Weather Round Up June 2025

JUNE WARMER, WETTER, AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory, 10th July 2025: Armagh Observatory reports that June 2025 was warmer, wetter, and duller than average. With an average temperature of approximately 15.3 degrees Celsius (59.6 Fahrenheit), this was the twelfth warmest June on record at Armagh and the warmest for Read more

Weather Round-Up May 2025

MARVELLOUS MAY: SUNNIEST ON RECORD, MUCH WARMER, DRIER THAN AVERAGE.  SUNNIEST AND WARMEST SPRING ON RECORD AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory, 6th June 2025:  Armagh Observatory reports that May 2025, with 285.4 hours of strong sunshine, was the sunniest May on record at Armagh.  Also, following the record-breaking warm Read more

Armagh Planetarium Marks 100 Years of Planetaria with New Global Publication and Free Dome Shows

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

April Night Sky 2025

Another month down, and we’re officially into April! With it, we’re welcoming brighter mornings and brighter evenings – thank you, daylight savings! We’re getting closer to retiring the winter coats and swapping hot drinks for iced ones. Spring is here! Pink Moon The ‘Pink Moon’ will be the full moon Read more

Weather Round Up February 2025

FEBRUARY WARMER, DRIER AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE.  WINTER 2024/2025 WARMER AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE, WITH ABOUT AVERAGE SUNSHINE Armagh Observatory reports that February 2025 at Armagh was warmer, drier, and duller than average.  In a month largely dominated by higher-than-average atmospheric pressure there were no gales or named storms. The meteorological Read more

HISTORIC ROSSE DRAWINGS EXHIBITION LAUNCHES AT ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM

A remarkable exhibition of historic astronomical drawings, including sketches believed to have influenced Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, has opened at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. The exhibition showcases the renowned Rosse drawings—extraordinary depictions of spiral nebulae created in Birr, County Offaly, between 1845 and 1866 using the Great Telescope, Read more

November Weather Round Up

NOVEMBER DRIER, WARMER, AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE.  AUTUMN 2024 MUCH DRIER, AND SUNNIER AND WARMER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory, 14th December 2024.  Armagh Observatory reports that November 2024 was drier, warmer, and duller than average.  Taking September, October, and November together the meteorological autumn at Armagh was much drier than Read more

AUGUST DRIER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE WITH ROUGHLY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE. SUMMER 2024 COOLEST AT ARMAGH FOR NINE YEARS, DRIER AND SLIGHTLY DULLER THAN AVERAGE

Armagh Observatory reports that August 2024 was drier and sunnier than average with roughly average temperature for August.  Taking June, July and August together, the meteorological summer was cooler, drier, and slightly duller than average. With an average temperature of 15.46 degrees Celsius (59.8 Fahrenheit) August 2024 was 0.83 C Read more

Infinite and Finite

Recently AOP invited David Gavaghan (1) to address its Board of Governors and Management Committee and invited stakeholders at an event on 24th June 2024. His talk entitled “Infinite and Finite” was thought provoking and inspiring, so much so we thought it was worth sharing! “There comes a time in Read more

April 2024 Weather Round-Up

APRIL WARMER, WETTER, AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory, 3rd May 2024: Armagh Observatory reports that April 2024 at Armagh was warmer, wetter, and duller than average. The mean temperature, approximately 9.2 degrees Celsius, was 1.3 C warmer than the 225-year long-term (1796–2020) April average at Armagh (7.92 C), and Read more

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM ASTRONOMERS DISCOVER METAL SCAR ON CANNIBAL STAR

February 2024 Leading astronomical research centre Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has played a key role in the discovery of a unique signature of the process by which white dwarf stars cannibalise their planetary systems. The research was conducted by an international team of scientists using the European Southern Observatory’s Chile-based Read more

The Chronicles Of Armagh

The Chronicles Of Armagh Begins on Monday 19 February on BBC One Northern Ireland, 8pm (the entire series will be available on BBC iPlayer). Filmed over 12 months and narrated by Armagh-born actor Colin Morgan, The Chronicles Of Armagh follows a year in the less urban parts of an ancient city Read more

