From: TerryMoselaol.com

Subject: Midsummer BBQ, Solarfest, Solstice, NLCs, Birth of Moon, Talks, Videos, GB Visit

Date: 15 June 2014 16:32:33 BST

Hi all,

ƒŠƒŠƒŠ

1. IAA Midsummer BBQ, 28 June, atƒŠArmagh Observatory:

The IAA's midsummer BBQ will be atƒŠArmaghƒŠObservatory, on the afternoon ofƒŠSat 28 June. We also hope to include a visit and show at Armagh Planetarium - details to be confirmed. The day will also include a tour of the Observatory and some of the main telescope domes, and a visit to another very interesting but lesser known astronomical item in Armagh! Full details here within the next few days.

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2.ƒŠƒŠƒŠSOLARFEST, DUNSINK Observatory, Dublin: Solarfest 2014 is now confirmed for Saturday 21st June. http://www.irishastronomy.org/index.php/kunena?view=topic&catid=11&id=99787 Free event, but places must be booked in advance

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3. Summer Solstice: 21 June, 11.51 BST. The Sun will reach its most Northerly point along the ecliptic at 10.51 UT, or 11.51 BST. ThatƒŠis almost as long a day as it is possible to have here. A little teaser: what circumstances would have to apply for the Summer Solstice 'longest day' to reach its theoretical maximum duration at your own location (in Ireland)? Answers by email for an honourable mention in the next bulletin.

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4. Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs). We areƒŠnowƒŠinƒŠthe season of visibility for these ethereal high altitude clouds, visible when the sky is nearly totally dark, as they lie well above the height of ordinary clouds. They are thought to be connected with high altitude fine debris from meteors which have burned up high in our atmosphere. Look low in the Northern sky near local midnight

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5. Watch the construction of the ISS - an amazing video: http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htmƒŠƒŠ

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6. Free Lecture at Ulster Museum: Thurs 24th July, 19.30, at the museum: âÀÜHeavy elements from giant red starsâÀÝ - Free, but places must be booked in advance. This lecture, by Dr. Amanda Karakas from Mt Stromlo Observatory, Canberra, ties in with the excellent exhibition on "The Elements" currently running at the Museum.ƒŠDetails on:ƒŠ

http://www.nmni.com/um/What-s-on/Talks---Lectures/Heavy-elements-from-giant-red-stars

7: IAA Solar Day, WWT, Castle Espie. We will be holding another one of these very popular events on Sunday afternoon, 17 August. More details later.

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8. Birth of Moon - latest theories:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25702?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2014-0612-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS& and

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2650130/How-moon-formed-Researchers-reveal-new-evidence-Earth-hit-giant-object-4-5-billion-years-ago.htmlƒŠand

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140605141503.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29

ƒŠƒŠ Theia is supposed to have been 'Mars-sized'. Mars is approximately 1/10 the mass of the Earth.ƒŠƒŠ

The big question remaining is: Where is Theia now, or what happened to it? The conventional theory is that most of it became absorbed into the Earth. But that's unlikely if, as generally postulated, it was a glancing impact. And if it was a more direct impact, it would have shattered the impactor (and maybe the Earth too), so that the ejecta would have comprised both core and mantle material, and therefore the Moon would be much denser than it is.

ƒŠƒŠ As a total non-expert, I'm tempted byƒŠthe idea thatƒŠthe remains of TheiaƒŠwent on, probably via an indirect route,ƒŠclose to the Sun and eventuallyƒŠbecame what we now know as Mercury!

ƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠƒŠ Yes, I'm probably going to be shot down by the planetary dynamicists, but it would explain some unusual features about Mercury

1. It has the largest orbital eccentricity of any of the planets: 0.20563, compared with only 0.00678 for its neighbourƒŠVenus.

2. It has the highest orbital inclination of any of the planets: 7.005 degrees, compared with 3.395 for Venus, the second highest.

3. It has the second highest density of any of the planets, just beaten by Earth: 5.43 compared with 5.52. But if we allow for the higher compaction of Earth's core due to its greater mass, in fact Mercury's density would be the highest of all.

