Hi all,

Hope everyone has been well and enjoying the continuing good weather.

I was over at classes last night and noticed during break that some of the kids that go to the School during the day had done a project to observe the lunar phases during the month of April. Cloudy evenings were sketched in too but there hadn’t been too many of those.

The project was a wonderful idea and really teaches us to observe. I don’t just mean as amateur astronomers but to really see the world around us and the subtle aspects of nature that we can often be so blind to.

One book that teaches us to do this is “How to Use Your Eyes” by James Elkins. It contains wonderful essays not just on observing things as an artist does but also reading the story behind many objects we take for granted. A piece written by the author’s sister stands out for me. We are challenged to scoop up a handful of sand next time we are on a beach and really study the grains under a loupe. Hard to believe that some of those grains may be hundreds of millions of years old and once were part of a seam in rock thrust up during a mountain building epoch before being ground down over the aeons. Some of those motes may even have gone through a sequence of such events in Earth’s history.

That history has been violent for sure when we read the geological record. It’s easy to think more of the present though as we read about the ongoing rumbles of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano which have led to severe disruption for many people. Yet volcanic activity is not just confined to Earth but has and continues to shape other worlds in the Solar System.

And that’s the topic of our next talk, “Alien Volcanoes, Alien Worlds.” We have pencilled in Thursday, May 20^th in Gonzaga College at 8pm for our lecture. It’s the last talk before the summer break and we would be delighted to see you along. There will also be some books people might be interested in picking up for free as the trimming of the bookshelves continues!

See you all soon,

John

086-8181931

Most of the following information was taken from Mary Mulvihill’s Science@Culture Bulleting (http://scienceculturebulletin.wordpress.com/ ) and Terry Moseley’s regular mails about all that is happening in the Irish astronomy and space scene.

Solarfest 2010

Michael O’Connell has sent details of Solarfest 2010, a one day event in Dunsink Observatory on Saturday, June 12^th where amateur and professional astronomers from Ireland will speak about the Sun and observing our nearest star. Spaces are limited to 60 people so if you are interested in attending then please mail Michael directly at [email protected]

BBC2 Tuesdays at 9pm

A great 6-part series on the story and history of science is currently running on BBC2. Catch the 3^rd episode tonight and read more about the series at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s9mms

Communicating Science Conference

This will be held in Armagh Planetarium on Thursday, May 13^th and more details can be found at https://members.engineersireland.ie/store/view_product.asp?id=467049

Irish Meteorological Society photo competition

The IMS will be running a photo competition until October 2010 and images on the theme of weather are invited to be submitted. Last year’s winner went on to scoop the European prize. More details at http://www.irishmetsociety.org/cms/

Some events from Terry Moseley’s mailing list …

Public Lecture, St. Patrick’s Trian, Armagh, 8.00pm Thursday 13 May.

Martin Hendry (Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow): “Did We Really Land on the Moon?”

More than 40 years after Apollo 11 there are a surprising number of theories around — in books, documentary programmes and the internet — that Neil Armstrong’s famous “One small step” was an elaborate hoax, filmed in secret here on Earth. Conspiracy theorists point to a range of “evidence” to support their claim, including waving flags, strange shadows, no stars in the sky and deadly solar radiation. In this talk, using real Apollo video footage and a series of simple demonstrations, we will take a closer look at the science behind “moon hoax” claims, and ask whether we really did land on the Moon.

The public lecture is free of charge and open to all. To obtain a ticket, please contact Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh; Tel: 028-3752-2928; E-mail: [email protected].

Armagh Heritage Day 2010: FROM EARTH TO SKY: REFLECTING ON ARMAGH’S HERITAGE THROUGH TIME

Organized by the Armagh Visitor Education Committee (AVEC) at the Navan Centre, Killylea Road, Armagh, from 10:00am to 4.00pm on Wednesday 19th May.

This is the fifth heritage day organized by AVEC to promote the wealth of Armagh City and District’s cultural heritage.  This year the event, which will be opened by Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon, Mayor of Armagh City and District, will trace the historical development of Armagh from pre-Christian times right up to the present day.

The principal speaker is Professor Jim Mallory (Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology, Queen’s University Belfast), who will provide an introduction to Navan – Emain Mhacha – and the Celts.  Local speakers drawn from the membership of AVEC are Dr Greer Ramsey (Armagh County Museum), who will provide a view of Armagh through time using information and artefacts contained in the Armagh County Museum, and Professor Mark Bailey (Armagh Observatory) who will highlight how the results of modern astronomical research are providing a new framework for interpreting prehistory and Earth’s place in space.  There will also be guided tours of the Navan Centre and information and displays about the work of AVEC and its more than a dozen individual members, all of whom are working together to promote better cooperation, communication and partnership amongst the visitor attractions and education and lifelong learning institutions in the City of Armagh.

Admission to the event is free of charge and open to all. To obtain a ticket, please contact Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh; Tel: 028-3752-2928; E-mail: [email protected]. The full programme as well as further information about the AVEC institutions can be accessed from the AVEC website http://scholars.arm.ac.uk/avec/.

Blackrock Castle Observatory Events:  First Fridays at the Castle, continues with a CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory open night this Friday May 7 which includes the Cork Science Café, Hubble anniversary image unveiling, workshops, lectures and stargazing events.

Contact: Clair McSweeney, Facilities Manager, Blackrock Castle Observatory, Blackrock, Cork. Tel: +353 21 4357917, Email: [email protected],  Web: www.bco.ie.

Blackrock Castle Observatory is Ireland’s official media and outreach representative for the European Southern Observatory, ESO, the most productive ground-based observatory in the world. www.eso.org/public/ireland

Space art competition for children

The European Space Agency has launched a monthly art competition series for children aged up to 14. There is a space-related theme each month and the winning entries will be featured on the ESA Kids website. Find out more at:

http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEMV1VZNK7G_OurUniverse_0.html

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