Astronomy

Returning for the first time since the pandemic, the International Astronomical Union hosted IAU Symposium 361: Massive Stars Near and Far; in the Slieve Russell; with Armagh Observatory and Planetarium taking part in the research discussions and educational outreach.   This international conference bought together over 230 observational and theoretical astrophysicists to discuss all aspects of massive stars, their formation, evolution and ultimately their demise as supernovae. A special focus of this conference is on massive stars in the early Universe, how they lived and died, and how they compare with massive stars in our Galaxy.   Jorick Vink, Astronomer at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium and Co-Chair of the Scientific Organising Committee talks on the importance of this week-long c...

First Light Optics’ StellaLyra 250mm, f/5 Dobsonian, in its gorgeous black finish, tips the scales at 29 kilograms. Image: FLO. Based in Exeter, First Light Optics (FLO) sells an impressive range of reflecting telescopes under its own StellaLyra brand. Encompassing Newtonian, classical Cassegrain and Ritchey–Chrétien optical configurations, these instruments are designed and manufactured for FLO by Guan Sheng Optical (GSO) in Taiwan –a company with a long-standing reputation for high-quality workmanship and innovative design. For the most part, FLO’s StellaLyra telescopes are sold as optical tubes and accessories but without mounts. The exception is their suite of 150 to 400mm (6- to 16-inch) Dobsonians, which contain everything that you need to observe straight out of the box. For the pu...

A 3-gram sample of the Hypatia stone. Researchers found a consistent pattern of 15 elements in the Hypatia stone. The pattern is completely unlike anything in our solar system or our solar neighborhood, in the Milky Way. Credit: Romano Serra New chemistry "forensics" indicate that the stone named Hypatia from the Egyptian desert could be the first tangible evidence found on Earth of a supernova type Ia explosion. These rare supernovas are some of the most energetic events in the universe. ...

Before this decade is over, NASA will send astronauts to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo Era. As part of the Artemis Program, NASA also plans to establish the infrastructure that will allow for a “sustained program of lunar exploration.” A key part of this is the Lunar Gateway, an orbiting space station that will facilitate regular trips to and from the lunar surface. In addition to being a docking point for ships going to and from Earth, the station will also allow for long-duration missions to Mars. The Gateway will have what is known in orbital mechanics as a “near rectilinear halo orbit” (NRHO), meaning it will orbit the Moon from pole to pole. To test the long-term stability of this orbit, NASA will be sending the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operat...

Astronomers using a network of radio telescopes across the entire planet have finally been able to take the first picture of the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. Members of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium were present to hear this news live.   Credit: EHT Collaboration   Commenting from Vienna, where he heard live about these results together with his research team, Dr. Marc Sarzi, Head of Research at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium said: “This is another great exploit by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, who already published in 2019 the first image of the supermassive black hole – or better of the incandescent material that closely moves around it – in the case of the giant galaxy called NGC4486 as it is known in the New General Catalogue of nebu...