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THE SKIES OVER Ireland will provide a visual feast for star-gazers in the coming days, with astronomical activity producing both aurora borealis and the year’s most significant meteor showers.
Increased solar activity last Friday led to aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, becoming visible from Ireland – a rare event. David Moore of Astronomy Ireland told TheJournal.ie that sky-watchers may have the further chances to see aurora over the coming days, but warned that cloud cover may obscure the sights.
Aurorae are caused when solar radiation interacts with the planet’s magnetic field, causing glowing lights in the upper atmosphere that can be seen from Earth.
Moore explained that the aurorae, which are usually only visible in high latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere, were pushed to areas like Ireland due to very strong solar activity. The sun is currently nearing the peak of 11-year cycle, which means increased sunspots and more sights in the sky.
Perseid meteor shower
The Perseid meteor shower occurs once a year and allows star gazers to witness spectacular streaks of light across the sky. The Perseids have been observed from Earth for the past 2,000 years.
The showers can be observed from August 5th to 19th, with the peak occurring on 12th (Friday), and Astronomy Ireland is encouraging the public to count the meteors they observe and pass on the information to them.
No special equipment is needed to see the Perseids.
Astronomy Ireland is holding a Sun Watch workshop at its headquarters in Artane at 1pm this Saturday, to explain the approaching solar maximum.
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This is tyranny
@Gavin Nicholson: which do you prefer, tyranny or hooked up to a ventilator, gasping for your life
@Gavin Nicholson: People are free to get vaccinated if they choose. Everyone has the same choice. There’s nothing tyrannical about it.
@Gavin Nicholson: no it isn’t. These people made a choice not to be vaccinated. Choices have consequences.
@Drunk in Dublin: Where does the choice argument end though? How about when this is all over move on to the obese who choose to ram fast food down their throat on a regular basis? How about we control what they eat as their choice has huge impacts on the health system.
And don’t bother with the childish “but obesity isn’t contagious” argument because one thing has nothing to do with the other. I’m talking about choices that impact the health system. You think choices have consequences, you’re right, but why should those choices just relate to Covid and the vaccine.
If we’re serious about easing pressure in the health system then let’s get serious.
@JedBartlett: nothing “childish” about the argument that obesity etc. Isn’t contagious. Just because you don’t like that argument doesn’t make it less valid. People are refusing to take a medically proven veccine because of crap they’re being fed by anti vax nut jobs. And so they are putting other people’s lives at risk. It’s really that simple. If we are to get out of this pandemic then vaccines are the only way to do it in the short term. We won’t have the same issues here because Austrias vaccine take up is miles behind ours.
@JedBartlett: this is all about the risk that these people pose to others. Simple as. it’s got everything to do with transmission and facilitating the prevalence and mutation of the disease.
@Gavin Nicholson: you’re obviously unfamiliar with the meaning of tube word.
@Stiofán Gearoid De Priondárgas:
Glad I don’t live in a country where you make the rules.
These are unvaccinated people not subhumans to be let die in a ditch.
@Gavin Nicholson: Tyrany / Fascism call it what you want. Next they will be painting red X’s on the unvaccinated’s doors
@Alan Campbell: I would prefer anything before tyranny. Do you believe there are circumstances where tyranny is acceptable?
@Declan Doherty: People were free to get vaccinated. That is not the case anymore. Now they are being coerced. That is why it’s tyrannical.
@GrumpyAulFella: please check your facts. Transmission rates amongst the vaccinated are now higher than the unvaccinated. Therefore the vaccinated are posing a greater risk to others. This is probably due to a more cavalier approach to social distancing and because they are not subjected to segregation.
@Bríann O Connor: I am. I tried googling ‘tube word’. Nothing came up. What does it mean and how is it relevant?
@Gavin Nicholson: I don’t think tyranny means what you think it means. You’re free to get vaccinated just as you’re also free not to get vaccinated. Both of these choices come with consequences. You may not like the consequences of either choice but that’s not tyranny, that’s just life. If we had mandatory vaccinations you might have a point but we don’t and the fact that you can choose not to get vaccinated despite the additional risks that creates for everyone else, very much proves that this isn’t tyranny. On the contrary, you seem to have no idea how lucky you have it.
@Gavin Nicholson:
Sorry but that is just not true… Before you answer let’s consider:
93% of adult population vaccinated
Unvaccinated are far younger
That doesn’t stack well when a few weeks ago 56% of new cases was among unvaccinated… that is way above the statiscal equal margin
@Gavin Nicholson: FREEDUMB.
@Gavin Nicholson: The good of the many in the face of this pandemic come before the few.
@Davey Ohanlon: Not sub human but definitely missing a few marbles!!
