Cosmology
The Big Bounce Theory: What is it?
Over the past few weeks I have been hearing the term “The Big Bounce Theory,” quite a lot. At first I thought it was a sequel to the brilliant “The Big Bang Theory” TV show. When listening to Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Exploring Space with the Northern Ireland Science Festival
It’s that time of the year again for the third annual Northern Ireland Science Festival and this year is bigger and better! The Armagh planetarium has been holding events under NISF from the beginning so we could not Read more…
Moon
How Common are Supermoons?
On Monday 14 November 2016 the skies over the UK and Ireland will be graced by a beautiful bright full moon. Also on this this day there will be a “supermoon”. This is a term I have a love-hate relationship Read more…
Science Fiction
Games in Space and Why We Love Them
At Armagh Planetarium we hosted our very first video game based workshop. This summer we immersed ourselves into the blocky world of Minecraft. Using MinecraftEdu, the children that took part in these workshops got to explore possibly one of the Read more…
October
The Halloween Night Sky
As we welcome back the colder weather we are also welcoming back the beginning of the best months of stargazing thanks to the onset of longer dark evenings. Mix this with the spooky objects visible in the crisp autumn month Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
Goodbye Rosetta
One of the European Space Agency’s flagship missions reached its grand finale on Friday 30 September 2016. After 20 years in development, a 10-year trip around the Solar System and two years on station at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Rosetta mission Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Meet the AOP Team!
1 September 2016 saw the first full meeting of all of the staff of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. We are looking forward to carrying Armagh’s impressive heritage of astronomical research and public education forward into an exciting future Read more…
Exoplanets
Proxima b: Meet Our New Neighbour
Astronomers have made the exciting discovery of an Earth-mass exoplanet in the habitable zone of our nearest neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star 4.25 light years (1.3 parsec) from the Sun. The new-found world, designated Proxima b, is Read more…
August
The August 2016 Night Sky
It’s August and suddenly the nights are getting a bit longer so what is there to see in our night sky this month? Everyone should watch out for August’s amazing Perseid Meteor Shower. You probably know already that Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Armagh Planetarium Welcomes New Director
We are delighted to welcome Michael G. Burton as Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. Professor Burton is an internationally renowned researcher who specialises in using infrared and millimetre-wave astronomy to study how stars form in the interstellar medium Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Gotta Catch ‘em All at the Planetarium
Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm; it seems that everyone is playing it. If you see someone walking in circles with their head down and looking at their phone, you know they’re on the game…and maybe part of Read more…
Milky Way
Explorers of the Galaxy (Part 3) The Galaxy in Millimetre-Waves
At the end of Part Two our Galactic explorers had produced the first true maps of our Galaxy, showing its shape and extent, by using radio telescopes to map the distribution of atomic hydrogen, so revealing the spiral arm structure. Read more…
June
The June 2016 Night Sky
Let us go outside somewhere in Northern Ireland about midnight on 15 June 2016 and see what there is to see in the sky. Hercules. Muscular hero and demi-god! Killer of the Hydra! Victor over the Nemean Lion! Slayer Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Together Building a United Community….with Robots
In March 2016, Armagh Planetarium debuted a new workshop for schools ‘Robotics in Space’. This interactive workshop highlighted the roles of robots and robotics in space missions, discussed what robots are currently in space as well as how can they Read more…
Planets
Is it Planet 9, is it Planet X, or Both?
