The Armagh Observatory Annual Report Calendar Year 2004

The Armagh Observatory
Annual Report
Calendar Year 2004
(Financial Year 2004/2005)
Prepared by the Director and Staff
M.E. Bailey
12 April 2005

Cover: The 2004 June 8 transit of Venus around third contact, observed using the projection method
at Armagh Observatory with the recently restored 10-inch Grubb Refractor. Image courtesy of John
McFarland.
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Contents
Executive Summary
iii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Organizational Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Research Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Review of Financial Year 2004/2005 5
2.1 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 New TSN Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3 Objectives for Financial Year 2005/2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3 Research 9
3.1 Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2 Technical Research Summaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.1 D.J. Asher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.2.2 M.E. Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.2.3 C.J. Butler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.2.4 A. Christou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2.5 J.G. Doyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3.2.6 C.S. Jeffery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
3.2.7 W.M. Napier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
3.2.8 M.D. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4 Education and Public Outreach 22
4.1 Widening Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.2 Conferences and Public Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
5 Buildings, Grounds, Library and Archives 32
5.1 Buildings, Telescopes and Telescope Domes Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.2 Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.3 Phenology Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.3.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.3.2 Summary Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5.4 Human Orrery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
6 Summary and Conclusion 38
A Board of Governors and Management Committee 2004 41
A.1 Board of Governors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
A.2 Management Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
B Armagh Observatory Staff 2004 42
C Refereed Journal Publications 2004 43
C.1 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
D Presentations by Armagh Observatory Staff 2004 45
E Armagh Observatory Seminars 2004 48
F Identified Media Mentions 2004 49
G New TSN Action Plan 55
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Executive Summary
This report provides information about the Armagh Observatory, its staff and organization, and reviews
its principal achievements during the Calendar Year 2004. All financial matters refer to the financial
year running from 1 April to 31 March. At the time of writing (i.e. 12 April 2005), figures for the period
1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 are unaudited and may differ slightly from those published in the final
audited accounts.
1. The Armagh Observatory has achieved considerable success during the past year. Staff have produced
41 refereed scientific journal publications during the year, as well as one monograph (“The
Origin of Stars”, by Dr M.D. Smith); the number of identified media citations, namely 282, has
remained at a high level, considerably above the target figure of 200; and the number of Distinct
e-Visitors to the Observatory web-sites (http://star.arm.ac.uk/, http://climate.arm.ac.uk/
and http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/∼spm/) has continued to grow.
2. The 41 papers published in refereed scientific journals is the highest since 1998. Such publications
represent only a fraction of the Observatory’s total scientific output.
3. Staff at the Observatory have obtained external grants and other income totalling £250,000 during
the period (£239,000 in external grant receipts), maintaining the extremely high levels of recent
years. These have averaged in excess of £250,000 per year over the past decade, i.e. more than
40% of the corresponding DCAL grant-in-aid over the same period. The related high level of
astronomical activity at Armagh demonstrates an extremely good return per unit of core DCAL
funding.
4. In the same period, Armagh Observatory staff have presented a record 93 talks and other scientific
contributions at meetings both locally and abroad, and maintained a very active programme
of formal seminars and internal colloquia at the Observatory (23 such talks). They have also attracted
282 identified media citations in various mass-media including items in the national and
international press, and on radio and television.
5. A notable achievement during 2004 was the Observatory’s involvement in arrangements for the first
joint meeting of the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland (ASGI) and the Institute of Physics in
Ireland (IoPI). The meeting “Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland” was held in St Patrick’s Trian,
Armagh, from 1–4 April 2004. With more than 140 participants this was the largest astronomy
meeting ever held in Armagh.
6. The Observatory continues to present a strong, positive image of Armagh and Northern Ireland
on the national and world stage. It also maintains a significant programme of education
and public outreach. The Observatory’s three principal web-sites, namely http://star.arm.ac.uk/,
http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ and http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/∼spm/, have attracted growing interest by
members of the general public, evidenced by the very high number of recorded ‘hits’ and Distinct
e-Visitors (DeVs), and by the growing amount of data transferred from the web-site to external
users. During 2004 these indicators of web-site activity were recorded as 9.4 million hits, 576,000
DeVs (an average of two estimates), and 920 GB data exported.
