Building on the success of last year's worldwide event, this
year’s event took place on October 8, 2011. This year’s
theme, “It’s YOUR Moon: What Does the Moon Mean to You?”
was intended to focus on personal and cultural connections to
the Moon. However, given the conditions in Tralee, all there was
to focus on at 8 pm were the clouds.
However just after 9pm the cloud began to breakup and as the
car was packed anyway we headed to the Aquadome carpark. There
the sky showed more signs of clearing and the telescope was set
up.
Soon we had good clear views of the moon. Aristarchus crater
was strikingly crisp, shining brightly out of the darkness of
the limb (at about the 10 o'clock position in the image below)
Click on it for a larger image.
We also got a nice view of Jupiter and its four moons low in
the east. For more information visit http://observethemoonnight.org
to see the official InOMN site with the latest information,
maps
and activities..
Lunar eclipse of the 15th of June 2011.
The last total lunar eclipse to be visible from Ireland until
2015 occurred on June 15th. The Moon was already be past the total
phase of the eclipse as it rose for us in Kerry, As is common
our South East horizon was not totally clear and it was after
22:30 before we got our first glimpse of the tan Moon through
some gaps in the clouds.
A little later it cleared the low clouds and we saw clearly the
last part of the Umbra as it cleared its way across the face of
a noticeable dimmed Full Moon.
Thanks to all that turned up and braved the cold wind on the
Short Mountain.
The next total Lunar eclipse is not till September 2015 but it
is much better placed high in a dark sky. There are however several
partial eclipses that will be visible before that.
Partial view of partial Solar eclipse January 4th 2011.
Located in the Southwest of Ireland, we were in nearly the worst
location in Ireland to view this event. The further north and
east you went the more of the eclipse would be visible as you
head closer to the point of maximum coverage of the sun and the
earlier sunrise.
The ideal location for viewing the most of the eclipse would
have been in Finland or Sweden. Even there the maximum eclipse
occurs at sunrise.
Given these disadvantages and the almost guaranteed cloud, it
was tempting to stay in bed but as it is one of the last eclipses
that will be visible at all from here it was decided to make the
effort.
Opposite is the best view we got through the clouds at about
9:04.
October 24th Full Moon rising.
Picture taken from Dingle Peninsula near the village of Stradbally.
Lough Gill is in the fore ground with Tralee bay and Banna beach
further away.
It is unusual to have such cloudless skies to spot the Moonrise
like this.
The orange colour, like that of the setting sun is caused by
it being seen through so much of the atmosphere that scatters
all the blue components of the white light, (giving us our blue
skies) and leaving only the lower red and orange frequencies through.
(more)
The distortion of its normally circular appearance is caused
by the different temperatures and density of the atmosphere near
the ground to that higher up, causing refraction (bending) of
the light from the Moon (or Sun). This means that we actually
see the Moonrise (and Sunrise) before we would if there were no
atmosphere.
..
ISS with Shuttle attached
These are images of the ISS taken on the 18:38 pass with a webcam
and a 222mm Dobsonian telescope manually tracked.
The International Space Station (ISS) is visible
from Ireland in the Evening and Morning Sky for at different times
throughout the year. Check the links below for times.
The times are available here for when it is visible
from Kerry
Live weather.
Feedback
Hi guys. In our continued effort to improve, we have two pages
for feedback, one on speir and one on our monthly meetings,
please take the time to have a look and fill them in.
They are anonymous so please be frank
..