As a species we human beings are rather obsessed with the end of our world and how that is going to happen. From zombie apocalypses to giant asteroids hitting the Earth, we’ve pretty much thought of everything. However there is Read more…
May
The May 2016 Night Sky
It’s the middle of May! Let’s go out tonight and look at the stars! At this time of year in the UK and Ireland, our nights are getting later and shorter, partly due to our planet’s axial tilt and partly Read more…
Milky Way
Explorers of the Galaxy (Part 2): The Radio Galaxy
At the end of part one of this article we left our galactic explorers uncovering the first hints of the existence of spiral structure within our Milky Way. In part two we see how the new field of radio astronomy Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space: Book Review
Picking books for children can be difficult, not only are we adults battling with TV, game consoles, tablets and toys, it’s hard to fit the old-fashioned entertainment of a book into a child’s life. There’s no doubt children have a Read more…
Human Exploration
15 Questions about the Moon Landings
Armstrong and Aldrin were the first two people on the Moon when Apollo 11 landed there in July 1969. This astonishing achievement (which it should not be forgotten was followed by five more successful landings) continues to fascinate our readers Read more…
April
The April 2016 Night Sky
Spring has truly sprung. Welcome to the month of April, and doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun. We can hardly believe that it is April already, and we’ve had so much fun stargazing at the Planetarium so far this Read more…
Other Galaxies
WLM Galaxy: a Cosmic Living Fossil
Dim and isolated, the dwarf irregular galaxy Wolf–Lundmark–Melotte (WLM) could be described as an astronomical “living fossil” as it seems to have developed without ever interacting with any other galaxy since it formed billions of years ago. First Read more…
Milky Way
Explorers of the Galaxy (Part 1)
We live in a galaxy – a star city with several hundred billion residents. Moreover, we know our Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, with prominent arms of bright young stars that spiral outwards from a central bar that is Read more…
Planets
Planet Nine from Outer Space
For those of you that are still bearing the psychological scars from Pluto’s demotion from planet to dwarf planet a decade ago, here is news that may add salt to the wounds. Published recently in the Astronomical Journal, Konstantin Batygin Read more…
March
The March 2016 Night Sky
See you later February, you’ve been a wonderful month, but now it is time to welcome March. Something we delight in here at Armagh Planetarium is how the months got their names. March is a particularly nerdy one. March got Read more…
February
The February 2016 Night Sky
Goodbye January blues, hello February fun! We’re already into the second month of our new year and it’s been absolutely amazing for stargazing already. Before we get in to what you can hope to gaze at this month, I want Read more…
January
The January 2016 Night Sky
Happy New Year! Welcome to January 2016, and if you haven’t made a New Year’s resolution yet (or you have made one but want to sneakily change it,) why not challenge yourself to star gaze this year. Star gazing is Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
20 Most Popular Astronotes Stories of 2015
In 2015 Armagh Planetarium’s website (including Astronotes) received well over 2.6 million page views (and over 75 million web hits*) from all over the world. It seems we’re doing something right! But what were all these people coming to see? Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Christmas Card Competition Winners 2015
For anyone who is not feeling the Christmas spirit yet this Christmas, Armagh Planetarium is definitely the place you will find it! We held our 5th annual Christmas Card Competition this year at Armagh Planetarium and we were astounded by Read more…
Human Exploration
Tim Peake: Astronaut with the Right Stuff
Tim Peake is clearly a man who likes a challenge and has a keen sense of adventure, for in his spare time the father of two enjoys skiing, cross-country running, climbing and caving. However the UK-born former pilot from Chichester Read more…
December
The December 2015 Night sky
What’s that we hear? Sleigh bells? It’s the month that hosts the Christmas holidays, it’s December. We’re getting into the heart of winter and the night sky is likely to be crisp and clear and we get into the colder Read more…
Meteors and Meteorites
Fireball over Ireland 29 November 2015
A spectacular multi-coloured fireball was witnessed in Ireland and Scotland by dozens of people on the evening of 29 November 2015. This was the fiery descent of a meteor through the Earth’s atmosphere. The meteoroid itself was a Read more…
Rockets
New Shepard: Blue Origin’s Reusable Rocket
Is this a new dawn for suborbital travel? The Blue Origin company’s New Shepard rocket test vehicle made a successful flight into space on its second mission from its West Texas launch pad on 23 November 2015. Blue Origin aims Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Space and Astronomy Gifts for Christmas 2015
With Christmas only around the corner, finding the perfect gift for loved ones may be on the to-do list. So find below a list of gifts available to purchase from the Planetarium’s gift shop right here in Armagh. Why not Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
V774104: Could a Dark World Put a New Light on Solar System History?
