Brendan Nutley Photography

Large X-class Flare Erupts on the Sun

2012-02-08T18:29:00.001Z

02/07/2012 12:00 AM EST

On Jan. 27, 2012, a large X-class flare erupted from an active region near the solar west limb. X-class flares are the most powerful of all solar events. Seen here is an image of the flare captured by the X-ray telescope on Hinode. This image shows an emission from plasma heated to greater than eight million degrees during the energy release process of the flare. Image Credit: JAXA/Hinode

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A New Map of the Moon

2011-11-18T19:48:00.001Z

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter science team released the highest resolution near-global topographic map of the moon ever created. This new topographic map shows the surface shape and features over nearly the entire moon with a pixel scale close to 328 feet. Although the moon is Earth's closest neighbor, knowledge of its morphology is still limited. Due to the limitations of previous missions, a global map of the moon’s topography at high resolution has not existed until now. With LRO's Wide Angle Camera and the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter instrument, scientists can now accurately portray the shape of the entire moon at high resolution. Image Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/DLR/ASU

Boost for south Mayo job-seekers with free CV workshop

2011-11-17T14:06:00.001Z

Job-seekers in south Mayo are getting a free opportunity to learn how to create an effective CV, thanks to a novel tie-up between Let’s Work West and leading CV preparation and interview training organisation Sli Nua Careers.

Watson’s Lane Ballinrobe

The duo will provide a CV workshop for the unemployed and employed people of the south Mayo region on Monday, November 28^th (6-7o’c), at Sli Nua Careers’ offices located at Watson’s Lane Ballinrobe.

Participants will gain valuable advice on how to improve their chances of getting employment or making a career move.

Through guidance of Sli Nua Careers Consultant Liam Horan participants will learn useful tips about CV preparation.

“I think this is a worthwhile opportunity for people to come along to the workshop and gain helpful advice that won’t cost them anything. There has been an incredible amount of interest in this event and with limited places it is advisable to book beforehand by calling 094 95 42965,” said Liam Horan.

“Let’s Work West have done a considerable amount in getting people up and working again, particularly with their recent and very successful jobs expo in Castlebar. We hope that with our services available for these workshops we will be able to help a lot of people,” added Liam.

Joanne Maloney from Let’s Work West urged people to avail of the opportunity. “It’s great to be teaming up with Sli Nua Careers on this project. They really know the business and what employers are looking for. It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone who isn’t sure about their CV or even people who have never done up a CV,” she said.

Bookings can be made by contacting Liam Horan, Sli Nua Careers, 094 95 42965, liam.horan@slinuacareers.com.

SLI NUA CAREERS
To give yourself every chance of getting that job, call in the professionals

Is your CV helping you - or harming you? Get one that works: http://bit.ly/dhD3HZ

Need to know your strengths better? A fully-accredited Personal Profile will help. http://bit.ly/l3l4LN Liam Horan, Sli Nua Careers, is accredited as an Internationally Certified user of Thomas International’s Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) and its related instruments

Sharpen up for your next job interview: http://bit.ly/cYCzum

Tel: +353 94 95 42965

+353 87 9185 867

My barometer is telling me there is rain coming!

2011-11-03T08:44:00.000Z

Regards
Brendan Nutley
0873-204040

[Astronomy Ireland] New School Speakers Needed

2011-10-18T00:04:00.001+01:00

New School Speakers Needed!

Astronomy Ireland is currently recruiting Education Officers for our very successful education programme.

The programme is currently in its second year running. It was founded in 2009 when Astronomy Ireland launched its campaign to ‘Build a science culture for Ireland’.

Astronomy is a fascinating subject and has shown itself to be an excellent gateway subject into science for children. As astronomy is not a main part of the primary and secondary curriculum we feel we offer an important service to schools. We have already visited thousands of primary school children around the country and are constantly working on improving the quality of our programme.

Who are we looking for!

If you have a background in science, a passion for astronomy and teaching experience then we would like to hear from you.

· Science Graduates – preferably with physics/ astrophysics/ astronomy

· Amateur astronomers

· Must have teaching experience.

· Other experience working with young children

· Teachers or trainee teachers with a good knowledge of astronomy, and a desire to work with us to create astronomy lesson plans and teaching resources.

