While the world’s eyes are gazing warily at the erupting Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, someone needs to be watching the Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. After being dormant since 2014, the world’s largest active geyser has suddenly spewed steam skyward (your tongue-twister for today) for the fifth time in less than two months … […]
Entertainment
Looking Back at Spielberg’s ‘War of the Worlds’
The world’s most successful director has had a lifelong obsession with UFOs, and his films have moulded our expectations of otherworldly visitors. Between them, Steven Spielberg’s alien movies have grossed far in excess of a billion dollars… and that’s just his directorial projects. As producer, Spielberg’s alien-themed credits include the Men in Black franchise (1997–2012), […]
Moon Dust Found to Cause Irreparable DNA Damage in Humans
Space is a dangerous place. Aside from all of the lightsaber-wielding Sith lords, cybernetic hiveminds from the Delta Quadrant, and those sexy-but-oh-so-pesky Cylons, there are all of the space-related illnesses and natural dangers to worry about. Human visitors to outer space have to worry about mysterious “space fever,” excessive levels of cosmic radiation, and (hypothetical) […]
Could a Zombie Apocalypse Really Happen?
Zombies have a special place in pop culture at the moment. Featured in countless comics, TV shows, and movies, they have a certain allure that is hard to pin down, but is entertaining all the same. Yet, most people who consume such material never really think that any of it could ever be actually real. […]
19.19 – MU Podcast – Dean Radin
Renowned parapsychologist Dean Radin joins us this week to discuss Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a Guide to the Secret Power of the Universe. Radin’s latest work reveals the overwhelming scientific evidence for a genuine but hidden power that resides within each individual. A power tied to our consciousness. A power that makes phenomena […]
Comet Watch – Work experience students spy on comets using GOTO
Article Written by Gavin Ramsay Comets have been known for millennia with Halley’s Comet famously being shown in the Bayeux Tapestry illustrating events which took place in 1066. They were also thought to foretell catastrophic events. Today we know them as having a small nucleus made up of ice and dust and when they near […]
Spaceflight for Dummies
Article written by: Phil Hall Two weeks ago, a space-suited mannequin was strapped inside a cherry red car, the car was strapped inside a rocket, and the whole lot was launched into space. Although the shiny convertible might be the first of its kind in space, the mannequin, dubbed ‘Spaceman’, is most definitely not. That […]
Celebrating the Planetarium’s 50th Anniversary: Lindsay’s great legacy
Article written by: Professor Michael Burton, Director of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Armagh Planetarium1968 Opening Year The city of Armagh lays claim to a remarkable history that belies its small size. A history stretching from the neolithic era, and the mythology of Emain Macha (the ancient capital of Ulster), through the City’s Christian foundation with […]
Chasing the shadow: A 2017 eclipse adventure
Article written by: Conor Byrne As an astrophysicist with a keen interest in space from a young age, the opportunity to witness a rare astronomical phenomenon is naturally quite high on the ‘bucket list’. So when I was attending a research workshop in the United States in August 2017, just a few days before a […]
First use of the I-LOFAR with the International LOFAR Telescope
Article by Aaron Golden, Visiting Astronomer at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Stephen Bourke works at the Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory in Sweden, and Aaron Golden at the School of Maths in NUI Galway, and is a visiting astronomer at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. The I-LOFAR observations were taken […]