Astronomy Today

Whirlpool Galaxy

<P> This image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, taken in January 2005 by the Hubble Space Telescope, illustrates a spiral galaxy's grand design, from its curving spiral arms, where young stars reside, to its yellowish central core, a home of older stars. The galaxy is nicknamed the Whirlpool because of its swirling structure. </P> <P> Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs), the Whirlpool's beautiful face-on view and closeness to Earth allow astronomers to study a classic spiral galaxy's structure and star-forming processes. </P> <P> Text:<EM> NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) <BR> </EM>Image:<EM> Courtesy of <A HREF="http://hubblesite.org/copyright/">ESA/NASA/STScI</A> </EM> </P>

Whirlpool Galaxy

Whirlpool Galaxy

<P> This image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, taken in January 2005 by the Hubble Space Telescope, illustrates a spiral galaxy's grand design, from its curving spiral arms, where young stars reside, to its yellowish central core, a home of older stars. The galaxy is nicknamed the Whirlpool because of its swirling structure. </P> <P> Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs), the Whirlpool's beautiful face-on view and closeness to Earth allow astronomers to study a classic spiral galaxy's structure and star-forming processes. </P> <P> Text:<EM> NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) <BR> </EM>Image:<EM> Courtesy of <A HREF="http://hubblesite.org/copyright/">ESA/NASA/STScI</A> </EM> </P>

Enlarge image

Astronomers in Ireland continue to add to our understanding of the heavens above, but they no longer use telescopes based here. Modern instruments are expensive, so the costs are shared by many countries, and the telescopes are located on high mountains above clouds and weather, or even on space satellites.

Today, the astronomers work in the universities, and at Armagh Observatory and the DIAS.

In unusual research that brings us back to our Neolithic start, DIAS astrophysicist Prof Tom Ray, analysed the alignment at Newgrange and found that it no longer marks the midwinter dawn.

The Earth's axis has shifted in the intervening 5,000 years so the Sun now has to climb above the horizon for 4½ minutes before it reaches the tomb's opening. Yet the alignment still works incredibly well.

Newgrange, Birr Castle and Dunsink Observatory are open to the public. Armagh Observatory is a working scientific institution, where over 30 scientists study sunspots, climate change, to interplanetary dust and meteors. It is not open to the public, but you can visit Armagh planetarium next door.