· Fluent Irish speakers. We currently have a lot of interest from Gaelscoils around the country, and would like to be able to offer talks ‘as Gaeilge’.

· We are very interested in hearing from people who live in Waterford/Wexford, Sligo/Donegal, Cork/Kerry, and Mayo/Galway regions.

· Must have your own transport and be willing to travel.

Job description

Education officers will travel to schools in their areas and deliver high-quality presentations to the students. The basis of each presentation will be a highly visual slide-show, usually lasting 40minutes, with 20minutes for Q&A at the end. Each speaker will have at least two talks, one for a younger audience and one for older students. We are looking for people with creative ideas for teaching astronomy. We are looking for passionate speakers who will bring the subject to life for the children.

Application is by C.V. Closing date for submissions is Tuesday 25th October 2011. Please send C.V. to cliona@astronomy.ie

Successful applicants will be required to attend an interview and present a short 15 minute PowerPoint presentation.

Astronomy Ireland

The world's most popular Astronomy Club
www.astronomy.ie

Santa 2012

2011-10-02T17:48:00.001+01:00

When you have written your Santa letter remember to put your name and address at the end. (just in case there is two children with the same name) if you can, each person should write their own letter or if they cant write, ask an adult to help with the spelling of the hard words.

The next thing to do is put your letter in an envelope. On the front you should write

TO SANTA
AT SANTAS WORKSHOP
NORTH POLE

Put your letter in any post box or the post box at your local post office. You don’t even need a stamp. Your letters will be collected and put in a post bag marked SANTA LETTERS ONLY. When the bag is full it will be tied and then it will be taken to Athlone. All the bags with Santa letters from Donegal, Mayo and the midlands must go to Athlone. From Athlone their next stop is Dublin. When the bags arrive in Dublin from all over the country they are loaded on to a big truck and driven to Dublin Airport. All the Santa Letters only bags are then loaded on a plane going to Lapland. When the plain lands the bags of letters are taken off and are sent direct to Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole.

Lapland and the North Pole is a very snowy place. All this moving of mail bags takes time. Sometimes the snow at the North Pole slows things down. We know that the post room at the North Pole will read every letter they get form Ireland and sometimes but not always some children might get a letter back. Not every child does. This is because the heavy snow stops the letters getting back to the plain and so back to Ireland.

I hope this helps!

Yacht missing of Irish SW coast

2011-09-24T19:34:00.001+01:00

Efforts are underway to try and locate a yacht feared missing off the southwest coast.
The vessel - which had been en-route from Bermuda to West Cork - is overdue by almost a week.
Valentia Coastguard is co-ordinating the operation.
The 32 foot yacht "Golden Eagle" left Bermuda in the middle of last month, and had been due to arrive in Crookhaven last week.
However, it never arrived, there has been no radio contact, and concern is growing for the safety of the two man crew.
This morning, four naval vessels on patrol in the area will take part in the search off the Cork coast, with air support provided by the Aer Corps.

Indonesia airline check air hostess applicants 'for breasts implants during job interview'

2011-08-27T08:25:00.001+01:00

Dozens of women applying for air hostess jobs with an Indonesian airline were ordered to strip nearly naked and have their breasts handled in medical check-ups, one of the applicants claimed today. She said Garuda - Indonesia's main airline - wanted to screen out women who had tattoos on their breasts or who had had breast implants. As part of the medical check-up, they had to strip down to just their pants, the woman making the allegations claimed. Declining to be named - because she said she still wanted the coveted job - the woman said the breast checks were carried out at the airline's South Korean branch in Seoul.

The applicants hoped to snare one of the 18 positions being offered for flight attendants. 'The hand examination on breast was held since those with implants can have health issues when air pressure falls during flights,' the South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted an airline official as saying. The official said cabin crew were banned from having tattoos and workers hired in other countries such as Japan and Australia were also subjected to a similar examination. However claims about the check-ups have angered women's rights groups, which described the process as unnecessary and intrusive. 'I wonder if such a practice is acceptable in Indonesia,' said Ms Kim Da-Mi, who works with the Sexual Violence Relief Centre in Seoul. A spokesman for South Korea's main airline, Korean Air, described the tests as 'bizarre'. He said: 'We've never heard of or done such check-ups on flight attendants but I wonder if this means that passengers with breast implants should not fly also.' At Garuda Indonesia's office in Seoul, a spokesman said the medical tests should have followed routine procedures - and those do not include such examinations. 'We are investigating the matter by questioning managers and the doctor who was in charge of the check-up,' said spokesman Park Sung-Hyun. 'This is very embarrassing.' It has not been revealed whether the doctor is female or male. Flight attendant jobs are keenly sought by South Korean women, enticed by high pay and travel opportunities. Thousands prepare for years, attending beauty salons and ensuring they have a high education standard before applying for vacancies.