7. Staff have devoted considerable effort towards the programme of restoration of several historic
telescopes and telescope domes, so improving the fabric of the main Grade A listed building and
building a foundation for continued observing operations at the Observatory. They have also undertaken
various other innovative projects in the Observatory Grounds and Astropark, including
construction of the Human Orrery — the first such exhibit in the world — and inauguration of
the new Phenology Garden. These activities have improved both the scientific and cultural heritage
of the region and have been carried out in addition to pursuing a high-volume programme of
astronomical research.
Table 1 shows the yearly trend of various performance indicators. Staff at the Armagh Observatory have
maintained a high level of scientific and other output during the year and generated an exceptionally high
public profile at regional, national and international level. These activities reflect not just the strength of
public interest in astronomy and space science, but also the interests of the Observatory’s staff and the
activities of its core funding agency, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), presenting all
in a very positive light. The Armagh Observatory makes a unique contribution to projecting a positive
image of Armagh City and District — and of Northern Ireland — on the world stage.
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External Refereed Identified Distinct Total DCAL
Calendar Year Grant Income Journal Media e-Visitors RAE Grade Grant Income
(£000s) Publications Citations (DEVs) (£000s)
2001 221 32 302 318,000 4 713.5
2002 306 33 267 354,000 733.5
2003 270 34 226 470,000 781.5
2004 239 41 282 576,000 884.0
2005 Required Income: 773.4
2005 Targets: 200 35 200 400
Table 1: The trend of various performance indicators (PIs) versus calendar year, including the total DCAL
grant income received in cash terms in the corresponding financial year. Note that these figures include the
announced capital and recurrent funding together with any additional funding received in-year. Also shown is the
total funding required for 2005/2006. External grant income for 2004/2005 represents a preliminary, unaudited
estimate. Performance targets for calendar year 2005 (financial year 2005/2006) are expressed in round figures.
Objectives for 2005/2006
The Armagh Observatory is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage, the oldest
scientific institution in Northern Ireland. Its principal function is to carry out front-line scientific research
in astronomy and related sciences; an important secondary activity is to pursue a high-profile and high
value-for-money programme of education and public outreach. The Observatory’s principal objectives
during 2005 and the coming Financial Year 2005/2006 are to:
• maintain existing high-quality research programmes;
• obtain grants and additional external funding to support new research projects;
• strengthen the Observatory’s research capability in solar system and stellar astrophysics in readiness
for the next Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008; census date 31 October 2007);
• enhance the Observatory’s use of and access to necessary research infrastructure, such as CosmoGrid,
the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), and the Northern Ireland Regional Area
Network (NIRAN);
• widen access to the heritage material in its possession; and
• progress plans for a new Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building.
The corresponding targets for these objectives, which together span the Observatory’s principal areas of
activity (research, education and public outreach, and heritage), are indicated in Table 1.
The key task for the year is to obtain a stable level of core funding and to obtain resources to secure
the recruitment of additional research staff. This is to maintain current activity and to lay a strong
foundation for the forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise (2002–2007), which has a census date 31
October 2007.
Appended to this report for Calendar Year 2004 (Financial Year 2004/2005) are lists covering (A)
Membership of the Management Committee and Board of Governors, (B) Staff Members, (C) Refereed
Journal Publications, (D) Presentations by Observatory Staff, (E) Lectures and Seminars held at the
Armagh Observatory, and (F) Identified Media Citations.
Following a decision by the DCAL to consolidate the New TSN policies of the agencies, NDPBs and
Statutory Bodies that it currently supports, the Armagh Observatory and Armagh Planetarium policies
on New Targeting Social Need were incorporated during 2003 into an overarching DCAL joint policy. The
Armagh Observatory’s component of this New TSN policy (valid from 1 January 2005) can be viewed
at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/TSN.html, and is included here for completeness in Appendix G.
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1 Introduction
The Armagh Observatory (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/) is the oldest scientific institution in Northern
Ireland, founded by Archbishop Richard Robinson in 1790 as part of his dream to see the creation of a
university in the City of Armagh. It stands close to the centre of the City of Armagh together with the
Armagh Planetarium in approximately 14 acres of attractive, landscaped grounds known as the Armagh
Astropark. The Astropark, which is managed by the Observatory, includes two sundials and scale models
of the solar system and the Universe, and features a number of outdoor exhibits and interpretation
panels (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/astropark/). A new public outreach facility, the Human Orrery (see
http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/), has recently been opened in the Observatory grounds to the south-east
of the main building of the modern Observatory.