Newly discovered small Solar System body V774104 may seem just another tiny, cold and remote world beyond Neptune but this is an important finding as its mere existence suggests that the wastes of the outer Solar System are considerably more Read more…
Earth Satellites
Polyus: the Real Death Star?
While suspicion, fear, and fantasy, at times were closely associated with the Cold War period in terms of how the USA and the USSR viewed one another’s respective actions, it became clear that space projects were not exempt from this Read more…
November
The November 2015 Night Sky
The nights are getting very dark and there is a definite chill in the air. Hello November, and hello to some brilliant stargazing opportunities. The Earth’s tilt means that now the southern hemisphere is in its summer, and sadly we Read more…
Planets
The Many Faces of the Solar System
New Horizon’s arrival at Pluto this year, after a nine year-long traverse through the Solar System has revealed many new things about this little icy planet. Pluto used to be the ninth planet but was demoted in 2006 to the Read more…
Science Fiction
Book Review: The Martian
When I heard about this book I immediately wanted to read it, being a space enthusiast and very interested in the journey to Mars, I had to know how one man stranded on the Red Planet could try to survive. Read more…
October
The October 2015 Night Sky
Welcome to October! The nights are now longer and the stars come out earlier. Yes it may be getting close to winter, but who doesn’t like autumn? October is full of exciting events, and one event that we are looking Read more…
Solar System
The Grand Tack
It is widely accepted that our Solar System was created about 4.6 billion years ago based on dating of meteorites. Scientists believe the Solar System formed when a cloud of dust was disrupted by the shockwave from the explosive death Read more…
September
The September 2015 Night Sky
It’s September and the schools are back in session. The summer holidays have come to an unfortunate end and now we all have to get back to our daily routines. July and August have been great months for stargazing, but Read more…
Moon
The Truth About the “Blood Moon” Tetrad
Various claims about the end of the world and “Judgement Day” can be found threaded into the long history of humanity and has become a common re-occurrence that, most likely, will always be something that raises its needless anxiety-inducing head. Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Pinteresting Times Ahead For Armagh Planetarium
After entering the Twittersphere in 2010 Armagh Planetarium’s online presence has grown over the past few years encompassing the Astronotes blog and Facebook accounts. We at Armagh Planetarium have also recently launched a Pinterest account for you to follow or Read more…
The Future
Space Guns!
Have you ever stopped and really thought about the possibility of finding life in the universe or maybe that extra-terrestrial life finding us! And then, when they find us, what if they aren’t exactly friendly and they want our planet Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Belfast Met Space Camp Has a Blast at Armagh Planetarium!
In July 2015 Belfast Met opened its doors to budding astronauts, pilots and app geniuses with a new series of STEM summer camps. The free activity camps took place at Titanic Quarter Campus for over 16’s interested in fun experiments Read more…
August
The August Night Sky
August, it’s one of our favourite months of the year. Whether you’ve been on your summer holidays or not, August is a month to relax, and have fun with family and friends. The month August was named after the infamous Read more…
Nebulae
A Spectacular View of the Lagoon Nebula
Peer deep into the constellation Sagittarius and you will find a spectacular young star cluster and its associated stellar nursery. These are M8 and the Lagoon Nebula. More than 4300 light years (1320 parsecs) from the Solar System, this Read more…
Planets
New Horizons at Pluto
Nine years of waiting are over! New Horizons has been to Pluto! Well done humans! Pluto has turned out to be slightly bigger than we thought having a diameter of 2370 km. This means Pluto is about 30km larger Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
The Truth About the “September 2015 Asteroid Impact”
Maybe you have seen one of the alarming videos or emails circulating around the internet claiming that the End is Nigh. The claim is that an enormous dinosaur-killer of an asteroid is going to smash into the Earth sometime between Read more…
July
The July Night Sky
July is here and that means it is officially the summer holidays. School is out and we are all planning our holidays either abroad or at home. Whether you leave the country or stay in it, there will be many Read more…
Human Exploration
Shaking Hands in Orbit: the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
The space programmes of the USA and USSR began in a spirit of bitter Cold War rivalry but by the early 1970s internation tensions had eased a little into a détente and what had been unthinkable ten years earlier was Read more…
Human Exploration
Living on the Moon
Recently the idea of people living on Mars has been the talk of the astronomy circle and has captured the minds of many. Once posed with this possibility, the natural inquisitiveness of people kicked in. Is it possible? Why are Read more…
Human Exploration
CST-100: Boeing’s New Spacecraft
Some of us who have vivid memories of famous spacecraft and rockets that ‘had their day’ in the consciousness of the world may wonder what prominent space agencies are working on today that in stature could match their former technological Read more…
Robot Exploration
How Did New Horizons Get to Pluto so Quickly?
