Which is the brightest star in the sky (apart from the Sun)? Many non-astronomers believe that the Pole star (Polaris) is the brightest star but there are at least forty brighter stars. The correct answer is Sirius, a wonder of Read more
Space will never be conquered! Sad, but true. Let me explain how I’ve reached this conclusion. Planet Earth is big! The furthest you can travel from home across the Earth’s surface is about 20 000 km (any further and Read more
St Patrick’s Academy in Dungannon is hosting a fantastic public event for stargazers this Saturday evening. This local school has its own observatory and astronomy club for the students but this event on 3 December is for anyone interested Read more
A few years ago there was a vogue among historians to write about ‘counterfactuals’.A counterfactual examines the importance of an event for subsequent history by asking what if that event had taken a radically different course.What if the Nazis had Read more
Studying galaxies and clusters in many wavelengths of light tells astronomers more than a single image ever could. Imaged with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile, NGC 4666 lies some 80 million light years from Read more
Helene is a tiny moon of Saturn that shares an orbit with the much larger moon Dione. Helene reposes at a gravitationally stable position called a Lagrange point. Helene orbits Saturn ahead of Dione, and viewed from above the centres Read more
The Leonids are one of the many annual meteor showers. The name comes from how they appear to emerge from the constellation Leo- the term for their apparent point of origin is the Radiant .The Leonids tend to be brighter Read more
Here is possibly the only joke in all of astronomy. Two spiral galaxies walk into a pub. The first one goes up to the bar and asks for two drinks, one for him and one for his friend. The barman Read more
What was the Star of Bethlehem? Recorded only in the Gospel of Matthew, this mysterious celestial object is said to have heralded the Nativity. For millennia stargazers have wondered what it may have been. Now when Jesus was Read more
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of an enormous number of galaxies spread throughout a vast Universe, which is expanding.Everyone knows these facts now, but how do we actually know about our place in the Universe? Light Read more
A clear night sky is a thing of beauty and wonder. Thousands of scattered stars twinkle in the darkness. What are the stars? How do they live and die? Could an exploding star cause disaster on Earth? Over the past Read more
Before Yuri Gagarin made the historic first orbit around the Earth in 1961, animals had already visited the unknown. They were used to collect medical data and to test the spacecraft’s durability before sending manned missions. Once the survivability of Read more
A long, long time ago when the first stars and galaxies were forming, the Universe was filled with electrically neutral hydrogen. This thin soup of gas absorbed ultraviolet light and all of space would have seemed filled with softly glowing Read more
October marks the peak of Autumn, leaves are falling from the trees, the evenings are darkening and Halloween and Christmas are just around the corner. With dusk falling earlier in the evening, this gives ample opportunity for stargazing without having Read more
The debris from a vast cosmic explosion, the Crab Nebula in Taurus is a well-known spectacle. But what is it and how was it formed? On 4 July 1054 AD Yang Wei-T’e (?-?), astronomer to the Chinese emperor, carefully Read more
Back in December 2009, with great fanfare, space tourism company Virgin Galactic unveiled the vehicles their fare-paying passengers will ride in as they ascend into space. Built by the Spaceship Company (a coventure of Virgin and that supremely adventurous aircraft Read more
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is the world’s biggest and most complex astronomical instrument. Located at the European Southern Observatory on the Chajnantor plateau in northern Chile, the array of antennae is now operational even though it is still Read more
Dwarf planet Haumea is one of the most bizarre small bodies of the outer Solar System. It has an oddly recent surface. Even just who discovered it is controversial. It looks kind of funny too. The 2011 Rugby World Cup Read more
This month’s image is a NASA diagram of the classic 1960s Gemini spacecraft. Ten of these craft carried twenty astronauts into orbit between March 1965 and November 1966, filling the gap between the pioneering Mercury flights and the Moon-focused Apollo Read more
In more than twenty years of hard work, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has made both beautiful images and profound discoveries, sometimes doing both at the same time. What are its greatest contributions to science? Hubble has enabled us to Read more
