Tonight RTE 1 screens a documentary on how Ireland built part the largest radio telescope in the World. LOFAR (The Low-Frequency Array) is an international effort to study the Universe at the lowest radio frequencies, straddling either side of the familiar VHF band. Historical resonances abound in that the radio telescope is on the same site as the famous Leviathan of Parsonstown, once the largest optical telescope in the World. Amazingly there is so little radio interference nearby, that it is the radio equivalent of a pristine site high in the Andes when it comes to seeing the stars!
DIAS is a partner in LOFAR and will use it to study the birth of stars and planets. We will also contribute to the complex software required to operate such a telescope across the European continent with our international partners.
The LOFAR Telescope in Birr, County Offaly. DIAS is part of the Irish consortium that constructed it and we will use it to study how stars like our Sun are born and also how they die.
Leave a Comment
Last Updated: 23rd May 2018 by mary
RTE documentary on LOFAR – Thursday 19th October
Tonight RTE 1 screens a documentary on how Ireland built part the largest radio telescope in the World. LOFAR (The Low-Frequency Array) is an international effort to study the Universe at the lowest radio frequencies, straddling either side of the familiar VHF band. Historical resonances abound in that the radio telescope is on the same site as the famous Leviathan of Parsonstown, once the largest optical telescope in the World. Amazingly there is so little radio interference nearby, that it is the radio equivalent of a pristine site high in the Andes when it comes to seeing the stars!
DIAS is a partner in LOFAR and will use it to study the birth of stars and planets. We will also contribute to the complex software required to operate such a telescope across the European continent with our international partners.
The LOFAR Telescope in Birr, County Offaly. DIAS is part of the Irish consortium that constructed it and we will use it to study how stars like our Sun are born and also how they die.
Category: Astronomy and Astrophysics Section News & Events, News
J.L. Synge was a Senior Professor in the @StpDias from 1948 to 1972. You can read some Synge's original articles detailing his research and groundbreaking discoveries on our online repository at: bit.ly/2Gzh7X6 #DIASdiscovers
'Only a 1/4 of the 120,000 people working in jobs using #STEM are women ... girls are steering clear of what could be a universe of academic and career possibilities' Great article in the @IrishTimes with a mention of our first female fellow Sheila Tinney. bit.ly/2ElqOGu
DIAS iMARL infrastructure deploying ocean bottom seismometers which detect earthquakes and major weather events, track the presence of whales and dolphins, and capture seabed images. #DIASdiscovers
Great article in today's @IrishTimes about the breakthrough in understanding #SolarStorms, that was made by DIAS in conjuction with @tcddublin and @helsinkiuni. Read it at bit.ly/2Nd86ne. #DIASdiscovers
If you missed @petertgallagher Head of @DIASAstronomy, on @drivetimerte yesterday talking about our recent breakthrough on #SolarStorms, you can listen back at: bit.ly/2Sd1Yfm #DIASdiscovers
'Intricately detailed moon photo leaves reddit users breathless' via @Forbes forbes.com/sites/fernando…
#DidYouKnow The School of Cosmic Physics at DIAS carried out the first gravity survey of Ireland and through off-shore geophysical research enabled the extension of Ireland’s ocean territory by tenfold. #DIASdiscovers
A key priority of the @SCSLibrary is the provision of reliable editions of hitherto unpublished material and texts, previously accessible only to scholars consulting the manuscripts. Learn more about the @DIAS_ISOS project at isos.dias.ie #DIASdiscovers
. @ProfBrianCox & @robinince using coffee & cream to explain how we got from the Big Bang to the universe as we know it today. Fantastic show tonight in @3ArenaDublin - masterclass in communicating complex scientific concepts effectively
@UniversalQandA Given you’re in Dublin, any comments on the legacy / influence of Schrödinger, who lived here for many years & was the first Director of @StpDias?
. @ProfBrianCox showing an image of the universe as it was 380,000 years after The Big Bang #Cosmology
“Your theory suggests there was a day without a yesterday” - Lemaître’s comment to Einstein on the Theory of Relativity, as cited by @ProfBrianCox
“9000 people have come out on a Saturday night to chat about #Cosmology - that makes me feel good about the world” - @ProfBrianCox is pleased with the turnout for his Dublin show :)
We’re excited to be @3ArenaDublin tonight for @ProfBrianCox. We know he’s a big fan of #Schrödinger, first Director of @StpDias, so looking forward to seeing if he speaks of Schrödinger‘s time in Dublin...
.@DIASDunsink Observatory is used as an outreach centre, as accommodation for visitors and for hosting research workshops and meetings. Over 4,000 visitors a year come to events such as #Solarfest, @CultureNight, @ScienceWeek and Open Nights. Learn more: bit.ly/2SAAi8s