Our Solar System is vast. We on Earth cruise around the Sun in an orbit with a radius of about 150 million km (93 million miles), but the most distant planet, Neptune, is about thirty times further from the Sun. Read more…
Science Fiction
The Space Science behind Avengers: Age of Ultron
It is already one of the biggest films to hit cinemas this year, and if you haven’t seen Avengers: Age of Ultron yet, then I urge you to go and see it. Not only is it a brilliant action film, Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Tom Mason: A Fond Farewell from Armagh Planetarium
My relationship with Tom Mason nearly got off to a rocky start when I thought I was going to have to throw him out of his own planetarium! Once upon a time when the world was young, I didn’t Read more…
June
The June Night Sky
June is finally upon us, and the summer is officially in full swing. The nights may be brighter for longer, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some brilliant stargazing to be had. If anything, summer is a wonderful time Read more…
Moon
Is the Moon Hollow?
When was the last time you ever stopped to have a good think about the giant natural satellite that orbits our planet? The Moon is something that has fascinated us for centuries, but by and large, we have now come Read more…
May
Stargazing in May
If you missed the Lyrids meteor shower in April, starting of May you had another chance to see some shooting stars as the Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks on the 5th of May into the morning of the 6th. The Read more…
Concept Spacecraft
NASA’s Space Drive Experiments: The Plot Thickens
A research group called the Eagleworks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas is tasked with investigating novel space propulsion techniques. These include both warp drive concepts to enable faster than light travel and reactionless drive schemes where electric power Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
10 Lessons From ESA’s Comet Mission
In November 2014, the European Space Agency’s washing-machine-sized investigation and analysis lander lab Philae, did something that no other automated probe had ever done before, it successfully landed on a comet. But apart from this monumental achievement what has the Read more…
UFOs and Fringe Science
The Sirius Mystery
The ‘Dog Star’ or Sirius is a star that has its influential place in astronomical history. It is mentioned as far back as the Babylonians and was used to help signal the annual flooding of the river Nile with the Read more…
April
Stargazing in April
As we head into spring it’s time for dusting off those telescope lenses and brushing up on some constellations. With the warmer weather coming in there’s also hope to see some meteors as April finishes off with the Lyrids meteor Read more…
Moon
Titan: Cassini Orbiter Continues to Unravel its Secrets
With a ‘space-exploration CV’ big enough to eclipse the achievements of most of the other space probes in its class, the Cassini-Huygens orbiter has revealed much from one of our Solar System’s most fascinating planetary systems, Saturn. Cassini-Huygens’ fact-finding days Read more…
Human Exploration
The One Year Crew
One year or 365.25 days, the length of time it takes the Earth to complete one orbital path around the Sun and the length of time American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend out of this Read more…
Planets
How You Can Pick Pluto’s Placenames!
