The first planet to be discovered around a regular star was made in 1995 and orbits its host star 51 Peg every 4.2 days. In the nearly 30 years since the first discovery of an exoplanet (as planets orbiting stars other than our Sun are called) we now know of Read more…
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…
At least one out of four white dwarfs will end its life as a magnetic star! At the end of their life, most of the stars shrink in size to the dimension of a small planet, a stage of the stellar evolution which is called “white dwarf”. In a new Read more…
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is delighted to announce its latest elected members to the organising committees of the prestigious International Astronomical Union (IAU), cementing its place as a leading research institution of influence on the global stage. Three Astronomers working at the Armagh Observatory, Stefano Bagnulo, Michael Burton, and Simon Read more…
Scientists track comet which has been in orbit for millions of years in another solar system An international team of scientists led by Armagh Observatory and Planetarium astronomer, Dr Stefano Bagnulo has conducted ground-breaking research on a comet which has been in orbit for millions of years in another solar Read more…
The first asteroids discovered in the early 1800’s were named after Roman and Greek mythological figures like Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta. Today, most asteroids are named after people, both real and fictional, places, animals, plants, and other natural phenomena. The discoverers of asteroids are responsible for proposing the name however Read more…
Today marks the 30th birthday of The Hubble Space Telescope (HST). On the 24th of April 1990 NASA launched Hubble into low earth orbit and it is still up there today! Hubble has allowed us to see deep within the caverns of space, revealing the most incredible and famous images Read more…
One of our Astronomers, Dr Gavin Ramsay, reflects on his memories of some of the amazing telescopes he has travelled to throughout his career! When the telescope was invented in early 17th century, they were generally used in the urban environment. Gradually they were housed in quite grand purpose-built buildings Read more…
Have you ever wondered about the impact that you may have as an amateur astronomer? How much can amateur and professional astronomers gain from each other? Can amateur astronomers impact research? Please listen below to a short audio piece by Lucie Affronti and Neasa Cumiskey; two Postgraduate Media students at Read more…
Article by: Gavin Ramsay Unlike our Sun, around half of all stars have another stellar companion. The closest stars to the Sun are two bright southern stars, alpha Centauri A and B, which orbit each other every 80 years and Proxima Centauri which orbits A and B every few tens Read more…
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 opened up the Galaxy for viewing to our explorers. Read more…
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 year. April is certainly not the cruellest month for us! Read more…
Astronomy is a science that knows no borders. Everyone around the world can look up to the sky and see the Universe in front of them, providing the glare from city pollution doesn’t spoil the view. In the past scholars from around the world have theorised and pondered about our Read more…
You may have heard of the name Galileo. Perhaps it is through an interest in science or maybe it’s from the Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody”. But who was the man behind the famous name? What did he do and achieve? Well, as Galileo would be 450 years old in 2014, Read more…
The “Red Planet”, Mars, has intrigued the imagination for centuries. Even before the first flyby of the planet by Mariner 4 in 1965 many astronomers speculated about life, water and an atmosphere existing on Mars. In 1971 the Soviets landed the first man-made object onto the Martian surface, a probe Read more…
November 9 is Carl Sagan Day when enthusiasts of astronomy and science remember and celebrate the life and works of Carl Sagan. Why is Sagan honoured in this way? Let us look back at the man and his career. It seems impossible to research the Solar System and Read more…
In June 1882, at 30 years of age, John Dreyer was appointed Director of Armagh Observatory following the death of Thomas Romney Robinson, who had held the post for a lengthy 59 years. He was the first non-Irishman and non-cleric to hold the position. Dreyer is best remembered for creating Read more…
Percival Lowell was born into a wealthy Boston family on 13 March 1855. ‘No man is an island’ so like all of us he was a product of his times and class and also like many he rebelled against family traditions and expectations. He is best known for his ‘canals Read more…
Sir Frederick William Herschel is one of the most well-known and highly regarded historical astronomers but many may not know or realise there was more to his genius than his passion for astronomy. So it seems a closer look is required to try and map out the life of such Read more…
James Moriarty (?-1891) was one of the greatest of the many astronomer-mathematicians who flourished in the nineteenth century, however among the general public his scientific accomplishments are forgotten. Mention his name and most people will think of the dark rumours about his personal life and the lurid circumstances of his 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 aftermath, when a ninth solar planet was discovered. This planet 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 1946, the astronomer Lyman Spitzer (1914-97) identified the main advantages Read more…