SGC): 27-29 September 2018: Bremen, Germany
More Information: https://spacegeneration.org/sgc2018
13. International Astronautical Congress. 1 – 5 October 2018. Bremen, Germany
More Information: http://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac-2018/
More Information: https://
13. International Astronautical Congress. 1 – 5 October 2018. Bremen, Germany
More Information: http://www.
15. Junior Cycle Conference for Teachers; BCO, 6 October - Teaching Earth and Space in the Junior Cycle
Practical workshops, inspirational speakers on space and panel discussions supporting the Earth and Space Strand. Join us from 9:15am - 5pm on Saturday 6th October 2018 at Birr Castle and Science Centre, Birr, Co. Offaly. Book through Eventbrite. Further details and booking here: https://www.bco.ie/events/jc-conference/
16. International Observe the Moon Night: 20 October 2018: http://
17: Mayo Dark Sky Festival, 2-4 November – UPDATE
* The latest speaker to be added to our programme is ÉANNA NÍ LAMHNA, renowned botanist and broadcaster, who will give a talk on Nocturnal Animals
* Childrens Workshop added to the line-up - The GREAT EGG-DROP CHALLENGE! (Children will work in teams to design and build a device that can keep a raw egg intact when dropped from a height)
* KTEC TELESCOPES will have a selection of telescopes and accessories on display at the festival and will be on hand to answer your questions
* Tickets go on sale online 30th AUGUST (we will send you the link on or before that date)
* Thanks to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), we will be running a FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE between the festival venues over the weekend of the festival
* CHILDREN UNDER 16 will be admitted FREE to all events
With lots more speakers and events to come, please do keep a close eye on our website for regular updates - www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie <http://www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie >
* Childrens Workshop added to the line-up - The GREAT EGG-DROP CHALLENGE! (Children will work in teams to design and build a device that can keep a raw egg intact when dropped from a height)
* KTEC TELESCOPES will have a selection of telescopes and accessories on display at the festival and will be on hand to answer your questions
* Tickets go on sale online 30th AUGUST (we will send you the link on or before that date)
* Thanks to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), we will be running a FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE between the festival venues over the weekend of the festival
* CHILDREN UNDER 16 will be admitted FREE to all events
With lots more speakers and events to come, please do keep a close eye on our website for regular updates - www.mayodarkskyfestival.ie <http://www.
18. Centenary of IAU in 2019: IAU100: Uniting our World to Explore the Universe
In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU will organize a year-long celebration to expand awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development, and diplomacy under the central theme "Uniting our World to Explore the Universe". The celebrations will stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science and will reach out to the global astronomical community, national science organizations and societies, policy-makers, students and families, and the general public.
For any inquiries, please contact Jorge Rivero González, the IAU100 Coordinator at: rivero[at]strw.leidenuniv.nl
In 2019, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will celebrate its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, the IAU will organize a year-long celebration to expand awareness of a century of astronomical discoveries as well as to support and improve the use of astronomy as a tool for education, development, and diplomacy under the central theme "Uniting our World to Explore the Universe". The celebrations will stimulate worldwide interest in astronomy and science and will reach out to the global astronomical community, national science organizations and societies, policy-makers, students and families, and the general public.
For any inquiries, please contact Jorge Rivero González, the IAU100 Coordinator at: rivero[at]strw.leidenuniv.nl
19. Starmus V — Star-studded Lineup for 2019
Created by Garik Israelian, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), the Starmus Festival is a combination of science, art and music that has featured presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and other prominent figures from science, culture, the arts and music. Now celebrating its fifth year, and timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, Starmus V will take place in Bern, Switzerland, from 24 to 29 June 2019. The IAU is a partner organisation of Starmus and among the confirmed speakers will be IAU Secretary General, Piero Benvenuti, and IAU President-elect, Ewine van Dishoeck. IAU announcement: https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann18007/
Created by Garik Israelian, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), the Starmus Festival is a combination of science, art and music that has featured presentations from astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and other prominent figures from science, culture, the arts and music. Now celebrating its fifth year, and timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, Starmus V will take place in Bern, Switzerland, from 24 to 29 June 2019. The IAU is a partner organisation of Starmus and among the confirmed speakers will be IAU Secretary General, Piero Benvenuti, and IAU President-elect, Ewine van Dishoeck. IAU announcement: https://www.iau.org/news/
20. Interesting Weblinks (Disclaimer - Use of material herein from various sources does not imply approval or otherwise of the opinions, political or otherwise, of those sources). NB: If the title in the weblink does not indicate the subject matter, I give a brief simple intro before the link. I may also comment about the link afterwards.
ASTROPHYSICS
ALMA's highest frequencies reveal secrets https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180817150322.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
Some of the oldest galaxies in the universe are on our doorstep https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180816183200.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
Galaxy cluster hidden by light from extremely bright feeding Black Hole https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180816132101.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
Inside-Out Planetary Nebula https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180816101952.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
Video showing sizes of stars – a lot of comparisons were missed out, and it starts off by comparing volume, but then switches to comparing diameter without any explanation.