ƒŠƒŠƒŠ All that ties in withƒŠa picture that its lower density outer crust was stripped off by the collision, (which then mostly formed our Moon),ƒŠespecially if Theia and Earth were contra-rotating at the point of collision,ƒŠleaving the high density metallic core to proceed along an orbit towards the Sun, a bit out of the ecliptic plane, where it was captured by the Sun but retaining a high degree of ellipticity. And Mercury is about half of the mass of Mars, which would be about right for what would be left of the inner dense core of TheiaƒŠwhich eventually ended up as Mercury.ƒŠ

ƒŠƒŠ Otherwise it's quite hard to explain Mercury's high density, and both its high orbital eccentricity & inclination, which would be unusual in the inner part of the planet-forming disc around the Sun.

ƒŠƒŠ OK, I know that I'mƒŠgetting into Velikovsky territory, so I'll stop there!

ƒŠƒŠƒŠ I suppose we'll just have to wait for a Mercury lander to sample the isotope ratios....

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9.ƒŠEuropean Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS), Geneva, Switzerland, 30 June âÀÓ 4 July. The annual European Week of Astronomy and Space Science (EWASS) conference will take place in Geneva from 30 June to 4 July. Bringing together astronomers and space scientists from across Europe, EWASS sessions cover topics from star formation in galaxies to the origin of cosmic dust and astronomy using the SKA and ALMA observatories. See http://eas.unige.ch/EWASS2014/ƒŠContact:ƒŠConference Secretariat, ewass2014ch.kuoni.com

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10. INTERNATIONAL METEOR CONFERENCE, 2014ƒŠ Thursday September 18 till Sunday 21 September 2014, Giron, France.ƒŠGiron is a small village located in the south of the Jura Mountains close to Geneva. The region is easily reachable by air (Geneva or Lyon airport), by train (TGV high speed train from Paris and InterCity trains from Geneva railway station) and by car (highway A40 Lyon-Chamonix). Part of the attraction for this event is that a free visit to CERN is included in the price!ƒŠSee http://www.imo.net/imc2014.

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11. NEXT YEAR'S STAR PARTIES:ƒŠƒŠ

Galway Astrofest: Feb 21, 2015

COSMOS: April 17th to 19th 2015, Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone.

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12. Garden Party at BP + GreenwichƒŠ &ƒŠHerstmonceux

ƒŠAt long last I managed to get a suitable date for the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in honour of my recent BEM award. Angela and I decided to make it a week's trip, taking in some astronomy along the way. We had a great time, and had a very fortuitous meeting with Prof Don Kurtz of University of Central Lancashire who gave us an excellent lecture in Belfast about a decade ago. He was the only other one at BP that I knew. We had a good chat, and he has agreed to give us another lecture in the coming season. More on that when the dates are agreed.

ƒŠ ƒŠWe also had a day at the old Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and another day at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Confused? The former is the original, dating back to King Charles II, in E. London. The latter is the site where the RGO moved to for a period, at Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex, in the Fifties. It later moved from there to Cambridge, but six major telescopes in their domes remain, and form the basis for an excellent Science Centre. The original giant dome for the 100-inch Isaac Newton Telescope (which is nowƒŠin La Palma) is also at that site, but not open to the public.ƒŠThe IAAƒŠhopes to run a trip to some astronomy sites in GB, probably including those two, in the next year. Watch this space.

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13. INTERESTING WEBLINKS:ƒŠ

http://www.livescience.com/46312-popigai-crater-linked-eocene-mass-extinction.html?cmpid=557686ƒŠInteresting piece, even though the top illustration is totally wrong: asteroids do not trail tails of fire before they hit the Earth's atmosphere!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2657158/Are-two-giant-planets-lurking-Pluto-Unusual-orbits-spotted-outer-solar-hint-presence-large-worlds.htmlƒŠThere's something not right in the text of this article: I assume that the reference to the new planet 'having a mass between that of Mars and Saturn' should say '.... a mass between that of Uranus and Saturn'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2657110/Watch-star-explode-20-000-light-years-away-Time-lapse-reveals-beautiful-burst-sent-light-echoes-universe.htmlƒŠWow!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2656968/The-world-not-Google-plans-conquer-space-holding-investor-talks-Virgin-Galactic.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/13/first-day-at-work-nasa_n_5491029.html

http://www.space.com/26206-sun-erupts-3rd-huge-solar-flare.html?cmpid=557672, and

http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/the-sun-releases-two-enormous-solar-flares/518267281/

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22229731.800?cmpid=NLC%7CNSNS%7C2014-0612-GLOBAL&utm_medium=NLC&utm_source=NSNS&