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy which is supported by fifteen countries. Established in 1962 it operates some of the most technologically advanced telescopes in the world. Their mission is to provide state-of-the-art research Read more
Neutrinos travel faster than light! The science world is agog at this unexpected announcement from CERN in Switzerland. This result has to be verified, for if true it seems that one of science’s central tenets is wrong! It’s all Read more
The belief that mankind is unique in our universe has not been proven otherwise. So what if one day we discover we as humans are not one of a kind, and not only is there maybe other life out there, Read more
202 million km (1.35 AU or 125 million miles) from Earth an explorer from Earth is investigating the giant asteroid Vesta. This intrepid pioneer is the Dawn space probe. Orbiting about 2700 km (1700 miles) above Vesta, Dawn slowly Read more
On 14 September 2011, NASA revealed the design of its new rocket, the Space Launch System. This titanic vehicle may send American astronauts to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids or even further into deep space. The SLS is intended Read more
A team of astronomers based at the European Southern Observatory have announced the discovery of more than 50 new exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. This is the largest number of such new worlds ever announced at one time. One of these Read more
September features yet another delightful selection of astronomical treats. Whether you are a veteran explorer of the night sky or new to star gazing, the heavens are full of wonders! Jupiter, king of the planets, is gracing the celestial stage Read more
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned thousands of fascinating images of our neighbouring world, here is a selection some of the most striking and thought-provoking (false colour) images. Part of the Martian surface that has cracked into a natural maze, Read more
The astronomy community is excited by the discovery of an exploding star, a supernova, in a galaxy 21 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. We explain this event’s significance and how you can see it too. Discovered Read more
Apollo 18, a movie hybrid of horror and science fiction is stirring up a lot of interest. Your intrepid reporter decided to see what the fuss was about. Here is a brief review and my thoughts on the movie’s accuracy. Read more
The Lunar Module was an iconic spacecraft which carried two-man crews to and from the Moon’s surface during NASA’s Apollo Program of the 1960s and ‘70s. Along with the Saturn 5 rocket and the Apollo Command and Service Modules (CSM), Read more
This portrait of the Earth and Moon together in space was taken on 26 August by NASA’s Juno spacecraft which is currently en route for Jupiter. The image was made when Juno was about 10 million km away as part Read more
After their successful Invasion at the beginning of the summer, the Emerald Garrison are returning to Armagh Planetarium to end the summer programme on the weekend of the 27th and 28th of August. Dress up in your own Star Wars Read more
On a dark September night in 1961, Barney and Betty Hill had a frightening experience in the mountains of New Hampshire. Later they came to believe that they had been captured and studied by beings from another world. During their Read more
Planets orbiting other stars are now known to be common. Few can be seen with even the largest telescopes but on a summer night you can at least easily look towards some of the planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. Read more
Our Place in the Universe is an astronomy course for those who want to know more about this fascinating subject. Over ten weeks you can take the first steps to understand the mysteries of the Cosmos. In September I will Read more
“Is there life on Mars?” More than fifty years into the Space Age and there still is no definitive answer. Completing our series of posts on this mystery, we look at the latest ideas about the existence of beings on Read more
Could water be streaming down Martian mountainsides? This startling vision may be a reality according to recent results from NASA’s MRO spacecraft. Here is the latest on the waters of Mars. Although we are exploring the surface of Mars through Read more
Once planets orbiting other stars were unknown as they could not be directly observed. Several decades ago one astronomer was certain he had found the planets of a nearby star and his work seemed so painstaking that the astronomical community Read more
The approaching Comet Elenin has triggered suspicious and fearful speculation among some observers. A contribution to this brouhaha has been the lack of images of this visitor from deep space, but at last there are images from a NASA space Read more
