The Irish Astronomical Association will be holding another of our very popular astronomy evenings at the North Down Museum beside Bangor Castle, on Saturday evening, 3rd May, at 6 pm. Once again we'll have a selection of powerful telescopes and binoculars for viewing the night sky, an exhibition, short astronomy and space films, a selection of meteorites (rocks from space) which you can actually hold, and of course the Stardome mobile planetarium just in case of bad weather. And you'll have a chance to meet our own 'Ulsternaut', Derek Heatly from Groomsport, who is booked to fly into space with Virgin Galactic.
There will be free shows in the Stardome at 6:15, 7:00, 7:45, 8:30 and 9:15, and these must be booked on the night.
The highlights in the sky will be a spectacular crescent Moon high in the sky, observable in the daylight – sunset is at 9pm. In addition as soon as darkness fallswe will get a great view of giant Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, with its four large Moons, and a bright Mars, of course this depends on the weather!