Exploring the XTRA-Ordinary, Science Week 10th – 17th November 2013

Co-ordinated by Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme, Science Week is a collaboration of events run by colleges, schools, libraries, teachers, researchers and students throughout Ireland. During Science Week, a number of Secondary Schools are invited to visit Dunsink Observatory and take part in Astronomy Watch.

Lectures on a wide variety of topics in astronomy are held, and weather permitting, students are given the opportunity to look through the Grubb Telescope located in the South Dome at Dunsink Observatory.

The aim of this programme is to promote science as a career path for school students and as a source of interest and excitement for everyone.

For more information on these events or to request an invitation for your school, please contact
Hilary O’Donnell, or Anne Grace.

“The Life of Galileo” in Dunsink Observatory (8th -10th November 2013)

 The Greenwood Theatre Company, in association with Dunsink Observatory, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, proudly present “The Life of Galileo” by Bertolt Brecht in a new version by David Hare.

The Greenwood Theatre Company have been working in a unique collaboration with the two oldest observatories in Ireland. “The Life of Galileo” and its central drama of the conflict between science, religion and authority, is a story that resonates today. Dunsink, with its scientific heritage and educational remit, is the ideal location for the performance of David Hare’s more accessible version of Brecht’s play.

First performed by the National Theatre, Greenwood Theatre Company produced the Irish premiere of this version in Armagh Observatory in February, followed by St George’s Church in Belfast as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, “The Life of Galileo” will be performed in Dunsink Observatory in Dublin in the run up to Science Week.

The Greenwood Theatre Company is a new and exciting semi-professional theatre company that specializes in site-specific theatre. Producer Enid Crowe said, “This will be an incredibly intense, atmospheric experience for the necessarily small audience, building on our most recent production, the acclaimed ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’, which was inspired by and performed in August 2011 and June 2012 under the ancient oaks of Belvoir Forest, Belfast”.

This is a first for both the Greenwood Theatre Company and Dunsink Observatory. The audience will have the opportunity to get very close to the action in various parts of the building including the 150 year old South Dome, the Solar System Room and the historic Meridian Room where “Dublin Time” was kept.

Indeed, as remarked by Ian McDonald, author and Executive Producer with the Greenwood Theatre Company, “The Life of Galileo is a story that needs retelling every generation, especially in a 21st century when we seem to be moving away from science to an authority or belief-based worldview.”

 Directions to Dunsink Observatory

Upcoming Fringe Events to the Festival of Curiosity

In association with the Embassy of France in Ireland

Lecture by Dr Cécile Fabre (ChemCam)

“Curiosity and ChemCam – analysing the chemical composition of Mars rocks”

Thursday July 25^th at 19:30

Location: Dunsink Observatory    (Admission is free. However, if you wish to attend this event please apply by e-mail to hod@cp.dias.ie as places are limited).

Dr Cécile Fabre is co-investigator in the Franco-American instrument “ChemCam” which has been set up for analysing the chemical composition of Mars rocks in the NASA’s Curiosity Mission.

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 Lecture by Dr Stefano Panebianco (CEA-Saclay)

“Synthesis of Atomic Nuclei in the stars”

Thursday July 25^th at 21:00

Location: Dunsink Observatory    (Admission is free. However, if you wish to attend this event please apply by e-mail to hod@cp.dias.ie as places are limited).

Dr Stefano Panebianco (CEA-Saclay) leads a scientific program aimed at the full characterization of fission products at different research installations (ILL, GSI, GANIL…) and within international collaborations.

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Lecture by Dr Stefano Panebianco (CEA-Saclay)

“Nuclear Fission as a source of energy”

Friday July 26^th at 15:00

Location: DIAS, 10 Burlington Road, Dublin 4  (Admission is free and no booking is required)

Abstract

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On Friday 23rd November, Minister Joan Burton, T.D., formally launched the Irish Astronomy Trail, a new initiative developed by DIAS in the historic Dunsink Observatory which is now operated by DIAS and is located in Minister Burton’s constituency.

Ireland is home to the oldest astronomically aligned structure in the world, the passage grave of Newgrange, the eighteenth century observatories of Dunsink and Armagh, the Victorian wonders of the Birr castle Leviathan and the Crawford Observatory in Cork, the modern day outreach activities of Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, the Imbusch Observatory in Galway and the Armagh Planetarium in Northern Ireland. The spiral structure of galaxies was first observed in Birr with what was for seventy years the largest telescope in the world, the first observation of an extra-galactic supernova was made in Belfast and the first photoelectric measurements of starlight were made in Dublin.

