So, party season is over and we’re looking towards a long, cold January before the weather starts to heat up again. However, January is a great time to go stargazing as the nights are long and we can start our lookout in the late afternoon. Not to mention that the 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…
Simple answer is Jupiter doesn’t have enough mass to fuse hydrogen into helium. But you didn’t come here for the simple answer! This process of turning hydrogen into helium is known as nuclear fusion and it is the energy source that powers the sun and most other stars. What drives nuclear fusion? For nuclei Read more…
Astronomers using European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes have discovered giant spots on the surface of extremely hot stars hidden in stellar clusters. Not only are these stars plagued by magnetic spots, some also experience superflare events, explosions of energy several million times more energetic than similar eruptions on the Sun. Read more…
Five things to look for during International Dark Sky Week With a remarkable drop in air-pollution during lockdown and warm weather forecasts, the astronomy experts at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium have shared what twinkling treats you can spot in the sky during International Dark Sky Week. Step out to the Read more…
To kick off our new weekly series on the Technical Applications of Astronomy to Society, inspired by a recent publication of the IAU (The International Astronomical Union), our Director Michael Burton has written a brief summary of the history and purpose of the IAU, as well as outlining some of Read more…
Have you ever been worried about the impact of an asteroid wiping out human life? Well, I have some disturbing news for you: there is another possibility involving the explosion of a massive star that gives rise to a gamma-ray burst (called by astronomers simply a GRB), when the star ends its life producing a black hole.
This September is a relatively uneventful month (astronomy-wise). Few visible planets, quiet Sun and overall a very poor month for meteor showers.
Space is forever changing. Here is a list of 10 things we used to believe about Space.
Star Wars, the very name brings up images of childhoods spent in front of a TV or cinema screen, absorbing up stories of a galaxy far, far away. For many, it was the thing to ignite their passion for storytelling, and for others it was the thing that ignited their Read more…