The Armagh Robotic Telescope (ART) is the youngest, and most advanced, telescope housed at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP). It has been 10 years since first light was achieved, and we would like to take this opportunity to talk to the man behind the telescope. Professor Simon Jeffery has Read more…
It’s easy to forget that it was only 25 years ago that the first planet around another Sun-like star was discovered. Since then, research into ‘exoplanets’ has become one of the most active areas of astronomy, with links being made with groups working on theoretical models of how planetary systems Read more…
CHALLENGE ALERT! This weekend celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 14 when Commander Alan Shepard hit arguably one of the most spectacular golf shots of all time…on the moon! A truly out-of-this-world shot! To get you involved at home, we have launched a really special #AOPApolloChallenge! We want you to Read more…
Season 1 has come to an end, and I still honestly can’t believe it has happened. I am so thrilled that we were able to create a podcast in, what is arguably, the most horrendous year in all human history. Heather From the get-go, Courtney and I had a vision. We didn’t want this Read more…
by Apostolos Christou An international team of planetary scientists led by astronomers at AOP have found an asteroid trailing behind Mars with a composition very similar to the Moon’s. The asteroid could be an ancient piece of debris, dating back to the gigantic impacts that formed the Moon and the Read more…
By Dr Marc Sarzi, Head of Research After the first image of a supermassive black hole more than 60 million light years away from the Earth1 amazed the whole World last year, black holes are back on the news this week following the award of the 2020 Nobel prize in physics to UK mathematician Roger Penrose, for its theoretical work proving that Read more…
Mars is the only other planet in the solar system apart from the Earth that combines a clear – albeit thin – atmosphere and a solid surface. Therefore, an astronaut standing on the surface may observe and record phenomena on the martian sky, both astronomical and atmospheric. One of these Read more…
A breakthrough in deciphering birth of supermassive black holes – astronomers zoom in on black hole with one of the lowest masses ever observed in nearby “ghost” galaxy. A research team led by Cardiff University scientists say they are closer to understanding how a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is born thanks Read more…
Want to learn more about what you can see with only a pair of binoculars? AOP’s own Prof. Simon Jeffery explains how to get the most out of a pair of binoculars, and also issues you a challenge! A popular caricature of an astronomer shows an elderly gentleman with a Read more…
A myth deeply engrained into popular culture is that the Moon is made of green cheese. The Apollo missions showed beyond reasonable doubt that the moon is made of rock and not, sadly, of one of our favourite dairy products. That being said, data brought back from Apollo and the Read more…