The Perseid Meteor Shower will be at its peak on 12 and 13 August. One of the annual treats on the astronomical calendar, this display of celestial pyrotechnics thrills and amazes observers. There are several dozen such shows every year Read more
Apollo 15 was sent to the Moon in July 1971, its primary mission goals to explore the spectacular Hadley-Appenine region, carry out scientific experiments from orbit and evaluation of new and improved Apollo equipment,including the Lunar Rover. Here is the Read more
Once exoplanets, worlds orbiting other stars, were the stuff of science fiction but now we know of literally hundreds of real alien planets circling other stars. Astronomers can infer and sometimes measure the statistics and properties of exoplanets and some Read more
We have been celebrating the first Neptunian year since the discovery of the eighth (and as far as we know last) planet in the Solar System. Neptune’s discovery was a famous triumph of nineteenth century astronomy. Less well-known is the Read more
Neptune, furthest planet from the Sun is celebrating its first birthday. It has been known to humans for only a single Neptunian year. Neptune, which is not visible with the naked eye, was discovered by mathematical prediction in 1846 before Read more
Have you ever wondered how to build a solid fuel space rocket? Have you ever wanted to witness a rocket launch? If the answer is yes, then Armagh Planetarium is the place to be on 30 and 31 July 2011 Read more
In a dark July night sky you can hardly miss Vega, Altair, and Deneb, the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle – fully up and dominating the northeast and east. What else is there to see on a summer Read more
NASA’s final Shuttle flight is due this week, in this article Colin Johnston reveals what this historic space project has meant to him. (This article is a sequel to Apollo and me which appeared in the July 2009 issue Read more
Spirit, one of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers has finally transmitted its last data back to Earth. We look back upon the career of this valiant space explorer. Our neighbouring planet Mars came closer to Earth than it has for thousands Read more
The peak at the centre of Tycho Crater on our Moon has been imaged by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. Let’s take a look at this spectacular mountain of the Moon. One of the best-known lunar craters, Tycho is not Read more
Armagh Planetarium is the place to be this summer with activities and theatre shows which are ‘out of this world’. In the Planetarium’s amazing new Digistar 4 Digital Theatre you can relax and experience Earth and beyond. Each show is Read more
Space technology is transforming archeology. Use of satellite imagery is revealing details of the past previously inaccessible to scholars of ancient times. Studying the ancient civilizations of the past is not always an easy feat. Limited resources, early languages and Read more
The Shuttle era is coming to an end this year thirty years after the launch of Columbia. While it can boast many successes and certainly caught the imagination of the public this project also had some disasters and many critics. Read more
Has lurid fiction like the movie Iron Sky any basis in fact? Everyone knows that WW2 Germany developed rockets far in advance of the Allies, but some argue that in 1945 the Third Reich was on the verge of developing Read more
It is June 30 1971, and a ground crew in Kazakhstan are waiting to recover three cosmonauts from the Soyuz 11 spacecraft. The trio, the first space station crew, are expected to be unused to terrestrial gravity after their weeks Read more
What can you see in the June night sky? During the month of June there is precious little darkness. Nevertheless there’s plenty to see and ponder on in the night sky. There has just been a lunar eclipse, it is Read more
Ice Worlds, one of Armagh Planetarium’s Digital Theatre shows for Summer 2011, is a thrilling tour through space and time showcasing some of the most beautiful and chilly regions of the Solar System. What can audiences expect from this spectacular Read more
Digistar 4 is Armagh Planetarium’s fantastic new projection system. First in the UK to install Digistar 4, Armagh Planetarium is showcasing latest theatre technology and dazzling audiences who experience the Universe as brighter and sharper than ever before. Armagh Planetarium Read more
NASA’s Dawn spaceprobe is approaching the asteroid Vesta. At a distance of 483 000 km, the spacecraft has made images rivalling the best Hubble Space Telescope views of this fascinating little world. Between Mars and Jupiter lies the Asteroid Belt. Read more
Globular clusters, tightly packed masses of stars are dazzling celestial spectacles as shown by this new European Southern Observatory image. This dramatic image depicts Omega Centauri, one of 200 or so globular clusters orbiting our Milky Way galaxy. This is Read more
