Hi all

Some timely reminders for some great celestial and terrestrial events in the next few months.

First, the celestial:

1. Planet and Moon Conjunctions in May

If you've been looking East each morning, you'll have noticed the brilliant conjunction of the planets Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Mars.

Jupiter has been heading closer to Venus and Mercury, and on the 12th May they'll be at their closest. At the end of the month, the Crescent Moon joins the planets for a spectacular view. The image below is similar to what you'll see at the end of the month - this was captured on the 2nd May by Terry Cuttle.

To find out more about the conjunctions during May, including where and how you can see them, sky charts for key dates during May, how to photograph the conjunctions, and even to learn more about what a conjunction actually is, then head to this article which has everything you need:

Upcoming Conjunctions Featuring the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in May 2011

We'd love to see your images and read your reports from the event. Please share your experiences in our Solar System forum or on our Facebook page.

2. Total Lunar Eclipse in June

On the morning of the 15/16th June 2011 (16th June AEST) the first total lunar eclipse of 2011 occurs, about 1.5 hours before sunrise.

Observers in Western Australia will get to see the whole event, while the Eastern States will miss the last partial stages of the eclipse as the Moon will set just after totality.

It's a long eclipse, with totality lasting 100 minutes. A good Westerly aspect will be essential as the Moon will be low in the West during totality.

Click the link above for more information about the eclipse, how and where you can see it and photograph it, and to look for timings and moon altitude for a city near you.

Now, for the terrestrial events;

3. Australia's Astro Imaging Conference - FLI AAIC 2011 

Australia's first major astro imaging conference, the FLI AAIC 2011, is on from the 8th - 10th July 2011 and is being held at Crown Plaza Hotel, Sufers Paradise, Queensland!

The programme features 3 days of workshops, demonstrations and lectures by some of Australia's most prominent professional and amateur astrophotographers, as well as two renowned international guest speakers - Ken Crawford and Rogelio Bernal Andreo.

Registration is now open, and numbers are limited! So get in early to reserve your spot and receive the early-bird discount.

Check out the AAIC2011 article for more information, or visit the AAIC2011 website.

4. IISAC2011 is less than 6 months away

Ok so it's still a while away (27th-30th October 2011), but if you need to put in annual leave forms or build up brownie points, now may be the time to start getting organised.

IISAC will be taking a break next year (due to the Total Solar Eclipse), so make sure you get to this one.

Keep an eye on the IISAC2011 page for more information over the next weeks and months and I hope to see you there.