Armagh Observatory & Planetarium (AOP) has been officially appointed as the STEM Ambassador Delivery Partner for Northern Ireland, reinforcing its commitment to inspiring young minds and fostering a love for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This appointment positions AOP at the forefront of STEM engagement in the region, coordinating Read more
Welcome to summer stargazing 2025. We are going to have a look at the night sky and some of the things we can see through June. Hopefully, these nights are warm enough to feel comfortable stargazing. We will have to wait a bit to see the stars as the sun Read more
RECORD-BREAKING APRIL MUCH WARMER, MUCH SUNNIER, AND WETTER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory, 10th May 2025: Armagh Observatory reports that April 2025 was a record-breaking month, much warmer, much sunnier, and wetter than average. It was the third warmest April on record at Armagh, the third sunniest, and the wettest Read more
Black holes are kind of scary. Think about an invisible pitfall that swallows everything that gets close. Even light, the fastest thing in the universe, can’t escape them! From a scientist’s point of view, however, black holes are kind of cool. Their extreme nature makes them a very interesting thing Read more
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) is celebrating a major milestone in the history of astronomy and science education with the launch of a new international publication:100 Years of Planetaria: 100 Stories of People, Places, and Devices, co-edited by AOP’s own Matthew McMahon. Published by Springer Praxis, the book honours the Read more
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) has confirmed that 30 April 2025 recorded the hottest April day in Armagh since daily maximum temperature records began in 1843, with a high of 23.4ºC at approximately 13:27 GMT with the reading taken from the Vaisala digital thermometer. This figure exceeds all previous maximum Read more
A new study led by PhD student Ethan Winch explores how stellar spin and mass loss shape the Universe’s heaviest black holes — connecting gravitational wave discoveries to the lives of the earliest stars. When the first gravitational waves rippled through Earth’s detectors in 2015, it was a historic moment. Read more
So here we are, closer to the middle of the year than the beginning and we are barrelling fast towards the summer! Exciting news for those lucky enough to get the summer off – not so exciting for those who have exams first. In the spring night sky we have Read more