Unlike previous voyages of exploration, humanity’s first steps on the Moon did not inspire great works of art and literature. In fact Project Apollo has rarely even intruded in to popular culture. However in the past forty years there has Read more
St. Patrick’s Academy in Dungannon is a school with both an Astronomy Society and its own observatory! On 15 June the school will be hosting a public astronomical event suitable for all ages. St. Patrick’s Academy Astronomy Society presents ‘What’s Read more
The nearby galaxy NGC 6744, similar to the Milky Way, has been imaged by the European Southern Observatory. What can we see in this beautiful galactic portrait? Barred spiral galaxy NGC 6744 is located in a constellation of the southern Read more
Comet Elenin is coming!We’re doomed!That is if you believe everything you see on the internet.Comet Elenin’s approach has been all but ignored by the mainstream media, and into this vacuum a host of bloggers and online videos have poured rumours Read more
Maths-it is rocket science is a exciting course aimed at teachers of primary age children we’re presenting at Armagh Planetarium this summer. We will show teachers how to bring the wonders of the Universe into the classroom! Armagh Planetarium is Read more
Time is among the most mysterious of fundamental quantities. Time was originally defined and quantified through astronomy, and today astronomers are used to glibly talking of vast stretches of time. But even after Einstein showed time to be an elastic, Read more
In our latest night sky guide we look at the stars of late spring and early summer and ponder just what does the brightness of a star really mean. We are now well into the merry month of May and Read more
NASA’s Space Shuttles have become a familar sight in their thirty years of service, but there have been other shuttle designs which never left the ground.Some were ingenious alternative concepts to the vehicle which is shortly to be retired, some Read more
Carnival of Space is the regular collection of the best blogs on space and astronomy. If want to know more, come to the Carnival! Every week, a different site or blog plays hosts the Carnival and shows off the latest Read more
Green Lantern has for decades guarded Earth and beyond from evil in the pages of comic books but the cosmic superhero is about to face his greatest challenge: can he make it on the big screen? Tracy McConnell reports on Read more
Lying more than 4000 light years from our Solar System, the Lagoon Nebula (M8) is a place where new stars are forming. Researchers at the multinational Gemini South telescope are uncovering its secrets. This dazzling portrait of a section of Read more
The first American in space, Alan Shepard, made his historic flight fifty years ago. Part of Project Mercury, the flight of Freedom 7 followed mere weeks after Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering spaceflight. The Space Race was underway! “Why don’t you fix Read more
An image from the European Southern Observatory, reveals two galaxies, NGC 3169 and NGC 3166, meeting in intergalactic space. What kind of cosmic drama ensues in these close encounters of galaxies? Once the Universe was a quiet and peaceful place. Read more
NGC 6302 is a beautiful example of a planetary nebula formed when a bloated red giant star transformed into a tiny white dwarf, belching about half its mass into space in the process. This dramatic image looks like some vast Read more
Yuri Gagarin made history fifty years ago, in the midst of the Cold War, the USSR succeeded in putting him in space. Aspects of his mission were kept secret at the time, but Martina Redpath has pushed aside the veil Read more
Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut, paved the way for space exploration and truly went where no man had been before. He was the first human in space, Sinead McNicholl tells his story. Gagarin’s triumphant 108 minute flight into space is one Read more
This year will see both the end of space flights by NASA’s Shuttle fleet and the thirtieth anniversary of the first orbital mission by this historic spacecraft. Our coverage of these milestones begins with an overview of the project’s chequered Read more
The April night sky is full of treats for the stargazer. In the 100th post of the Astronotes blog, Mary Bulman explains what you will be able to see. Stargazing is an amazing hobby. While you may use a telescope Read more
X-37: a spaceplane developed in secret for classified missions in Earth orbit. It sounds like something from a Cold War techno-thriller novel but the United States Air force’s X-37B is a real project and it is flying today. Tracy McConnell Read more
Professor Brian Cox has been back on our screens this month in his latest BBC2 series Wonders of the Universe. Over the past few weeks, the Prof has guided us through the Universe as we’ve never seen it before! Our Read more