Launching the Irish Astronomy Trail, Minister Joan Burton said: “The Irish Astronomy Trail links all the main astronomical sites on the island of Ireland. It also forms part of a broader European initiative to develop a European ‘Route of Observatories’. It will for the first time provide an integrated platform to explore Ireland’s rich astronomical heritage. The online trail will link every location around Ireland involved with astronomy including heritage sites, centres of outreach and research, and upcoming astronomy events through a convenient and easy to navigate web portal. The portal will provide a resource both for cultural tourists who want to explore Ireland’s rich astronomical heritage and for Irish residents with an interest in astronomy. I wish all involved with the project every success”

Minister Burton encouraged people, in particular, parents with children to avail of the special evenings that Dunsink Observatory holds from time to time at which they can learn more about astronomy and space. The Minister said: “I would encourage them to avail of these fascinating events. They provide a real opportunity for parents and children to explore the night sky and hear first-hand an astronomer explain the reason for those spectacular streaks of light of meteors or shooting stars.”

From left to right: Prof. Luke Drury (DIAS), Prof. Clive Ruggles (UNESCO), Mr Vincent McCarthy (Dublin City of Science 2012), Minister Joan Burton T.D., Mr Cecil Keaveney (DIAS)

The Irish Astronomy Trail was proposed by Professor Luke Drury, Director of the School of Cosmic Physics in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and was inspired by the French “Route des Observatoires” and will be integrated into European astronomical heritage and outreach projects.

Speaking at the launch of the Irish Astronomy Trail Professor Luke Drury said:

“Astronomy is the oldest of the natural sciences and perhaps the one with the greatest popular appeal. Everyone is interested in the origin of the universe, the nature of the stars, and in exploring the wonders of the sky. The trail will not only allow people to explore this aspect of our cultural heritage, but also allow them to engage with current on-going research. An increased public appreciation of science is vital and we hope that the trail will also lead to this.”

Also present at the launch was Prof. Clive Ruggles, Director of UNESCO’s Astronomy and World Heritage Web Portal Project. He stated that:

“Ireland has a rich astronomical heritage, ranging from Newgrange passage tomb and a range of lesser known astronomically connected sites from later prehistory, to observatories that occupy a key place in the development of modern astronomy such as Dunsink, Armagh and Birr Castle. The Irish Astronomical Trail will heighten people’s awareness of these treasures and will, I hope, help to ensure that they are preserved for future generations as a vital part of Ireland’s outstanding cultural and natural heritage.”

The Irish Astronomy Trail is part of Dublin City of Science 2012 and aims to be an element of the living legacy of ESOF2012. The Curator of Dublin City of Science 2012, Vincent McCarthy, said:

“Dublin City of Science 2012 is delighted to be supporting the Irish Astronomy Trail as it connects people with our scientific cultural heritage and opens up the exploration of the universe to all of us“

The project is also supported by Ingenious Ireland, the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies, and Dark Sky Ireland.

The Irish Astronomy Trail can be accessed online at http://www.astronomytrail.ie/

Irish Astronomy Trail  Launch Friday November 23 2012

The Irish Astronomy Trail  Launch takes place on Friday November 23, in Dunsink Observatory.

Join us on Facebook for more information.

“Cosmic perspectives: from planets to the multiverse” by Professor Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, O.M., F.R.S.

Mon 19 Nov 6:00pm, Theatre L, Newman Building, Arts Block, UCD. Admission free.

Poster

Cosmic perspectives: from planets to the multiverse

Astronomers have made astonishing progress in probing our cosmic environment. We can trace cosmic history from some mysterious ‘beginning’ nearly 14 billion years ago, and understand in outline the emergence of atoms, galaxies, stars and planets — and how, on at least one planet, life emerged and developed a complex biosphere of which we are part.

Unmanned spacecraft have visited the other planets of our Solar System (and some of their moons), beaming back pictures of varied and distinctive worlds. And, probing far beyond our Solar System, telescopes, have revealed a vast universe, containing billions of galaxies, each containing billions  of stars.

An exciting development in the last decade has been the realisation that many other stars are orbited by retinues of planets — some resembling our Earth.