Milky Way died after first phase of star formation, then came alive again https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180821094247.htm
Momentum of light measured https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180821094205.htm
Student discovers new nearby galaxy! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180822114441.htm
Monster distant galaxy forming stars at prodigious rate http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6110295/Astronomers-spot-monster-galaxy-creates-new-stars-1-000-times-faster-Milky-Way.html
Carina Nebula is battleground between stars and dust http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6111767/The-raging-battle-Carina-Nebula-Stellar-7-500-light-years-away-home-standoff.html
COSMOLOGY
Black Holes from a previous universe? https://www.livescience.com/63392-black-holes-from-past-universes.html?utm_source=ls-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180822-ls
Einstein's Equivalence Principle applies at quantum level https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180821094231.htm
New findings on antimatter https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180822131053.htm
Stellar swarms show how stars evolve https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180828114757.htm
COSMOLOGY
Higgs daughter particle confirmed https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180828172037.htm
EARTH and MOON
'Steve' isn't an aurora after all https://news.agu.org/press-release/new-kind-of-aurora-is-not-an-aurora-at-all/
Ice confirmed at Moon's poles https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180820203638.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
A new complete chronology of life on Earth – and it's older than you thought! https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180820113113.htm
Fireball 40 times brighter than the Moon https://mail.aol.com/webmail-std/en-gb/DisplayMessage?ws_popup=true&ws_suite=true
Earth's magnetic field could flip sooner than we thought http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6088607/Earths-magnetic-field-FLIP-sooner-previously-thought.html
Meteorite crystals hold clues to solar evolution https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180822091025.htm
"LOPlaG" could be the Moon's version of the ISS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6096113/NASA-chief-reveals-plan-send-humans-moon-STAY.html
EXOPLANETS:
Iron and Titanium are gaseous in this ultra-hot exoplanet https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180815130555.htm
Exoplanets have lots of water https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180818115758.htm
Terrestrial elements are common in most exoplanets https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180815190530.htm
IMAGES
HST's picture of the evolving universe https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180816143044.htm
SOLAR SYSTEM
No alien artefact on Mars (except the ones we've sent there!) http://earthsky.org/space/curiosity-rover-finds-strange-object-mars?utm_source=EarthSky+News&utm_campaign=61b2906a97-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_02_02_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c643945d79-61b2906a97-394571661n
https://bigthink.com/robby-berman/the-lovely-perseids-comet-could-end-life-on-earth?utm_source=Big+Think+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4ff9a6d493-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_27_01_48_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4db4d7150a-4ff9a6d493-43203777 (part of the text must have been written last year!)
Osiris-Rex closes on asteroid Bennu. https://www.asteroidmission.org/asteroid-operations/
Mars INSIGHT in good shape halfway to target https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7216
Hydrogen wall encloses the SS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6062617/Nasas-New-Horizons-spacecraft-spotted-hydrogen-wall-Solar-System.html
Jupiter grew in two separate phases https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180827110840.htm
Asteroid Itokawa dated at 4.6 billion years old https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180827100439.htm
OSIRIS-Rex closes in on asteroid Bennu https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180824150518.htm
Water in Jupiter's Great Red Spot! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6116099/Water-clouds-inside-Jupiters-Great-Red-Spot-megastorm-raise-hopes-exotic-life-exist-there.html - maybe that's why it's red – rust! ;-)
Where IS planet 9? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6127351/Planet-Nine-DOES-exist-Eternally-optimistic-astronomers-say-evidence-it.html
SPACE
Tennis in space! https://www.facebook.com/usopentennis/videos/vb.96832392186/2144686555784223/?type=2&theater
New Mars habitation module http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6074785/First-glimpse-Lockheed-Martins-RV-Mars-habitat-built-NASAs-trip-Mars.html
Finger use to cover minor leak in ISS, probably due to micrometeorite impact. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6116245/Astronaut-forced-plug-ISS-leak-FINGER-crew-use-tape-patch-hole.html
The walkway to heaven? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6115871/SpaceX-installs-bridge-lets-astronauts-walk-Crew-Dragon-rocket.html
Opportunity has 45 days to recover http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6119445/NASA-reveals-just-45-day-contact-Opportunity-rover-Mars-dust-storm-clears.html
SUN
CMEs may not be sllnky after all https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180830113041.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29
Better forecasts for solar storms https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180829115459.htm
TELESCOPES, INSTRUMENTS, TECHNIQUES
UFOs, Conspiracy Theories, etc
21. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION. 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 .
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 .
The Irish Astronomical Association is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 105858
DISCLAIMER: Any views expressed herein are mine, and do not necessarily represent those of the IAA.
Clear skies,
Terry Moseley
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