Hi °C | Lo °C IRISH stargazers will this evening get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe a large asteroid as it passes extremely close to our planet.
The 150ft-wide space rock, named 2012 DA14, will pass closer to the Earth than some satellites in orbit such as those used in broadcasting and communications.
Astronomy Ireland said anyone can visit the organisation's shop in Swords, north Dublin, from 8pm to view the asteroid with some of the most powerful telescopes in the country.
Jet engine flown in
A replacement engine worth millions of dollars had to be flown from the US to Dublin after a passenger jet suffered an engine failure over the Atlantic on Wednesday.
Delta Airlines flight DL-34 declared an emergency early on Wednesday morning after the Boeing 767-300 jet suffered an engine failure over the North Atlantic and it diverted into Dublin.
A cargo plane arrived in Dublin from Georgia yesterday with a replacement General Electric CF6 engine worth about $6m (€4.4m).
Smuggler cash seized
THE State has seized over €19,300 from a convicted cigarette smuggler after he claimed he was using it to set up a beauty salon in Ireland.
The cash was seized from Virginijus Jokubaitis (37) as he was about to board a flight at Dublin Airport.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the Revenue was applying to seize the money on the basis that it was likely to be the proceeds of crime. The application was not contested by Jokubaitis.
Judge Mary Ellen Ring said she had no difficulty in ordering the money forfeited to the State.
Fire victim in hospital
AN ELDERLY woman was being treated in hospital for smoke inhalation last night following a fire at an apartment complex.
The 77-year-old was among a group of over a dozen residents who were evacuated from the Gowran Hall apartment complex on Ballygihen Avenue, Sandycove, Dublin, in the early hours of yesterday morning. She was taken to St Vincent's Hospital for treatment.
Heart op list grows
THE number of patients waiting between six months and a year for heart surgery has risen by more than 80pc.
New figures show that the number of people in the queue for cardio-thoracic surgery nationally for this length of time went up from 41 in November 2011 to 75 in November last year.
Irish Independent
