Marking to the minute the first anniversary of the Total Solar Eclipse in North Queensland last year, we have lectures on the subject from two people who were there!

First off Terry Moseley will take a look at "Irish Solar Eclipses". Then Eclipse chaser and author Dr Kate Russo will look to the next eclipse in her talk entitled “The 2015 Total Solar Eclipse & a new book launch"

The Queensland totality ran from 20:36-20:38 UT on 13th November 2012.

As part of their 60th Anniversary celebrations, the Society for Popular Astronomy will visit Belfast and Armagh. This invitation from Prof Alan Fitzsimmons…

On behalf of Queen's University Belfast, Armagh Observatory and the Society for Popular Astronomy, we would like to invite all amateur astronomers to an all-day meeting held in honour of the SPA's 60th anniversary.

The meeting will take place in the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 9:30am until 5:30pm on
Saturday 21st September, and will consist of a series of popular-level talks given by professional
astronomers on their research here in Northern Ireland.

Additionally, on Sunday 22nd September there will be an organised visit to Armagh Observatory.
Visitors will be given a guided tour of the observatory and astropark, followed by a lunch reception
hosted by the Lord Mayor of Armagh. Please note that this visit is restricted to 45 people due to venue
and transport limitations.
More details and bookings can be made at the following website: https://sites.google.com/site/spabelfastmeeting

Attendance at the meeting is free,  but we ask that people register so that we can estimate numbers
for tea/coffee.
 
Best Wishes, Prof. Alan Fitzsimmons, Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University Belfast

"Mega Telescopes: how and why?" The European Southern Observatory will soon blast off the top of a mountain in the Atacama desert to start construction of a telescope five times bigger than any existing today. This telescope is known as the European Extremely Large Telescope, or E-ELT. The primary mirror will be made from 798 mirrors and will be 39m in diameter and be controlled to nanometre accuracy. In this lecture Prof Cunningham will describe the engineering challenges of this giant telescope and give a preview of some of the exciting astronomical discoveries that may result, from the first galaxies to Earthlike planets.

Prof Cunningham is Director, UK E-ELT Programme, and is also involved in projects with ESA and the UK Space Agency.
  
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.

The Perseid Meteor shower peaks this year on the night of Monday 12th August – conditions are favourable with a crescent Moon setting early on in the night.  Our intention is to hold the annual Perseid Barbeque at Delamont Country Park on this night, weather permitting. Please keep an eye on this website and the IAA Forum for updates.



Note that the peak is not a sharp one and meteors can be seen a week or so either side of the 11th/12th – indeed Perseids can be seen from the end of July until the end of August so it’s worth a look visit website on any clear night over that period!

On Sunday 11th August we will return to WWF Castle Espie in County Down for another Solar Day – again from 2pm to 5pm. This venue has become a regular on the Summer calendar over the last few years and as well as Solar Observing we will be offering displays of meteorites and other astronomical paraphenalia and of course Star Shows in the Mobile Planetarium chimera motors. Also, if you are one of the many who has bought a telescope but found it a bit tricky to set up, bring it along and one of our experts will show you how to get it set up to give its best.