Astronomy Ireland's Christmas lecture this year, 'Living in the Sun's Atmosphere' will be given on Monday 8 December by Dr. Lucie Green of Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Lucie will talk about our relationship with our closest star, the Sun, and how it is responsible for our existence. Without the Sun it would be eternal night on Earth, there would be no light for plants to grow, seas would freeze and the planet would become inhospitable. Dr Green will also discuss how the Sun affects our daily lives and will examine the threats posed by coronal mass ejections and solar flares.