Hi folks,

I'm sure many of you are aware of the Lunar eclipse taking place on May 4th. This rather strange eclipse will see the Moon rising in shadow at around 9pm and exiting the final phase just before midnight.

So any public Star Parties planned? One club is boasting setting up 9 locations around the country for this "Bring along a few euros to make a small donation and buy a copy of the club's magazine".

IFAS club events:
Tullamore Astronomical Society
Seannie Morris
half way between Tyrrellspass and Kilbeggan!
Contact Seannie Morris or TAS homepages.iol.ie/~seanmck/tas.htm

Shannonside Astronomy Club
Dave Lillis
Boher, Co. Limerick
Contact Dave Lillis or SAC www.geocities.com/shannonsideac/

IRISH ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Dublin SideWalk Astronomersof the I.A.S.
"BAD MOON RISING: LUNAR ECLIPSE"
Tuesday 4th May 2004
Public Star Party
Start 9.00pm,
at the Sandymount Tower car park, Dublin 4.
No Charge.

Cheers,
~Al

So any public Star Parties planned?

Well, I won't be hosting any star parties, but I would invite people to come to my house. I live in the countryside, half way between Tyrrellspass and Kilbeggan i.e. 3.5 miles from anywhere! I am renting, but the landlady on whose farm I am renting a small cottage said its no problem to go into one of the fields way off the main road. Easy access to get to as well.

Mite there be anyone reading this, who is in the area, who would like to come over for soup and sambo's and some astronomical frolicking in the fields? :wink:

Let me know soon. I am going to organise this through Tullamore Astronomical Society.

Of course, it will all be weather permitting. If its raining or even heavy cloud, I'd prefer not to go through the trouble of it... It'll only be worthwhile if its clear!

Seanie.

Hi All,
Shannonside will be having an eclipse watch up at our elevated observing site near Boher, Co. Limerick, All are welcome, we'll be meeting up as early as possible (for me, when I finish work) and getting our equipment ready, bring friends along if they want to come.
For those who dont know where it is, let me know and I can pass on directions.

Hi all,

Hope your planned eclipse watches went well. We here in Kerry Astronomy club had three sites scheduled. I was at the site just south of Tralee.
We first saw the moon at about 21:50 and saw most of the event in between the hail showers.

See the report on Our website follow the links to the observing page and the Gallery page.

Michael Scully KAC/SAC

Hope your planned eclipse watches went well.

Michael,
I think you were the only ones who may in fact have seen the eclipse! :? Some of Tullamore AS came out to Tyrrellspass (my house) and saw nothing but rain drops falling on the plain.

Some Irish guy called Murphy got his way again...

Feck it anyway!

Seanie.

same story in Dublin. The IAS and SDAS folks were out in force, and we had quite a crowd come up and chat to us, but unfortunately all people got to see were ships and howth lighthouse through the scopes.

Cheers,
~Al

Well the Moon came out in Galway! with a small break in the cloud just before the end of totality, then clouded over for 25 minutes and ended up viewing the partial phase in and out of showers. Beautiful copper colour, brighter towards left side of Moon. Must say unusual looking partial phase as shadow retreated northwards.

Ronan GAC

Dear Friends,

I had given up on the eclipse due to the heavy clouds and intermittent rains during the day and late afternoon. However, about an hour prior to the eclipse I stepped outside to feed my dogs when I noticed some possibility of clearing. I rushed indoors to prepare the equipment just in the event I were to get lucky.

To summarize: www.perseus.gr/Astro-Eclipses-2004-05-04.htm

Now, let's hope it is clear early next month for you-know-what!

Anthony.

Lucky???!!! You caught the whole show! Very nice sequence of pictures there Anthony.

For myself, well it wasn't just that it was cloudy, I was actually suck in the cloud! I live in the hills. One of these years I'll get to see an eclipse. There is another chance coming up this October. Fingers crossed.

Hi All
Some fabulous pics there, great sequence.
We were also clouded out until 22.10 when the clouds cleared completely and saw the remainder of the eclipse, the moon was 1/3 out of the shadow when we cought it, we're counting ourselves very lucky. Before the skies cleared, we were holding no hope, it was as if Moses himself came along and parted the clouds,

There was a nice copper rustic colour to the moon and was fabulous in wide field scopes and binoculars.
It was as if the moon was smiling at us, as the shadow edge was pointing towards the horizon, real nice.
I'll post some pics here later after I've sorted out whet I want to put up.

Dave,

I have put your images up on the Shannonside Astronomy Club's Website Just follow the links to the Moon section of the Gallery.

Michael Scully KAC/SAC

Thanks Michael.
Lets hope the venus transit is some way visible also.

Hi All,
One thing I forgot, did anyone see a very bright meteor that night at approx 23.11, it has heading due south through Virgo, past Spica, it was atleast as bright as Venus and traveled approx 30-40 degrees of sky..

Time to make this topic unsticky.

Given the weather most of us had, I thouhgt the lyrics of Bad Moon Rising would be apropriate... Looks like we're in for nasty weather.

Bad Moon Rising

Written by: J. Fogerty
Performed by: Creedence Clearwater Revival

I see a bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see bad times today.

CHORUS:
Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we're in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Cheers,
~Al