The principal function of the Armagh Observatory, which is a third-level institution funded by the
Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), is to undertake original research of
a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related
sciences. Current key programmes focus on Stellar Astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy,
and Solar System – Earth relationships including the Sun’s influence on climate and the impact of
interplanetary dust, comets and asteroids on the Earth. The Observatory also maintains a unique 210-
year long meteorological record and data-bank (http://climate.arm.ac.uk/), the longest in the UK and
Ireland from a single site, and plays a key role together with the Armagh Planetarium in promoting the
public understanding of astronomy and related sciences.
Senior research staff at the Observatory are employed as Research Astronomers on a scale equivalent
to the NICS Grade 7, which is roughly equivalent to the level of a university senior lecturer, reader or
professor. Postgraduate students are registered at various UK and other European universities, but they
are usually registered at the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB), which has recognized the Observatory
as an approved institution for the supervision of PhD and MPhil. students. There is currently a fluctuating
population of around 20 research staff, including students, which is supported by a pool of 2 technical
(computer-related) staff, 1 librarian, 1 group secretary, 1 finance officer, and a senior administrator shared
(50%) with the Armagh Planetarium. The 14 acres of landscaped grounds and the Armagh Astropark
are maintained by a grounds/meteorological support officer, who is also responsible for taking the daily
meteorological readings, and an assistant groundsman.
Research interests of Observatory staff currently focus on (i) Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics (including
star formation, astrophysical jets, cool stars, hot stars, helium stars), (ii) the Sun (the dynamic
solar atmosphere, chromosphere and corona), (iii) Solar System Astronomy (including celestial mechanics,
planetary science, and the dynamical evolution and interrelationships of comets, asteroids, meteoroids
and interplanetary dust), and (iv) Solar System – Terrestrial Relationships (including solar variability,
climate, accretion of interplanetary dust and NEOs). In addition, Observatory staff participate in an active
programme of education and public outreach via lectures, popular astronomy articles and interviews
with the press, radio and television. Further details concerning the research interests of the Observatory
staff may be obtained from the Observatory web-site at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/.
The Armagh Observatory participates in the UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), held in 1992,
1996, and 2001. This gives external partners, such as UK charities and the research councils, information
upon which to base their funding allocations. The RAE also provides a measure by which the Observatory
can gauge its performance against corresponding groups in university departments. Staff at the
Observatory achieved a Grade 4 in the Physics Unit of Assessment in each of the 1992, 1996, and 2001
RAEs, corresponding to “Quality that equates to attainable levels of national excellence in virtually all
of the research activity submitted, showing some evidence of international excellence.” The census date
for the next RAE, called “RAE 2008”, is 31 October 2007.
In addition to this primary research role, the Observatory has an important responsibility to maintain
and preserve the fabric of the historic buildings, the library, historic books and archives, and the collection
of scientific instruments and other artefacts built up over 215 years of continuous astronomical activity
in Armagh. The main historic buildings of the Observatory have unique architectural features and
together house one of the most valuable scientific collections, including books, instruments and archives,
in Northern Ireland.
The scientific and architectural heritage provided by astronomy at Armagh is a highly significant
asset for the region, and the entire collection of artefacts, scientific instruments and historic telescopes
spans virtually every aspect of modern astronomy. In many cases, the underlying motivation and reasons
for the developments of astronomy at a particular time can be explained with reference to discoveries at
Armagh, or to artefacts and other items held within the Library and Archives. This gives astronomers at
Armagh a unique opportunity to explain the development of their subject over more than two hundred
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years and the context in which modern research is carried out.
In summary, the Armagh Observatory is a modern research institute with a rich heritage. It provides
a high-quality research environment and a range of opportunities to explain the reasons for mankind’s
long fascination with the celestial sphere, extending from roots more than five thousand years ago to
the most recent results of the space age. The Observatory’s location, conveniently close to the centre of
Armagh, means that it is well placed to contribute to a greater understanding of the role of scholarship
and research in the development of the City of Armagh and the wider region. It provides opportunities
in education and lifelong learning for people of all ages and from all backgrounds, and has an important
role to play in explaining and expanding Northern Ireland’s scientific and built heritage for the benefit
of future generations.
Vision
The Vision of the Armagh Observatory is:
“To maintain and build on its position as a thriving astronomical research institute, and to
continue to expand our understanding of the Universe and of humanity’s place in it.”