In July 2015, we will finally have our long-awaited closeup views of the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons when NASA’s New Horizons probe flies past the tiny and distant worlds. Assuming all goes well, suddenly we will have revealed Read more…
Sun
Viewing the Partial Solar Eclipse of 20 March 2014
As everyone knows on Friday 20 March 2015, a total solar eclipse will occur across the far northern regions of Europe and the Arctic. A partial solar eclipse will be seen over a much wider area of Earth including northern Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Stargazing the Night Sky Course Returns in April
Would you like to discover more about the night sky? Stargazing the Night Sky is a short and very informal course is for complete beginners who want to know more about the wonders of the cosmos. The course takes Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Free Open Night at the Planetarium for Stargazing Live
In association with BBC Stargazing Live 2015 and the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomical Society (NIAAS) Armagh Planetarium is opening its doors for a free open evening on Tuesday 24th of March 2015. We will be open from 7pm-9pm with Read more…
Universe
10 “Facts” About Space That Aren’t True
So far this year we have seen QVC presenters discussing whether the moon was a star or a planet. On having searched online a voice in their earpiece told them the moon is a natural satellite, however this did not Read more…
March
Stargazing in March
Already the year 2015 is proving to be a great year for stargazing with planets, comets and meteorites gracing the skies but prepare for March as it brings a ‘micro moon’ and a solar eclipse. The planets are still sticking Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
What’s Out There? A talk hosted by Ballyhackamore Library
If you’ve ever looked up at a sky full of stars and wondered just what else is out there then you might want to come to Ballyhackamore Public Library on 23 March 2015. The library will be hosting Read more…
Stars
Did a Wandering Star Light Up Ancient Skies?
Seventy thousand years ago our world, unmarked by agriculture and industry, was a very different planet. Back then Earth was shared by at least four separate types of human being. Tough and sturdy Neanderthal folk hunted mammoths and built huts Read more…
astronomers
Ancient Astronomy (Part 1)
At the planetarium it is often stated that every time you look into the sky you are doing astronomy, it has become a slight mantra that we chant to encourage people to gaze up at the visible universe and really Read more…
February
Stargazing in February
The shortest month of the year holds a lot of promise when it comes to the nights sky and whether you are making plans for Valentine’s Day or still wondering how we have reached February already, it is worth pencilling Read more…
Alien Life
Whatever Happened to Dyson Spheres?
Dyson spheres are an outrageous concept. The idea of looking for alien megastructures in space appeared at the end of the 1950s and was widely discussed in speculations about searching for extraterrestrial civilisations. It also inspired some great science fiction Read more…
The Future
2015’s Space Odysseys
Although not quite the ’12 days of Christmas’ gift inventory’, the following checklist should give us a quick peak at some significant events connected with space that we can look forward to witnessing from early 2015, as well as giving Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
Dawn at Ceres
NASA’s Dawn Space Craft is already a success story. It was launched on board a Delta II rocket in 2007, has spent 14 months investigating the asteroid Vesta, is using ion propulsion for acceleration and is now en route to Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Mark Thompson, Astronomy Star, at Armagh Planetarium
The Universe is shrouded in mystery yet through the Centuries, mankind has slowly unravelled many of its dark secrets. Mark Thompson: Stargazer reveals the hidden nature of the Universe, brought to life with mind-blowing demonstrations. Best known for Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Astronaut training at Armagh Planetarium
Every child at some stage dreams of reaching the stars and sadly as we grow up the reality of becoming an astronaut often disappears as it seems to become unreachable. Well teachers across the country unite and let’s give the Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
10 Most Popular Astronotes Stories of 2014
In 2014 Armagh Planetarium’s website (including Astronotes) received well over 1 million page views from all over the world. What were all these people coming to see? Here are the 10 most viewed Astronotes articles of 2014. 1. Read more…
Human Exploration
To Space and Back with Reid Wiseman
When Chris Hadfield revealed the heavens to people across the world by making us feel like we were there with him with his beautiful images and excellent videos he really opened up what the job and duties of an astronaut Read more…
January
Stargazing in January