By RICHARD SHEARS

Lightning Over Ballinrobe

2011-08-25T15:20:00.001+01:00

Image Credit: Brendan Nutley

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-24T08:31:00.001+01:00

High above the Earth from aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Ron Garan snapped this image of Hurricane Irene as it passed over the Carribean on Aug. 22, 2011. The National Hurricane Center noted on Aug. 22 that Irene is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches across Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Southeastern Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands. Isolated maximum amounts of rainfall may reach up to 20 inches. Image Credit: NASA

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Knock Airport

2011-08-22T10:04:00.000+01:00

A Ryanair flight landing at Knock airport.

DID ROBIN HOOD ACTUALLY EXIST?

2011-08-22T09:30:00.001+01:00

The story of Robin Hood has been popularized in numerous
books and films over the years Legend has it that Robin
was deprived of his lands by the sheriff of Nottingham and
forced to take refuge in Sherwood Forest, where he became
an outlaw, banding with a group of Merry Men, falling in
love with a maid named Marian, and stealing from the rich to give to the poor For many years, people have questioned whether this Good Samaritan really did exist. The first literary reference to Robin Hood appeared in
1377, where he is portrayed as a common bandit, and there
are printed versions of ballads on the subject from the early
sixteenth century in which he is portrayed as a farmer or
tradesman In later accounts, it is said that Robin was a nobleman
from the late twelfth century, during the time when
Richard the Lionheart was fighting the Crusades However,
one of the original ballads has it that he lived during the
reign of Edward II While some of the early ballads do refer
to the sheriff of Nottingham and some of the Merry Men,
no mention is made of Maid Marian, who is thought to have
been added in later versions of the story.

The British Museum keeps an account of Robin’s life, which holds that he was born in 1160 in Lockersley, Yorkshire,
although this place doesn’t exist Another account, however, has it that he was from Wakefield in the fourteenth
century. A tourist attraction in Nottinghamshire is a tree
known as the Major Oak, which is said to have been where Robin Hood lived, although this claim has been disputed by some who allege that the tree isn’t old enough.

While some academics claim Robin Hood of Sherwood
Forest never existed, it is generally accepted that someone
referred to as Robin Hood did Where and when he lived,
and how much generosity he bestowed on the poor, remain
matters of conjecture, and most experts agree that much of
the modern-day legend is just that.

South Coast Rescue underway as yacht capsizes

2011-08-15T23:26:00.001+01:00

A US registered yacht capsized near Fastnet Rock off the Co Cork coast this evening.
(Picture: The world-record holding 'Rambler 100' earlier this year...)

Some 22 people were onboard the Rambler 100 , which was participating in the Fastnet Race from Cowes to Fastnet and back to Plymouth, when it capsized in force five winds at about 6.30pm.
The Department of Transport said all 22 crew had been accounted for. As many as 10 people were feared missing earlier. A department spokeswoman said 16 people were now sitting on the hull of the ship and the remainder were on life rafts.

The Irish Coast Guard and Baltimore Lifeboat are attending. Two Irish Coast Guard helicopters R116 & R117 from Shannon and Waterford were also dispatched. Naval patrol ship LE Ciara was in the area and is also assisting.
Although the sea is not particularly rough, the search operation is being hampered by misty and rainy conditions with visibility down to less than a mile. The Fastnet Race, regarded as the one of the oldest offshore yacht races in the world, first took place in 1925.
The 608-mile race passes Land’s End before turning north-north-west and across the Celtic Sea towards West Cork. Participants round the famous lighthouse three miles off Cape Clear Island before heading to their ultimate destination of Plymouth.
The majority of the crews participating are amateur and club racers.
A total of 314 boats started the race, now sponsored by Rolex, off Cowes on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, beating the previous record turnout of 303 entries registered for the tragic 1979.
A total of 15 people died that year when the fleet was caught in violent weather and sea conditions between Lands End and Fastnet.
A memorial stone listing the 15 names was erected on Cape Clear’s North Harbour in time for the 25th anniversary which was held on the island in 2004.
Prior to 1979 the Fastnet Race had a good safety record with one crewman lost overboard in 1931.

