February 2024 Leading astronomical research centre Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has played a key role in the discovery of a unique signature of the process by which white dwarf stars cannibalise their planetary systems. The research was conducted by an international team of scientists using the European Southern Observatory’s Chile-based Read more…
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 of October and we have a recipe for fun and Read more…
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 there are a number of regular meteor showers over the Read more…
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 a brilliant past time and is a wonderful activity that Read more…
On Saturday 22 July 2013, I took a look around the summer night sky through the eyepieces of the Planetarium’s 12 inch Dobsonian telescope. It was a beautiful clear evening. What was there to see? Here are some images to give you an idea. Closest and brightest (a little too Read more…
Astronomers world-wide are thrilled by news of a nova, just visible to the unaided eye in the constellation Delphinus (the Dolphin), just beside the familiar Summer Triangle. Why are they so excited and what will you see if you look toward this interloper in the sky? To stargazers in Read more…
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 the winter sky. Finding Sirius in the winter sky 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 century or so astronomers have by observation and calculation established 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 on 24 August at the Mount Palomar observatory in California, Read more…
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope continues to produce stunning images. Let’s examine a particularly pretty recent treat, revealing the aftermath of a cosmic disaster. Like so many beautiful astronomical sights, the delicate sphere in this delightful image is the remains of a cataclysmic event. About four centuries ago, a tiny Read more…