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM TRANSLATES POPULAR CHRISTMAS DOME SHOW INTO BRITISH AND IRISH SIGN LANGUAGE

Accessible Screening of Mission Santa Took Place on Friday 15th December   December 2023 Leading astronomical research centre, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, screened a special version of its popular Mission Santa Dome Show in British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language on December 15th. Held in collaboration with local charity, Read more

NOVEMBER WARMER, SUNNIER AND DRIER THAN AVERAGE. AUTUMN 2023 MUCH WETTER, AND WARMER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE

Armagh Observatory, 5th December 2023. Armagh Observatory reports that November 2023 was slightly warmer, sunnier and drier than average. Taking September, October, and November together the meteorological autumn at Armagh was much wetter, and warmer and sunnier than average. Total precipitation was 60.05 mm (2.36 inches) including 7 trace values, Read more

October 2023 weather in Armagh

WETTEST OCTOBER ON RECORD AT ARMAGH, SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE AND VERY MILD Armagh Observatory reports that October 2023 was very much wetter than average, and both sunnier and warmer than average.  This was the wettest October at Armagh since daily rainfall records began at the Observatory in 1838, making this Read more

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM’S PROFESSOR LOUISE HARRA RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS MEDAL AND PRIZE

A member of leading astronomical research centre, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium’s, management team has been awarded the 2023 Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin medal and prize by the Institute of Physics. Professor Louise Harra received the accolade for her ‘numerous and outstanding achievements and contributions’ to the field. Born in Lurgan, Professor Harra Read more

September 2023 Weather in Armagh

SEPTEMBER WARMER, WETTER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE.  THIRD WARMEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD Armagh Observatory reports that September 2023 was much warmer than average, the third warmest September on record at Armagh.  It was also wetter and sunnier than average. Total precipitation was 91.8 mm (3.61 inches) with no trace values. Read more

October Night Sky

Welcome one and all to your favourite ‘happy place’ – the AOP night sky blog, where you can kick off your shoes, cosy up in a comfortable chair and chill-out amongst the shimmering stars! It’s also the month with the confusing name which begins with “Oct” -which implies the 8th month, Read more

August 2023 Weather in Armagh

AUGUST WARMER, WETTER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE.  SUMMER FOURTH WARMEST ON RECORD AT ARMAGH, ALSO WETTER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory reports that August 2023 was warmer, wetter and sunnier than average. Unusually, this month also recorded the first two named storms of the 2022/2023 season.  Taking June, July Read more

July 2023 Weather in Armagh

Armagh Observatory reports that July 2023 was much wetter than average, and cooler than June.  It was also duller than average, and had an exceptionally low mean atmospheric pressure for July. Total precipitation was 138.75 mm (5.46 inches) including three trace values, that is, 138.6 mm if trace values are Read more

June Weather Report 2023

FLAMING JUNE: HOTTEST JUNE ON RECORD AT ARMAGH, DRIEST FOR 8 YEARS AND SUNNIEST FOR 14 YEARS Armagh Observatory reports that June 2023 was the warmest June at Armagh for at least 228 years.  The month was also much sunnier and much drier than average. The mean temperature, that is, Read more

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM SPEARHEADS GROUNDBREAKING STUDY OF MASSIVE STARS

An international collaboration of astronomers led by Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has launched a groundbreaking study into the most massive stars in our local dwarf galaxies, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. Led by the organisation’s Professor Jorick Vink, the XShootU consortium collaborated with the Space Telescope Science Institute to Read more

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM CELEBRATES AS ASTEROIDS ARE NAMED AFTER ASTRONOMERS

Leading astronomical research and education centre, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, has announced that two of its Visiting Astronomers, Aswin Sekhar and Galin Borisov, have had asteroids named after them by the International Astronomical Union on June 21st. The honours were bestowed during the Asteroids, Comets, Meteors Conference 2023, which was Read more