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[Astronomy Ireland] Irish Astronomers Find Planets! - Lecture Report

2011-08-12T09:43:00.001+01:00

Irish Astronomers Find Planets!

The Future of Planet-Hunting - Lecture Report and DVD

The search for exoplanets is one of the most exciting fields in astronomy and will perhaps one day answer the question of whether we are alone in the Universe. Although searching for alien worlds dates back to ancient times the techniques needed to detect them have only recently been developed with the first exoplanet being discovered in 1992. The possibility of finding life on another planet is a thrilling one not only for astronomers but also for a huge proportion of the general public, and this was clearly evident at Astronomy Ireland’s August lecture in Trinity College on Monday night, August 8th. The Schroedinger theatre was packed full of people eager to hear Professor Don Pollacco from Queen's University, Belfast, speak about the next generation of exoplanet surveys and get a clue as to where in our galaxy we may find our alien neighbours.

Prof Pollacco is a research astronomer in the Astrophysics Research Centre at QUB, and he is part of a team who uses and operates SuperWASP instruments. SuperWASP is a leading extra-solar planet detection programme. It consists of two robotic observatories that operate all year round allowing astronomers to cover both hemispheres of the sky. The observatories each consist of eight wide-angle cameras that simultaneously monitor the sky for planetary transit events. Prof Pollacco explained that a transit occurs when a planet passes in front of its parent star temporarily blocking some of the light from it. The SuperWASP instruments look for these tiny dips in the brightness of the parent star. The eight wide-angle cameras allow them to monitor millions of stars simultaneously enabling the detection of rare transit events.

Prof Pollacco examined the possibilities of finding life in the Milky Way and, indeed, intelligent civilisations who wish to make contact. For a long time the numbers in the famous Drake Equation (which determines the number of civilisations) were simply down to guesswork: numbers such as how many stars will have planets around them, how many are capable of supporting life, and so on. However, in recent years, thanks to the work of Prof Pollacco and other astronomers, we can now make educated estimates of these numbers. At the lecture, Prof Pollacco showed that the number of intelligent, contactable civilisations in our galaxy may be as high as 20,000!

Following the lecture, attendees went to The Lombard Inn for complimentary food and a chat with Prof Pollacco and other attendees.

A full report and photos of the event are available HERE.

If you were unable to make it to the lecture, or would like a souvenir, you can order a copy of the lecture on DVD, for only €7 plus P&P. Remember you can order as many DVDs of our previous lectures as you like for the same postage cost of €5.

Order your DVD HERE.

Astronomy Ireland

The world's most popular Astronomy Club
www.astronomy.ie

Ladies Day at Ballinrobe Races

2011-07-28T19:41:00.001+01:00

[Astronomy Ireland] Star-B-Q, Space Shuttle's Final Voyage, Vesta,Last Chance to see Saturn, Michael West Lecture Series

2011-07-21T08:50:00.001+01:00

2011 Events Membership DVD Shop

1. Star-B-Q 2011 - €10 Off This Month Only – Only One Week Left

Star-B-Q 2011, promises to be our biggest ever with an exciting night of guest speakers, an array of telescopes to look through, junior section for children, evening entertainment, and Astronomy Ireland Shop displays. All of this is included in the price of your ticket, as well as food and refreshments.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFER

Only seven days left to receive 10euro off each adult ticket purchased.

Full price tickets cost 39euro (adults) or 29euro (U16). Family and group rates are available on request.

For more information about Star-B-Q 2011 click HERE call us on (01) 847 0777.

2. Space Shuttle’s Final Voyage

The world watched as Atlantis was lifted into the skies in what was to be its final voyage. The 30 year shuttle programme by NASA will retire once the shuttle lands on Earth on the 21st of July. The shuttle carrying four astronauts finally undocked from the International Space Station today after delivering more than four tonnes of cargo including food, clothing and spare parts. The world’s eye will now turn to commercial shuttle programmes such as Boeing and SpaceX to fill the void left behind by the iconic space shuttle programme by NASA.