But these advances pose new questions: What does the long-range future hold? How widespread is life in our cosmos? Should we be surprised that the physical laws permitted the emergence of complexity? and:  Is physical reality even more extensive than the domain that our telescopes can probe? This illustrated lecture will attempt to address such issues.

Biography

Until his retirement earlier this year, Professor Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, O.M., F.R.S.,   was the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. Professor Rees was appointed to the House of Lords as a non-party-political peer, sitting on the Cross Benches in 2005, in which year he also became President of the Royal Society, a post he held until 2010. He is also Emeritus Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics in the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge. Among many other academic distinctions he holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal.

Lord Rees’ awards include the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Balzan International Prize, the Bruce Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the Heineman Prize for Astrophysics (AAS/AIP), the Bower Award for Science of the Franklin Institute, the Cosmology Prize of the Peter Gruber Foundation and the Einstein Award of the World Cultural Council.

Among Professor Rees’s publications are the following books: Cosmic Coincidences (UK title: The Stuff of the Universe) with J. Gribbin (1989); New Perspectives in Astrophysical Cosmology (2000); Before the Beginning—Our Universe and Others (1997); Gravity’s Fatal Attraction: Black Holes in the Universe (1995); Just Six Numbers (1999); Our Cosmic Habitat (2001);Our Final Century (US title: Our Final Hour) (2003); La Lucciola e il Rifletorre (in Italian only) (2004); Universe, editor (2005); What We Still Don’t Know (2007).

Solarfest 2012 celebrates astronomy and the Sun June 23 2012

Solarfest 2012 is a one-day event about solar astronomy. It is being organised by the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies with support from Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Trinity College Dublin, and Dublin City University. The event will include speakers from TCD, DCU, and leading members of Ireland’s amateur astronomy community. Weather permitting, the organisers also hope to have solar observing and imaging sessions. A tour of the observatory will take place for a chance to see the dome and the 12″ Grubb refractor.

Spaces are limited to 60 seats. If you are interested in attending, please send an e-mail to ifas.solarfest@gmail.com Please state in the e-mail how many seats you would like to reserve.

The following is the programme of the day:
10:30 Registration – Tea/Coffee
11:00 Welcome Address
11:15 John Flannery (SDAS)
12:00 Andrew Taylor (ISDC)

12:45 Lunch – Tea/Coffee will be provided. Please bring your own picnic

. During Lunch:
* Solar Observing – People are encouraged to bring their own solar observing equipment
* Tour of the Observatory

14:15 Masha Chernyakova (DCU)
15:00 Discussion re Annular Eclipse (May 2012, Transit of Venus( June 2012) & Solar Eclipse (November 2012)
15:30 Ronan Newman (GAC)
16:15 Pietro Zucca (TCD)
17:00 Conference Close

International Speakers Evening June 27 2011

Searching for Earth-sized planets with NASA’s Kepler space telescope

Dr Fergal Mullally, NASA Ames Research Centre

Abstract: Finding planets like our own elsewhere in the Galaxy is the first step to answering the age-old question of whether we are alone in theUniverse. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to see planets around other stars because the glare from the starshine overpowers the faint planets. Kepler is NASA’s first mission capable of finding Earth sized planets in orbit around stars other than our own. Instead of trying to see the planets directly, it measures the change in brightness when a planet passes in front a star and blocks a tiny fraction of the starlight. It is very rare for a planet to line up just right to pass in front of the star as seen from the spacecraft, so Kepler will stare at over 150,000 stars almost continuously for 5-6 years to capture these rare events. I will talk a little about the spacecraft, how we find planets, and present some of recent exciting planet discoveries.

First Joint DIAS-OKC Workshop, December 12-14 2011

The workshop “Multi-GeV Astrophysics with Ground-Based Detectors” will take place in Dublin (Ireland) on Dec 12-14, 2011. This will be the first workshop of small or mid-size scientific meetings dedicated to specific topics of High Energy Astrophysics and Cosmology as a joint initiative of the the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and the Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, University Stockholm. The organizers are Felix Aharonian, Lars Bergstrom, Valenti Bosch-Ramon, Jan Conrad, Luke Drury, Felix Ryde.

For more information click here.

The NASA Astronaut, Lieutenant Colonel Robert S. Kimbrough visited Dunsink Observatory on Thursday 6^th October. Colonel Kimbrough gave a talk on his recent mission on the STS-126 Endeavour and this was followed by a Q&A session on his life as an Astronaut.

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