From TerryMoselaol.com Tue Jan 23 01:05:09 2007
Subject: P/McNaught tail, 2 lectures, new address


Hi all,
 
1. COMET McNAUGHT TAIL SEEN FROM IRELAND:
 
Martin McKenna from Maghera reports a sighting of the tail of comet  McNaught 
this evening (22nd) above the western horizon, even though the head is  now 
only visible from the S Hemisphere.
     I quote from his E/M - "....  the sky rapidly  cleared again so I walked 
a short distance past my house to a distant hill which  gave me an excellent 
view of the S - SW horizon, this was were I made my very  first observation of 
the comet on Jan 9th. After much effort I was rewarded with  what must have 
been the tail striations of this comet. At 18.OO UT despite the  weak glow of 
the moon I could see three straight colourless rays of light  extending up 
through Aquarius with their tips ending within the area of sky SE  of Enif in 
Pegasus. The centre 'ray' was the tallest and brightest reaching at  height of 20 
degrees above the horizon. I could only see these with averted  vision and 
only obtained fleeting periodic glimpses but I feel certain this must  have been 
the tail striations. I could not see the zodiacal light due to  moonlight and 
suspect that the tail will now be unobservable from now on due to  the waxing 
moon phase. Has anyone else made an observation visually from the N.  
Hemisphere today?"
Well Done to Martin for another remarkable observation.
 
2. IAA LECTURE: 
 
The next IAA meeting will be on Wed 24 January at 7.30 when Joan Jeffery  
will give a talk on "The Laws of Outer Space". 
   Can you own an acre on the Moon, or Mars? Do I have mining  rights on 'my' 
asteroid? If a crime is committed in space, what laws, if any,  are 
applicable? If there is a 'traffic collision' in space, whose laws apply? If  you go 
into orbit as a space tourist, do what extent are you legally covered,  and 
legally liable? If a British astronaut aboard the ISS does something  negligent, 
as a result of which another crew member is injured, or dies, what  happens? If 
a baby is ever born in space, what nationality, rights, and  obligations will 
s/he have? Come along to hear the answers to these and other  fascinating 
questions. 
   Lecture Room 5, Stranmillis College, Belfast. Admission free,  and all are 
welcome.
 
3. The Lindsay Centennial Symposium and Public  Lecture: Friday  26th 
January, Rotunda  Theatre, St.  Patrick's Trian, Armagh  
To  celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the former director of 
the  Armagh Observatory and founder of the Armagh Planetarium, Dr Eric Mervyn  
Lindsay, a meeting will take place in the Rotunda Theatre, St. Patrick's Trian, 
 English St, Armagh, from approximately 09:30 to  17:30. 
This  will be followed by an evening Public Lecture by Dr Allan Chapman  
(University of Oxford) with his subject "Robert Ball: Ireland's Astronomical 
Muse". The  lecture will begin at 20:00 and finish with light refreshments at 
approximately  21:30. 
The  conference will be partly devoted to the life and work of Dr Lindsay, 
who was  responsible for securing the position of the Armagh Observatory as an  
internationally known astronomical research centre. In 1947, Lindsay persuaded 
 the Belfast and Dublin governments to jointly fund, together with  Harvard 
University, a large research telescope at the Harvard  Boyden Station near 
Bloemfontein,  South Africa, to provide a  constant stream of research material 
for Armagh  astronomers. 
Dr Lindsay  was also the founder of the Armagh Planetarium 
which opened in 1968 under its first Director, Patrick Moore. 
A copy of  the current programme and full information about the meeting is 
available from  the Armagh Observatory website. 
Tickets for the event, either the one-day conference or the evening  public 
lecture (or both), are free on application to Mrs Aileen McKee, Armagh  
Observatory, College Hill, Armagh BT61 9DG; Tel: 028-3752-2928; Fax:  028-3752-7174; 
e-mail: ambnarm.ac.uk

 
4. CHANGE OF ADDRESS:
 
Please note that my address is now: 6 Collinbridge Drive, Glengormley,  
Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 7SX. Tel. (028) 9058 7658, or mob: 07979  300842.
 
 
Clear Skies,
 
Terry  Moseley
















Last Revised: 2007 January 23rd



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