The following TV shows will be aired this week and next document the Space Shuttle Programme over the past 30 years.

· The Space Shuttle’s Last Flight, Saturday, July 23^rd at 7.30pm and July 26^th at 12.25am on Channel 4

· Space Shuttle: The Final Mission, Sunday, July 24^th at 9.00pm on BBC 2

3. NASA Spacecraft Snaps the First Close Up Picture of Vesta

In slightly more upbeat news for the scientific community, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft captured fascinating pictures of the asteroid Vesta. This asteroid is the second largest object in the main asteroid belt lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Among the pictures was the polar region of Vesta which has a diameter of 530 kilometres. Dawn will stay on the asteroid for the next year making observations that will allow scientists to understand the formation of our solar system better.

4. Last Chance to See Saturn!

Astronomy Ireland’s largest ever sale continues with incredible offers over many telescope ranges. It is the perfect time to buy as this may be your last chance to see Saturn before it slips too close to the sun! Jupiter however, is on its way back and with the first hints of Mars in the early morning, it certainly is an exciting time to be an astronomer!

Over the coming weeks the nights will begin to get longer and darker. Now is the perfect time to start brushing off your telescope or upgrading to that CPC you’ve always wanted!

For more information on what to see in the night sky or to speak to someone about purchasing your new telescope, call the Astronomy Ireland Shop on (01) 847 0777 or email at sales@astronomy.ie

5. Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy

The Astrophysics Research Centre of Queen's University Belfast presents two lectures as part of the 2011 Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy.

The first lecture, "SuperMassive Black Holes", will be given by Professor Reinhard Genzel, Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, who is an international expert on investigating black holes that weigh millions of times more than our Sun. This lecture will be held on Friday 22nd July.

The second lecture, "Killer Asteroids" will be given by Dr. Robert Jedicke from the University of Hawaii. Dr. Jedicke is a renowned asteroid hunter, and is leading the search for dangerous asteroids with the new PanSTARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. This lecture will be held on Wednesday 3rd August.

Both talks will take place in the Larmor Lecture Theatre in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Queen's. Attendance at the talks is free of charge, but seats must be booked either by phone at 028 9097 3202, or by visiting the website http://tinyurl.com/MichaelWestLectures and registering there.

Astronomy Ireland

The world's most popular Astronomy Club
www.astronomy.ie

GHA’s They never get a mention.

2011-07-15T15:08:00.001+01:00

A9C-KC, uploaded by Jean Goubet-FRENCHSKY on 2011-07-14
CDG T1

Astronomy Ireland Info

2011-07-15T15:06:00.001+01:00

2011 Events Membership DVD Shop

1. Star-B-Q 2011 - €10 Off This Month Only

Star-B-Q 2011, promises to be our biggest ever with an exciting night of guest speakers, an array of telescopes to look through, junior section for children, evening entertainment, and Astronomy Ireland Shop displays. All of this is included in the price of your ticket, as well as food and refreshments.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFER

Book before July 27th to receive 10euro off each adult ticket purchased.

Full price tickets cost 39euro (adults) or 29euro (U16). Family and group rates are available on request.

For more information about Star-B-Q 2011 click HERE or call us on (01) 847 0777.

2. The Norwegian Astronomy Voyage

Astronomy Ireland are running a special trip in called The Norwegian Astronomy Voyage: A Northern Lights Cruise. The voyage will take place over six nights (plus one night in Oslo) from January 20th, 2012, giving you an amazing experience of a spectacular place on Earth, where you will experience the beauty of the aurorae.

For more information or to book your place, click HERE. Alternatively, you can call Project Travel at (01) 210 8391.

3. It’s Moon Watching Time!

The best time to view the Moon this month will be over the next few days with the day/night line (the terminator) picking out massive craters, mountains and valleys. Through a telescope the Moon is one of the most incredible sights in the sky and is often overlooked by a lot of astronomers. The sights with even a small telescope can be incredible and when you move up to higher magnification you will be astounded at the level of detail that is available. The staff in the Astronomy Ireland Shop are all enthusiasts themselves and are on hand 6 days a week with expert advice.