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2655105/Engage-warp-drive-Nasa-reveals-latest-designs-Star-Trek-style-spacecraft-make-interstellar-travel-reality.htmlƒŠBut they've forgotten about the DiLithium crystals!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2653851/Space-rocks-Hypnotic-animation-tracks-thousands-asteroids-hurtling-inner-solar-system.htmlƒŠScott Manley who devised this was formerly at Armagh Observatory.

http://www.space.com/26181-nasa-pluto-flyby-planet-debate.html?cmpid=557672

http://www.space.com/26205-why-havent-we-encountered-aliens-yet-the-answer-could-be-climate-change.html?cmpid=557672

http://www.space.com/26196-european-space-plane-drop-test-video.html?cmpid=557672

http://www.livescience.com/46218-supernova-explosion-created-in-lab.html?cmpid=557685

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140609153433.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28Earth+%26+Climate+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2657239/The-cuppa-world-Space-engineers-gear-send-hot-drinks-machine-ISS.htmlƒŠIt had better do Americanos too....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2657110/Watch-star-explode-20-000-light-years-away-Time-lapse-reveals-beautiful-burst-sent-light-echoes-universe.html

http://www.space.com/26148-beast-asteroid-flyby-earth-impact-scenario.html?cmpid=557670ƒŠand

http://www.space.com/26238-beast-asteroid-radar-photos-video.html?cmpid=557673

http://www.space.com/26237-virgin-galactic-commercial-spaceline-progress.html?cmpid=557673ƒŠ and http://www.space.com/26056-virgin-galactic-faa-airspace-deal.html?cmpid=557595ƒŠ

http://www.space.com/26241-hollywood-science-fiction-museum-kickstarter.html?cmpid=557673

http://www.space.com/26243-private-team-nasa-spacecraft-engine-restart.html?cmpid=557673

http://www.universetoday.com/112366/incomplete-space-seed-how-to-spread-earths-life-across-the-universe/ƒŠA very dangerous idea: after all, they might evolve into something like us! (qv: Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan, N. Korea,ƒŠUlster, Tuam, treatment ofƒŠwomen in many countries, etc etc)

http://www.space.com/26068-elon-musk-spacex-dragon-v2-glam-reveal.html?cmpid=557595

http://spaceflightnow.com/h2a/f24/140524launch/ƒŠ

http://spaceflightnow.com/sealaunch/eutelsat3b/140526launch/ƒŠ

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1405/27soyuz/

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1405/29dragonv2/ƒŠIt's a new 'Space Race', I guess.

The eclipse that confirmed relativity: https://medium.com/@startswithabang/throwback-thursday-the-95th-anniversary-of-relativitys-confirmation-f88f731482d3ƒŠand

http://news.sciencemag.org/sifter/2014/05/happy-95th-birthday-relativity

http://www.space.com/26169-nasa-morpheus-lander-flight-test-video.html?cmpid=557671

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2652790/Watch-Earths-orbit-flash-seconds-Worlds-space-Vine-captures-never-setting-sun-board-ISS.htmlƒŠGood to watch, but unfortunately the commentary is a bit muddled.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2650575/Submarines-Titan-giant-nets-capture-asteroids-Nasa-unveils-futuristic-designs-help-explore-new-worlds.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/09/exploding-star-lasers-images_n_5471381.html

http://www.livescience.com/46040-do-we-live-in-a-multiverse.html?cmpid=557681

http://www.space.com/26037-saturn-aurora-photos-hubble-telescope.html?cmpid=557668

http://www.space.com/26082-nasa-dark-energy-hunt-missions.html?cmpid=557668

http://www.space.com/26087-gas-dwarf-alien-planets-aas224.html?cmpid=557668

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/02jun_saucer/ƒŠIt's official! NASA has a flying saucer.... and

http://www.space.com/26100-nasa-flying-saucer-mars-landing-test-launch.html?cmpid=557669ƒŠ

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/03jun_rosetta/ƒŠThe RosettaƒŠtarget comet comes alive

http://www.space.com/26115-oldest-habitable-alien-planet-kapteyn-b.html?cmpid=557669ƒŠIf it's that old, it's unlikely to have the right mix of elements to support advanced life.