January is the marmite of every year, individuals either love it or hate it as it brings the beginning of a New Year and new opportunities yet marks the end of the festive Christmas season and a previous year filled Read more…
Human Exploration
Orion’s Test Flight: A New Day Dawns for NASA
If at one time or another any have considered NASA’s human space exploration program to have been rather uneventful, unambitious, or even stagnant since the days of the Apollo Moon missions, they will now need to sit up and pay Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
Comet Lovejoy is on the Way
Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) was discovered in August 2014. Observers in the southern Hemisphere could see it throughout the last quarter of 2014. By December 2014 the comet could be seen in binoculars or a small telescope as a faint Read more…
Universe
Top 20 Awesome Facts About Space
As the festive period is here once again, a lot of social gatherings and family time are part of the itinerary for most. So this year instead of telling the regular old Christmas cracker jokes why not entertain your friends Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Christmas Card Winners 2014
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. All of our entries for our 2014 Christmas Card competition are up on display at the Planetarium for all to enjoy over December. This competition now in its fourth year continues to Read more…
December
Stargazing in December
The December skies mark my favourite time of the year for stargazing. Despite the cold weather, the skies promise the best opportunities to see what lies beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. So pour yourself a hot chocolate, wrap up in warm Read more…
Armagh Planetarium
Top 10 Space Themed Christmas Presents for Kids
For my Top 10 Space Themed Christmas Present List this year I wanted to compile a list of unique gifts for children. These are items that Santa would have to plan getting in advance of the big day arriving! So Read more…
Human Exploration
Virgin set to go Galactic?
Humans have been exploring mysterious lands and faraway civilizations for hundreds of years ever since they had the ability and knowledge to do so. A curiosity and a desire to investigate the unknown has helped humans learn more about the Read more…
Comets and Asteroids
Rosetta: Exploring a Comet
On 2March 2004 the European Space Agency (ESA) launched an ambitious and exciting robotic explorer into space, and you probably have heard its quite pretty name mentioned a lot lately. It is the trailblazing Rosetta spacecraft and it has been Read more…
November
Stargazing in November
Despite November marking when it really becomes colder and everyone has to adopt of the coat once again, it is a great month for stargazing and especially for those wanting to witness some meteors. Observing meteors can be a Read more…
Human Exploration
Apollo 12: 1969’s Other Moon Landing
The second human Moon landing might have ended in disaster 36 seconds after liftoff. It was 14 November 1969 and the mighty Saturn 5 rocket carrying the crew of Apollo 12 was steadily ascending into the Florida sky when it Read more…
October
Stargazing in October
October is an interesting month for astronomers as World Space Week falls from 4 October until 10 October and coincidentally it’s a good month for keen astronomers to take to the skies. This time of the year is perfect for Read more…
Sun
All you need to know about Sunspots
The ancient Chinese thought they were stars inside a solar orb. The Aztecs thought their Sun god had pockmarks on his face. A Renaissance astronomer thought they were undiscovered planets. Some believe they are the cause of climate change or Read more…
Monthly Sky Notes
Night Sky Watcher Reviewed
I have never met a child who is not fascinated by the stars. Learning to find and recognise planets and constellations is the first step in what can be a lifelong journey through the wonders of the Universe. All the Read more…
Planets
New Horizons to Pluto
When Percival Lowell began the search for “Planet X” little did he know the countless arguments he would cause and effectively how these would lead to a seemingly ever changing solar system. “Planet X” was not the believed birthplace of Read more…
September
Stargazing in September
When we think of the constellations of this time of year, Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila and Hercules are first to come to mind. However there are other overlooked constellations out there, some even hidden inside the Summer Triangle. Let’s go out Read more…
Concept Spacecraft
XS-1: Spaceplane of the Future?
The good news first: a major aerospace contractor is researching how to build a reusable spaceplane that could dramatically cut the cost of accessing low Earth orbit. Now the bad news: it is purely for military users and cannot carry Read more…
Concept Spacecraft
No, NASA has not verified an impossible space drive!
June 2014 saw excited reports that NASA was working on a faster than light warp drive starship. Astonishingly, weeks later we are being told that NASA has also successfully tested a device which could push along a space vehicle without Read more…