Whether it’s an upgrade or you are looking for advice on what your new telescope is going to be, call us on (01) 847 0777 or email at sales@astronomy.ie for all the help you need.

Our Summer Sale is our biggest ever and we have deals that are simply too good to pass up! Check out astronomy.ie/shop for more info.

4. Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy

The Astrophysics Research Centre of Queen's University Belfast presents a lecture, "SuperMassive Black Holes" as part of the 2011 Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy. This talk will be held on Friday 22nd July in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It will be given by Professor Reinhard Genzel, Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. Professor Genzel is an international expert on investigating black holes that weigh millions of times more than our Sun.

The talk will take place in the Larmor Lecture Theatre in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Queen's. Attendance at the talk is free of charge, but seats must be booked either by phone at 028 9097 3202, or by visiting the website http://tinyurl.com/MichaelWestLectures and registering there.

5. Astronomy Tips

· Tomorrow (Friday) sees this month's Full Moon, known as the Thunder Moon, after the storms that often take place during the summer months.

· In the northern skies around midnight with a clear sky you may get to see very high altitude clouds called noctilucent clouds (NLCs). These clouds are so thin that they are invisible in daytime, and can only be seen when they are illuminated by the Sun from below the horizon. They as wispy veils in the night sky, glowing an electric blue colour.

· For anyone getting up (or still awake!) in the early mornings, Mars is located to the left of Aldebaran as they rise around 3am. Both are located in the northeast part of the sky.

Astronomy Ireland

The world's most popular Astronomy Club
www.astronomy.ie

G-BTFG

2011-07-13T12:44:00.001+01:00

G-BTFG, uploaded by Terry Fletcher on 2011-07-13
1940 Boeing A75N1, c/n: 75-3441 of TG Aviation wears US Navy 441 Serials at Kent International

GLIDER

2011-07-13T12:43:00.001+01:00

GLIDER, uploaded by Eric.Fishwick on 2011-07-13
Pilcher Bat - Percy Sinclair Pilcher (1867-1899) The Shuttleworth Collection

Sunday Server Fock-Air 15:00GMT – 18:00GMT

2011-06-26T14:44:00.001+01:00

Flock_Air Flight Simulator Flight Plan
Schwechat –> Balice –> Schwechat

Distance: 369.2 km
Estimated time en route: 0:41

LOWW – EPPK (VFR)

NIT (116.50) (VOR)

JAB (116.40) (VOR)

KRW (353.0) (NDB)

EPKK (airport)

TOC:

Experienced pilots need only apply. Standard FSX aircraft only.

Non-Company Pilots can book their place by e-mail ei1429@hotmail.com

Irish Weather Online

2011-06-22T10:21:00.001+01:00

Shuttle Commander Announces Retirement From NASA

Hurricane Beatriz Skirts Mexican Coast

Midsummer Global Satellite Animation – 21st June 2011

Ocean Circulation Changes Responsible For Ice Age – Study

GALLERY Horizontal Rainbow, Co Limerick – 21 June 2011

Scientists To Study Arctic Ecosystem

Thunderstorm Activity Report For Ireland 21 June 2011

VIDEO Tornado In Nebraska USA 20 June 2011

Shuttle Commander Announces Retirement From NASA

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:54 PM PDT

Commander Mark Kelly, who led space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission, waves as he walks out of crew quarters shortly before the scheduled launch NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Kelly has...
Click here for more on this IWO article

Hurricane Beatriz Skirts Mexican Coast

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:40 PM PDT

Hurricane Beatriz skirting the south-western Mexican coast Tuesday bringing heavy rains and high surf to coastal areas, including Mexico’s biggest port. NASA satellite imagery showed that...
Click here for more on this IWO article

Midsummer Global Satellite Animation – 21st June 2011

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 03:08 PM PDT

Global Satellite Animation – June 21st 2011 from iweatheronline on Vimeo. Today, the 21st June 2011 is the longest day of the year, or to be more precise, the day when daylight is at its...
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Ocean Circulation Changes Responsible For Ice Age – Study

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:59 PM PDT

Ice Sheet in Antarctica There have been instances in Earth history when average temperatures have changed rapidly, as much as 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) over a few decades, and some...
Click here for more on this IWO article