and http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603194011.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠNB: the noteƒŠthat "this star is the second fastest moving star in the sky" needs to be qualified - that speed is just its apparent motion across the sky relative to theƒŠbackground because it's very close, not its absolute motion through space. Just like a low-flying bird can appear to cross the sky in a few seconds,ƒŠwhereas a much faster high altitude jet takes many minutes.

http://www.space.com/26126-red-dwarfs-space-weather-alien-life.html?cmpid=557669

NASA's plans for human space exploration: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18801

http://www.livescience.com/46166-no-majorana-neutrinos-found.html?cmpid=557683

http://www.space.com/26161-nasa-space-tech-advanced-technology.html?cmpid=557670

http://www.space.com/26151-spacex-mars-reusable-rockets-spaceships.html?cmpid=557670ƒŠNB, It's just an animation at this stage!

http://www.space.com/26132-milky-way-galaxy-farm-museum-photo.html?cmpid=557670

http://www.space.com/26152-avengers-shield-nasa-marvel.html?cmpid=557670

Proton's Magnetic Moment measured: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140606101952.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Turbulent gravity? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140605155732.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29ƒŠ

ALMA upgrade: link to Event Horizon Telescope: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604202903.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Ultra-strong magnetic fields: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604133818.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠ

Discovery of new 'Hybrid star': http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604115117.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠand http://www.space.com/26160-bizarre-hybrid-star-tzo-discovery.html?cmpid=557670

12 billion year old GRB http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604105532.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠ

Black Holes fuel Blazars: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604094118.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠ

Hidden source for solar surges: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603182609.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠ

NASA should aim for Mars: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604115111.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

First light for exoplanet imager: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140604093308.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Solving sunspot mysteries: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603182605.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

High-res view of solar flare: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603182603.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

HST's colour view of universe: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603151000.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Violently colliding galaxy clusters: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140603092521.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Supercomputer studies solar wind: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602132122.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Star to swallow 2 planets: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602115835.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

3rd class of exoplanets found: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602115832.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠand

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602115837.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

New stars forming in Serpens: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140602100144.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Cosmic magnetic fields: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140601150641.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

You can't hurry light! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140530124426.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29ƒŠ

Dancing Moon: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142540.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28Earth+%26+Climate+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

IRIS observes huge CME: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140530190600.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

MWƒŠmay have 100 million lifebearing planets: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140609100725.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Solar wind penetrates our shield: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140609122025.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fearth_climate+%28Earth+%26+Climate+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠ

Echoes of ancient Earth: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140609113347.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠ

ISS video via Laser: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140609140942.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29ƒŠƒŠ

Dark & Dusty Gamma-Ray Bursts: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611131747.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠand

http://www.space.com/26232-dark-gamma-ray-bursts-dust-video.html?cmpid=557673ƒŠ

Hubble's lovely spiral galaxy: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611134042.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Red Nugget Galaxies: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611151153.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29

Orion Spacecraft taking shape: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611095740.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

NASA's 2 new undersea missions: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611095924.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Mercury Transit - from Mars: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611100055.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29ƒŠThe next one visible from Earth will be on 9 May 2016, and it will be the longest of 21st Century.

Rosetta comet mission: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611100749.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fspace_time+%28Space+%26+Time+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Dwarf Galaxies don't fit Standard Model Universe http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140611093627.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Science+News%29

Flavours of Titan's haze: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140613152847.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29

Pluto's moon had ocean? http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140613152849.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_technology+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Technology+News%29

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14. TWITTER:ƒŠFollow theƒŠIAAƒŠon Twitter: The account is now operational again as before: IaaAstro.

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15. JOINING the IRISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION is easy: This link downloads a Word document to join the IAA. http://documents.irishastro.org.uk/iaamembership.doc

ƒŠƒŠ ƒŠIf you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the 'gift-aid' box, as that enables us to reclaim the standard rate of tax on your subscription, at no cost to you.ƒŠYou can also make aƒŠdonation via Paypal if you wish: just click on the 'Donate' button.ƒŠƒŠSee also www.irishastro.org.ƒŠ

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Finally,ƒŠin tribute to the late great John Dobson, a quote from him which is typical of the man, and very appropriate:ƒŠ "If you figure something out for yourself, it doesn't make no never-mind who figured it out first, it's yours."

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Clear skies,

Terry Moseley

mob: (0044) (0) 7979 300842

I'm now back on Twitter (occasionally - I don't have enough time!), after some temporary hiccups: terrymoseley2

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