@Gavin Nicholson: it is not tyranny. If you decide to break the social pact – that is the consequence of your “disobedience”. For decades generations have been vaccinated without choice and thanks to that very severe illnesses had been defeated. The madness of refusing vaccine caused many of those diseases to come back. Now, you are given a choice: no vaccine no unlimited freedom. No driving license no driving. Simples. You make your choices… grow up
@Gavin Nicholson: where do you get these stats. Stop making stuff up: you are contributing to misinformation and making the situation worse. Irresponsible behaviour driven by complete lack of rational abilities. Centuries of science thrown in the bin due to superstition and perverse logic
@Gavin Nicholson: link? Stats?
Stopped on the street to present your papers. Hmmmm
@Dave Harris:
Won’t be stopped on street but would be entering a pub…
All scientific proof points to the vaccine being the way forward for us to being able to return to normal life while protecting our healthcare system.
If you don’t want to get vaccinated that is your choice but the rest of society doesn’t have to suffer because of your choice.
If you are unvaccinated you have taken the choice of lockdowns and restrictions until the pandemic has passed (looking like years). The rest of us can try and get back to normal life…
@Cowboy Ted: why would you assume I’m anti vax? I’m not, fully vaxxed. But if covid is going to be with us for years, I feel that these knee jerk reactions are not helpful.
@Dave Harris:
I don’t know your views on getting the vaccine or not and I didn’t presume your status in my answers.
This is not a knee jerk reaction but following the guidelines we have schools. It is not mandared but it is very strongly advised. Education is a right in Ireland and that is pribably why not mandared…
The information is clear and the only reason not to get it is misinformation. Even pure selfishness would lead a person to getting it now. The numbers are pretty clear.
So if someone doesn’t want it, then there will be nobody forcing them to take it but by not taking it you have to take other measures to protect others and protect yourself… But they are welcome to live under lockdown conditions but don’t expect the rest of us to join them…
Get vaccinated simple.
@Seamus Mc Hugh: so.. say this works and they get their vaccination rate up as high as we have here. What then? It hasn’t solved it here.
Taking away peoples freedom to force them to be injected with something they don’t want in their body would be expected in North Korea or maybe China. But in Europe… I’m astonished and scared so should you be.
@Seamus Mc Hugh: Public hospitals should be closed to unvaccinated who get sick from COVID.
It’s their decision and we should respect it. Open up completely. What would it matter if they bear ALL THE COSTS to themselves? Exactly what the US is doing. A €300,000 hospital ICU bill is a great leveller.
@john doe:
90% was for Alpha, Delta is a different kettle of fish…
By the way, can you give us the epidemiologist from Ireland who said the vaccine was the silver bullet that would solve everything? Please show us with evidence…
@Michael Cunningham: Why not set up a separate hospital for Covid patients?
@Michael Cunningham: The US is simply price gouging and pricing people out of basic health care. There are several diabetic people in the US who can no longer afford insulin. That’s not a country I’d want to live in. There’s nothing great about that. The US is all about large profits. They haven’t contained the virus well at all. I wouldn’t look to them as some triumphal example. Too many people have died of this.
@Michael Cunningham: It would be great to see them have to back up there beliefs with real$$$$$$
@Fiona Fitzgerald: The antivaxxers can open 10 hospitals for themselves for all I care. Their choice, their consequences. They pay 100% of it.
You are correct – the Americans don’t have all the answers. But at some stage you need to live by your decisions and let the rest of us move on.
At some point you’re punishing those who believe in science just to enable those who don’t.
Give an end date to the free vaccines. The surplus gets handed to developing nations. If you’re not vaccinated by now, you never will.
Is this what our world has come to? Forced to get vaccinated or become a social outcast! You couldn’t make it up.
@Susan McMahon: when your choice to not get vaccinated puts other people at risk because you are taking up valuable ICU beds needed for non covid patients then you should have deal with the consequences.
@Sam Harms: I know a few people who aren’t vaccinated. None of them are taking up valuable ICU beds.
@Roy Dowling: yeah but this is here to stay. The longer they remain unvaccinated and as their natural immune system wanes the more chance they have of taking up a bed when they inevitably contract this thing. We can’t outrun it at the moment. Take the only protection that exists.
@Sam Harms: heres my issue and your comment sums it right up. Your blaming those not vaccinated, taking up ICU beds. Do you recall the countless promises from Gov to buck up our health system? Has it happened in years previous? No. 0% improvement, actually its only got worse. We face this crisis every year with the flu, do you want to outkast the population now for not taking a flu vaccine or are they allowed use one of your ICU beds? Do you recall the gov asking those living abroad medically trained to come home and help? Did they all get jobs? No. Do you recall the promises of extra ICU beds and equipment being sought? Did that happen? No. They done NOTHING. NOTHING to improve our system so dont go finger pointing those needing ICU beds.