GALLERY Horizontal Rainbow, Co Limerick – 21 June 2011

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:39 PM PDT

We received an email via pix@irishweatheronline.com from Fergal Clohessy in County Limerick today. Fergal described seeing a horizontal rainbow on the horizon as he travelled the main Limerick to...
Click here for more on this IWO article

Scientists To Study Arctic Ecosystem

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:19 PM PDT

Scientists embark this week from Alaska on the second and final campaign of a NASA field campaign to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean’s chemistry and ecosystems. On...
Click here for more on this IWO article

Wingtip vortices

2011-06-19T21:35:00.001+01:00

A wing generates aerodynamic lift by creating a region of lower air pressure above it. Fluids are forced to flow from high to low pressure and the air below the wing tends to migrate toward the top of the wing via the wingtips. The air does not escape around the leading edge of the wing due to airspeed, but it can flow around the tip. Consequently, air flows from below the wing and out around the tip to the top of the wing in a circular fashion. This leakage will raise the pressure on top of the wing and reduce the lift that the wing can generate. It also produces an emergent flow pattern with low pressure in the centre surrounded by fast-moving air with curved streamlines.

Wingtip vortices only affect the portion of the wing closest to the tip. Thus, the longer the wing, the smaller the affected fraction of it will be. As well, the shorter the chord of the wing, the less opportunity air will have to form vortices. This means that for an aircraft to be most efficient, it should have a very high aspect ratio. This is evident in the design of gliders. It is also evident in long-range airliners, where fuel efficiency is of critical importance. However, increasing the wingspan reduces the manoeuvrability of the aircraft, which is why combat and aerobatic planes usually feature short, stubby wings despite the efficiency losses.

Another method of reducing fuel consumption is the use of winglets, as seen on some modern airliners such as the Airbus A340. Winglets work by forcing the vortex to move to the very tip of the wing and allowing the entire span to produce lift, thereby effectively increasing the aspect ratio of the wing. Winglets also change the pattern of vortices in the core of the vortex pattern, spreading it out and reducing the kinetic energy in the circular air flow, which reduces the amount of fuel expended to perform work by the wing upon the spinning air. Winglets can yield worthwhile economy improvements on long-distance flights.

For more Click Here

Charity Car Wash

2011-06-04T12:19:00.001+01:00

Busy few days for Coast Guard with Medivac to London

2011-06-02T08:47:00.001+01:00

The Irish Coast Guard successfully assisted the HSE with the medical evacuation of a young transplant patient from Dublin to London yesterday.

The request for assistance was received by the Coast Guard at 2am yesterday morning and involved a very critical timeframe. Within ten minutes, the Dublin-based Coast Guard helicopter crew were assembled, briefed and shortly afterwards, Rescue 116 and crew were en-route to Heathrow airport in London with the young patient, who was later transferred to Kings Cross Hospital.

The medical evacuation yesterday was just one of a number of similar incidents involving Coast Guard crews around Ireland in the past 48 hours;
At 11am on Thursday, Dublin Coast Guard co-ordinated the rescue by the RNLI of 6 children and an adult from overturned canoes off Clogherhead.

At 16:38pm on Thursday the Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 115 lifted an injured crewmember from a fishing vessel in the Shannon Estuary where he were later transferred by ambulance to the mid-Western Regional Hospital.
At 17:52pm Thursday evening, the Castletown Coast Guard Unit were tasked to respond to a call of an injured person on rocks at Ballydongen Beach, Allihies, Co. Cork.
At 7:56am Friday morning, the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 evacuated an ill crewmember from a fishing vessel 105 miles west of Loop Head with the Sligo Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 118 standing by as top cover for the long distance operation.

Speaking yesterday, Director of the Irish Coast Guard Chris Reynolds said: “It might seem like a busy 48 hours for the Coast Guard – but this is nothing out of the ordinary for our teams, who operate on a 24/7 basis and are always on standby in the event of emergencies. I would like to congratulate all of our teams who were involved in the successful medical evacuations that took place in the 48 hours. In particular, the evacuation at very short notice of the young transplant patient yesterday morning. It is very unusual for the Coast Guard to operate out as far east as London, but we are delighted that the transfer went smoothly and that we could help.“

Further information:

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport Press Office: (01) 604 1076 / (01) 604 1090.