The Mission is:
“To advance the knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences through the
execution, promotion and dissemination of astronomical research nationally and internationally
in order to enrich the intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of the community.”
1.1 Organizational Structure
The Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium are distinctive organizations, part of a single
corporate entity “The Governors of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium” described in The Armagh
Observatory and Planetarium (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, which superseded the original 1791 Act
of the Irish Parliament entitled “An Act for Settling and Preserving a Public Observatory and Museum
in the City of Armagh For Ever”, and an Amendment of 1938 (“The University and Collegiate and
Scientific Institutions Act [Northern Ireland], 1938”). The Northern Ireland Order 1995 has recently
been amended by the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. The Armagh Observatory
and the Armagh Planetarium operate under two separate Directors and receive core funding from the
Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. The total staff complement is approximately
40: roughly 30 in the Observatory and 10 in the Planetarium.
The Observatory Director has periodic meetings with the DCAL and reports to a Management Committee
which usually meets twice a year, and (annually) to the Board of Governors. The Management
Committee (15 members) and Board of Governors (15 members) together comprise representatives from
a wide range of parties, including the Church of Ireland, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
(DIAS), the Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB), the UK astronomical community (e.g. members of
UK universities and the Astronomer Royal for England), the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research
Council (PPARC), the DCAL, and other bodies. Core funding is provided by grant-in-aid from the
DCAL, while variable amounts of additional funding are obtained from bodies such as the PPARC, the
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the British Council, the Leverhulme Trust, the European Union (EU), and
other grant awarding organizations. The membership of the Management Committee and the Board of
Governors is summarized in Appendix A, while the approximately 30 staff members of the Observatory
at 31 December 2004 are listed in Appendix B.
Armagh Planetarium Full details concerning the Armagh Planetarium are available from its website
(see http://www.armaghplanet.com/). The Planetarium is a multifaceted organization dedicated to
astronomy education from nursery-age to retirement. Founded in 1968 by the seventh Director of the
Armagh Observatory, Dr Eric Mervyn Lindsay, to complement the research work of Armagh Observatory,
its principal function is to disseminate knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences to
people of all backgrounds and all ages. Since its inception the Planetarium has operated as an independent
institution, the first and perhaps the best known Director being the writer and broadcaster Sir Patrick
Moore. The present Director of the Planetarium is Dr Tom Mason.
Whereas the Armagh Observatory is primarily an astronomical research institute, with an organization
geared to maintaining its position as an internationally recognized centre of research excellence, the
Armagh Planetarium is a leading educational establishment, seeking to attract visitors to Armagh and
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to educate and inform people of all age groups. The Planetarium plays an important role in public
understanding of science, and as a visitor attraction to promote and enhance tourism within Armagh
City and District. It helps to make Armagh one of the best known tourist destinations in Northern
Ireland and presents astronomy at Armagh as an important part of the City of Armagh’s heritage.
Senior responsibility for both branches of the organization, namely the Armagh Observatory and the
Armagh Planetarium, rests with the Management Committee and ultimately the Board of Governors.
The two organizations share a joint administrator.
1.2 Research Environment
Technical equipment at Armagh, which is used primarily for numerical analysis, computer modelling and
data reduction, is funded by the PPARC, PRTLI, and the DCAL. Facilities presently comprise some 30
Linux workstations and a range of peripherals, as well as a computer cluster comprising 15 dual-processor
3.0 GHz work nodes and one master node, with a total of 30 GB memory. These are used mainly for
computationally intensive research projects in areas such as solar physics, stellar atmospheres, numerical
magneto-hydrodynamics, star formation and jets, and solar system dynamics.
The internal network is a 1 Gbps backbone ethernet linked with switched hubs. The external network
is connected to the Joint Academic Network (JANET) through a 10 Mbps link provided through the
Observatory’s participation in the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN). The increase in
the Observatory’s network capacity together with a continuing programme of equipment upgrades will
enable the Observatory to participate in important new developments such as the Virtual Observatory,
the UK AstroGRID, the European Grid of Solar Observatories, the ESA SpaceGRID, and GRID Ireland.
Access to Grid technology is currently provided via CosmoGrid (http://www.cosmogrid.ie/). This will
provide access to three high-performance supercomputer clusters, each comprising 128×1 GHz PCs, one
in Galway and two in Dublin (DIAS and UCD).