@Sam Harms: you don’t know everyone’s reasons, you can be vaccinated and still need an ICU bed. This same old game of pitching all of us against each other is working out great for the FFG parties. It means we dont point the finger in the right direction to them for not even providing 1 extra ICU bed in a global pandemic. Im vaccinated, done my part, stayed home, away from family, wear my mask but I will NEVER refuse anybody health care. Disgusting to see the attitude people have taken against others based on their personal decisions. This vaccine is proving to be more a less worthless & never ending roundabout. We can still catch and spread, need an ICU bed, having it may lessen chances and symptoms but nobody is choosing to get sick, we should all be respectful of each others choices.
@GrumpyAulFella: I’m fully vaccinated and COVID recovered. Still doesn’t give me the right to be tell others to get vaccinated and tell them there taking the choice to take a valuable ICU. Out of yesterdays figure who tested positive. How many were unvaccinated and ended up in ICU?
@Christine Hanway: actually they have increased ICU beds and they are recruiting additional staff but ICU is a highly specialised area that not every nurse can work in. If you are vaccinated you are far less likely to end up in ICU, that’s a fact. And I’m not talking about people who genuinely can’t get the vaccine I’m referring to people who are choosing not to. Also the people I know who aren’t vaccinated have zero regard for covid guidelines and have ignored them all along.
@Christine Hanway:
So you think the problem about lack ICU beds was lack of will by the government?
They were all sitting around and said I couldn’t be bothered…
ICU staff are highly trained and aren’t just walking around the place looking for a job in the last 20 months…
Love these so called FFG tags, when what it is politicising the pandemic… Mainly from Sinners who’s performance in NI has been terrible…
@Christine Hanway: you make me want to puke.
@Cowboy Ted: nonsense. It’s from far right loons who are anti everything.
@Sam Harms: & i know people who are not vaccinated & they wear masks, wash hands, socially distance….
@Fergus Lynch: make sure you have a basin handy so….
@Roy Dowling: Yet!!
@Hear me now: ……and end up occupying many more hospital beds and ventilators than they should based on their % of the population…..
@Susan McMahon: another cherry picking member of society. I want all benefits and none of the duties or less palatable aspects of the social contract. Go live on a deserted island.
@Roy Dowling: ah well then there is no problem just because you and your acquaintances do not have the problem. Are you the centre of the universe and the fountain of knowledge? Perhaps when you close your eyes the world doesn’t exist??? Jesus some that’s some logic !!!!
@Roy Dowling: We should respect their decision not to get vaccinated and move on.
That said, they must live with their decision. If they get sick, you’re hospital bill is not covered. You pay. 100%. Risking bankruptcy and homelessness is a great incentive. Put your money where your mouth is.
Should be the same everywhere.
@Colleen: Be careful what you wish for.
@Colleen: No it shouldnt. People have a choice.
@Roy Dowling: Your personal freedom ends where it is affecting others around you
@Roy Dowling: They have and let them make it but if it goes wrong for them it should cost them$$$
Huh. Rants about people having to wear yellow stars don’t seem that nuts anymore.
@Gerard Carthy: Yes they do. Nuts, distasteful, and igņorant.
@Gerard Carthy: false equivalency and the fact you can’t see that just goes to show how ignorant this comment is.
@Gerard Carthy: Have you ever researched The Holocaust, or any genocide in history?
@David A. Murray: of course they haven’t. Nobody that had researched such an atrocity would ever dream of saying something like that. It’s about as repugnant a statement as someone can make, but as soon as they do make it, they’ve outed themselves, so at least it’s handy in that way. Just get vaccinated people. Anti vaccination is a really stupid hill to literally die on.
@Gerard Carthy:
Getting the Vaccine is a choice, ignorance is also a choice.
This is simple case of choice and consequences… I will point out that we have compulsory vaccines for schools to protect all children. Education is far bigger right than going to the pub or gym.
@Bill Spill: unfortunately the austrian nation has a bit of history in this.
@Gerard Carthy: 100% Lots of people here are in favour of yellow stars and gulags for the jabby dodgers , just remember how this tyranny all started.
@Gerard Carthy: They’re trying to contain the latest outbreak. People won’t be shunned or deported or refused treatment for being human beings.
Look, people forget that a cult of selective euthanasia and compulsory sterilisation began in the USA before it ever spread to Nazi Germany. Some Americans have always been racist, are class-conscious and lean towards health fascism. Luckily not all, nor most. Naturally they’re wary of a lot that played out in an ugly & murderous way in their own political history.
