Join us for a free Telescope Workshop at AI Headquarters in Blanchardstown at 7PM on Friday 2nd December.

This event will go ahead regardless of weather so do come along to look at the telescopes especially if your thinking of giving one as a gift, and bring yours if you want to know how to use it.

This year our targets will be the Moon and Mars, two great night sky objects. Join us for a night of fun!!

“The Moon is full of details to see like craters, mountains, vast lava lakes and more. It is by the far the most spectacular object to see in a telescope. It is great be joining forces with NASA focus on the Moon for one night a year, even if we cannot do it together!” said David Moore, editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine.

This event is free for all and suitable for young and old. Directions/MAP to event HERE

MOON FACTS

The Moon is roughly 3,500 km across (2,160 miles) wide and roughly 400,000 km (240,000 miles) from Earth.

It is thought the Moon was made when another planet half the size of Earth crashed into the Earth and a huge cloud of molten rock was flung out into space around the Earth and formed the Moon. This happened shortly after the Earth was formed 4,500 million years ago.Since then rocks in space have smashed into the Moon leaving the countless ‘craters’ that can be seen peppering its surface with a telescope.

The Moon goes around the Earth roughly once every “moonth” – this is where the word “month” came from i.e. we used to base our calendar on the 12 Full Moons we get each year. Neil Armstrong was Irish. He told our Editor David Moore at a private meeting in Dublin in 2003 when Armstrong said he had just researched his family history.

MARS FACTS

Structure and Surface

(Credit NASA)

• Mars is a terrestrial planet. It is small and rocky.
• Mars has a thin atmosphere.
• Mars has an active atmosphere, but the surface of the planet is not active. Its volcanoes are dead.

Time on Mars

• One day on Mars lasts 24.6 hours. It is just a little longer than a day on Earth.
• One year on Mars is 687 Earth days. It is almost twice as long as one year on Earth.

Mars Neighbours

• Mars has two moons. Their names are Phobos and Deimos.
• Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. That means Earth and Jupiter are Mars’ neighboring planets.

Quick History

• Mars has been known since ancient times because it can be seen without advanced telescopes.
• Several missions have visited Mars. And Mars is the only planet we have sent rovers to. They drive around Mars, taking pictures and measurements.