There are cosmic threats to life on Earth.Hiding in the depths of space are things lethal beyond imagining.One day the End will be nigh for real.A forthcoming conference, part of the Edinburgh Science Festival, will discuss how the Universe could Read more
“I was looking into the sky and I’ve seen something strange …what was it?” Around the world observatories, planetariums and science museums, regularly encounter questions like this. Most often these UFOs turn out to be not as mysterious or alien Read more
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”, “Contact”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” and many other movies have depicted the first contact between humans and aliens. Do scientists really listen for messages from extraterrestrials? Are they prepared if they ever do pick Read more
Scientists had seriously considered the possibility of plant or even animal life on the surface of Mars for more than a century. However negative results from NASA’s Viking spacecraft in the 1970s ruled out large-scale Martian life but this was Read more
What can you see in the March 2011 night sky? Mary Bulman has the answers, beginning with a tale from the folklore of Australia’s Aboriginal people. Did you ever look up at the sky on a clear starry night and Read more
One day vast solar sails pushed along by rays of sunlight may carry payloads between the planets. Tracy McConnell explains how this romantic vision is slowly becoming a fact. The concept of sailing gracefully through the stars is a provocative Read more
“Is there life on Mars?” This must be one of the most-asked questions in astronomy. In this article I am going to look at the historical background to this question. Current thoughts on the possibilities of Martian life will be Read more
Gleaned from NASA and Hubblesite.org, here are some facts you may not know about the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). 1. The HST’s history is longer than you might have thought, going back to just after World War II. In Read more
To observers on Earth, the great bull of Taurus has a fiery red eye. This is Aldebaran, an old red giant star which dwarfs our Sun. Let’s have a closer look at the facts and fiction about this aging star. Read more
Cosmic Cuilagh is an exciting weekend of free astronomical events coming in 12-13 March 2011 at Fermanagh’s Marble Arch Caves Geopark. Sinead McNicholl has the details. The Marble Arch Caves Geopark, located in the rugged mountainous uplands and gently rolling Read more
Europe’s ATV spacecraft has a vital role in maintaining and supplying the International Space Station, recently astronaut Paolo Nespoli and his crewmates had a unique view of this high-tech cargo vehicle. Another shot of the Earth from space, you may Read more
Could you or someone you love actually be an astronomer? There are tell-tale warning signs, try our exciting quiz to discover if you are one of these creatures of the night! Amateur Astronomy is a fascinating and rewarding hobby, enjoyed Read more
Apollo 18 is a SF/Horror movie presented as newly-found film footage taken by the fictional crew of a lost 1970s lunar landing mission. The Apollo 18 film uses real NASA movie footage from the Moon (some of it doctored with Read more
Comet Tempel 1 is by far the most closely studied comet in history. We saw it up close for the first time in July 2005, when NASA’s Deep Impact mission flew past it, pelting in with a projectile on the Read more
The Zodiacal light is a rarely seen yet intriguing spectacle in a dark sky. Sinead McNicholl reveals the connection between the zodial light and a famous rockstar! Have you ever noticed a whitish glow in the night sky which appears Read more
NGC 2841 is a rather beautiful flocculent spiral galaxy. The Hubble Space Telescope recently imaged NGC 2841 as part of an investigation into how new stars are created. How do stars form? It is a question which intrigues astronomers and Read more
In 2003 astronomers discovered Eris, an object seemingly bigger than Pluto, in the frigid Trans-Neptunian wastes of the Solar System. Rather than becoming the Tenth Planet, Eris led directly to Pluto’s demotion from planetary status! But is this saga over? Read more
The long dark nights continue through February, but this does give us a chance to see some interesting objects in our night sky. This month features several planets. Sinead McNicholl has the details. The planet Jupiter is still visible and Read more
Kepler-11 is an amazing, newly-discovered system of exoplanets. About 2000 light years from Earth, six planets orbit a star like our Sun. Each planet is bigger and more massive than the Earth. This whole planetary system is squeezed into a Read more
Forty years ago, NASA’s Apollo 14 mission landed the fifth and sixth men on the Moon. Apollo 14 was a triumph for one man in particular. Alan Shepard fought debilitating illness for the chance to walk on another world. Read more