But Austria’s measures to contain the latest outbreak of Covid-19 is a genuine public health service. It isn’t a way to discriminate between people and cull the “losers”. It’s pushing back against the Delta strain so their hospitals don’t end up like Italy in the first wave.
@Sidney Cooper: nut job
I hope our government will take the same approach. It’s going on too long now.
@PJ Beatty: Dont be giving our crowd any ideas now
@PJ Beatty: I don’t think it will be necessary here. We’re well ahead when it comes to vaccine take up and well behind Austria when it comes to mortality rate. Actually if you look at all European countries we’re well behind most of them for death rates. The boosters are really driving down serious illness in Israel and hopefully will do the same here in the next month or two.
@PJ Beatty: No it shouldn’t.
We are entering dictatorship same as communism be very careful what you wish for.
@brendan o connell: My eye. Covid patients will be treated in public hospitals as anyone should be. They’re doing their best to support anyone who comes down with it. I’ve no time either for the few here who want to fine everyone for catching a disease. It’s a disease, not a crime. Do you think the UK are dictators for keeping rabies out? Should people not worry about leprosy or bubonic plague any more because hospitals exist? They’ve lost over eleven thousand people to Covid. Naturally they want to contain it.
This is a great idea.
@Teresa O’Halloran: Not surprised you’re a fan. You’re the same person who wanted everyone on south William street water canoned earlier in the year.
@Teresa O’Halloran: you’re scary!
I have the fear after a few drinks to many at the weekend and this is not helping. Scary stuff whatever end of the debate you find you find yourself on. Stay safe everybody and remember we are all human and flawed individuals. Listen to one another
@Modern Irish Dad: listen to one another he says, after refusing to listen to scientists. Being ‘flawed’ isn’t an excuse. These anti vaxxers are self!sh and !gnorant, simple as.
Any sane person will carry on as normal
@Sidney Cooper: Don’t be a sheep Sydney.
This is tyrany /fascism, call it what you want. Next step will be identifying the un vaccinated by painting red X’s on their doors.
@Rhoda Cunningham: I don’t think it’s the same, no.
The difference between the Austrian measures and the US is in how humanely they treat people who are unlucky enough to fall ill without being wealthy.
People will receive treatment in Europe – without being impoverished and made homeless in the process. Austria is making a genuine decision to contain their latest outbreak. They aren’t refusing to treat patients.
Stopped in the street & demands to show papers, hhhhmmmmm History repeating itself
Your personal freedom ends where your actions or inactions are affecting others. What’s your thought?
@Johannes Baader: So everyones personal freedom are ended by your logic. Fully vaccinated people can still effect others. I was fully vaccinated and I got the virus from my fully vaccinated wife.
@Johannes Baader: I agree. People have been screened in the US for public health for years. People get screening for other contagious diseases when they’re getting married. I donate blood and of course it’s tested before they supply it to a sick patient. There are plenty of notifiable diseases that aren’t allowed to spread to other people. I wouldn’t expect the freedom of Ireland if I were going around spreading TB.
Very Austrian of them.
@Diana Muller: waiting for jackboots on the street with unvaccinated being rounded up and put into ghettos.
@brendan o connell: With all the idle talk here about denying people public health care, and wishing to force them to pay more if they catch a virus, that’s more likely to happen here in Ireland. If we aren’t in favour of democracy and funding public hospitals, that is.
I’ve heard more here about denial of choice from people who are afraid of a jab and who want to prevent their children from ever having a vaccine dose. They don’t want their younger family members to have any choice. To me, that’s sinister. This outbreak is liable to spread indoors more in winter. Fact. Austria has the right to make an effort to contain the spread. If some people don’t want to get a jab there, they can. They don’t need to be selfish about it or pretend it’s not spreading.
Proper order and I wish we’d do the same here. Nobody wants another lockdown, so if this means that the unvaccinated have to sit at home, so be it.
@The Firestarter: why stop at home? Can we not round them all up and put them in some form of camps?…
@The Firestarter: Place for them. Sit quietly and enjoy their free choice in peace!!
Good call
As a famous son of Austria used to say, Lockdown Macht Frei. OK it might not have been exactly that but it was the same general idea.
Simple solution. Lock ‘em all up.
@Jon Kelly: seek help!
Maybe they should protest outside Tesco!
@Niamh Brady: I have a feeling something like ‘mostly peaceful protests’ will start kicking off in Austria now. I believe their government have gone way to far with this!
Brilliant to see a government taking decisive action. Watch their numbers improve over the next 30 days. Ireland take note!!!
have your say