Hi all,
1. There is a video of yesterday's presentation of an Orrery to Sir Patrick Moore to mark his 70th year of membership of the BAA, by the President, Tom Boles, at the start of the Christmas BAA meeting. The video is 12 MB & lasts just over six minutes. This will take about 30mts to download over a phone connection but it should play in real time if you have broadband. The address is:
www.britastro.com/video/patrick_baa_20041218.wmv
Congratulations to Sir Patrick, a long-standing member of the IAA (but not 70 years!) on yet another remarkable achievement!
2. The Winter Solstice occurs on Wed 21 Dec at 12h 42m GMT, when the Sun reaches its most southerly point along the ecliptic. So that evening, no matter how dark or cold, you can console yourself with the thought that the days are getting longer from then on!
3. TV: Wednesday, 22 Dec: 9.00pm, BBC4 TV, "Light Fantastic": How Einstein changed our world view. (4/4). Repeated 1.20am.
See:
www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/light.shtml
Thursday, 23 Dec: 10.00pm BBC4 TV, Light Fantastic (4/4). Repeat 2.10am.
4. MERCURY DANCES WITH VENUS. Watch Mercury slowly dance round Venus from now until mid January. Brilliant 'morning star' Venus is slowly drawing in to the Sun, and it will soon be met by little Mercury darting out to meet it, circle round it, then successfully race it back in to the Sun again! Look for brilliant Venus low in the SW at about 7.30 each morning. On the morning of the 20th, MUCH fainter Mercury will lie about 6 deg (about a binocular field) to lower left of Venus. Use binoculars if required, but in good conditions you'll spot Mercury without optical aid as a pinkish slowly twinkling 'star' shining shyly through the twilight, especially later in the month & into January.
By the 23rd a.m., Mercury is higher and closing, lying 3.3 deg L of Venus. On Xmas a.m., leave the prezzies 'til later, and look for it only 2 deg L, and now slightly above, its brighter sister. On the 27th a.m., ignore the turkey leftovers & look for it only 1.25 deg above left of Venus. By 31st a.m., it's directly above Venus, and only 1 deg away. From then on it passes round to the right of Venus, overtakes it only about 1/3 degree away! and scoots in towards the Sun, where we'll lose it in the solar glare by about 15 Jan. More on the January circumstances, including a visit by the waning Moon, in a later issue.
5. The next IAA public lecture will be on 5 January when Dr Katherine Gunn of Southampton University will speak on "Recent Results in X-Ray Astronomy from Chndra & XMM Newton". 7.30 p.m. Lecture Room 5, Stranmillis College, Stranmillis Road, Belfast. Admission free, including light refreshments, & all will be welcome.
6. Then to the serious business of the IAA's Xmas/New Year/Perihelion Party, calendrically forced to Saturday 8th January. Venue once again is the Tudor Private Cinema, just outside Comber, Co Down (directions in next email). the film will be "I, Robot", and there will be loads of eats & drinks of all types, and plenty of craic & entertainment. There are still some tickets left, at £10 per adult, or £5 for under 12s. Book from IAA treasurer John Hall at <iaa2000@btinternet.com> or <jimmyaquarius@btinterrnet.com>. Non-members & guests are welcome at the same rates!
7. The 41st ESAT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin, 11-15 Jan. 2005. A record total of 1,064 projects were submitted for the 480 exhibition places. The Exhibition opens to the public on Thursday, 13 Jan. at 10.00am. See
www.esatys.com/timetable.html
And, unless I have occasion to email again before 25/12, may I wish all of you, and yours, a very Happy Christmas & a Happy & cloudless New Year!
Terry Moseley