Armagh Observatory staff regularly receive awards of telescope time on national and international
facilities, and research grants from various grant awarding bodies. The Observatory is also eligible to
receive grants from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Within the next two years,
with the support of the DCAL, the Observatory will benefit from access to the Southern African Large
Telescope (SALT), a large (10-metre class) telescope located at the Sutherland Observatory, South Africa,
through its membership of the UK SALT Consortium (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/SALT/). Renovation
of the historic telescopes and telescope domes at Armagh, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund
(HLF) and the DCAL, will also bring the Observatory’s own telescopes (an 18-inch reflector and a 10-inch
refractor) back into use for some research and student training.
The SALT project is an international collaboration between the following parties:
• The National Research Council of South Africa;
• The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences;
• The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) Founding Institutions (The University of Texas at Austin, The
Pennsylvania State University; Stanford University; The Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München;
and The Georg-August-Universität Göttingen);
• Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA;
• The Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany;
• The University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA;
• The Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh, USA;
• The University of Canterbury, New Zealand;
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA;
• Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA; and
• The UK SALT Consortium (The Armagh Observatory, The University of Central Lancashire; The
University of Keele; The University of Nottingham; The Open University; and The University of
Southampton).
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Figure 1: Members of Armagh Observatory staff and visitors, June 2004. From left to right are: Bernard Toner,
Gerry Doyle, Ignacio Ugarte Urra, Simon Jeffery, Shane Kelly, Mark Bailey, Youra Taroyan, Miruna Popescu,
Christopher Winter, David Asher, Babulakshmanan Ramachandran, Chia-Hsien Lin, Apostolos Christou, Natalie
Behara, Jonathan McAuliffe, Martin Murphy, Geoff Coxhead, Margaret Cherry, John Butler, Aileen McKee,
Barry O’Connell, Aidan Grant, John McFarland, Gajendra Pandey. The insets show Lawrence Young, Amir
Ahmad, and Ana Maria García Suárez. Among those missing from this image are: Bebe Ishak, Eoghan O’Shea,
Michael Smith, Ibrahim Abdalla and Lidong Xia.
1.3 Staff
The staff position at the Armagh Observatory on 31 December 2004 is shown in Appendix B. Individuals
are identified by their 3-letter (sometimes 2 or 4) ‘Starlink’ computer username (full e-mail address:
xxx@arm.ac.uk), together with their job-title and an indication of their principal function in the Observatory.
It is noteworthy that a very high proportion of Observatory staff are involved in core research
and support activities, the entire operation being supported by just three administrative staff (mc, ambn,
lfy), one of whom (lfy) is shared equally with the Planetarium. Figure 1 shows members of staff and
visitors present for the staff photograph in June 2004.
Staff Movements Bernard Toner (Assistant Groundsman) continued to work with Shane Kelly (Grounds
and Meteorological Officer) under a placement administered by Wade Training.
Three new PhD students arrived in late September and early October 2004, namely Ms Antoaneta
Antonova, who completed her first degree in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Sofia,
Bulgaria, and will work with Gerry Doyle on coronal radio emission from brown dwarfs; Mr Timur Şahin,
who completed his first degree in the Department of Physics, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey, and
will work with Simon Jeffery on a project involving the late stages of stellar evolution; and Mr Anthony
Moraghan (the first Lindsay Scholar, joint with DIAS), who completed his first degree from Trinity College,
Dublin, and will work with Michael Smith on the propagation of jets in astrophysical environments.
A fourth external student (John Giannikakis, of the Astrophysics Section of the Department of Physics,
University of Athens, Greece) has also started work with Gerry Doyle on a self-funded PhD programme
together with E. Antonopoulou and G. Tsiropoula (University of Athens) on a solar physics project
involving the evolution of spicules and related disk features.
In addition, a third-year undergraduate (David Morgan; drm@arm.ac.uk) at the University of Surrey
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arrived at the Observatory on 1 September 2004 as part of a 10-month work-experience placement to
work with Simon Jeffery on the development of stellar spectra fitting software, funded by the PRTLI
CosmoGrid project.
PhD student Babulakshmanan Ramachandran passed his differentiation review towards the end of
2003, and will study pulsations and oscillations in sdB stars and other astrophysical environments under
the supervision of Michael Smith and Simon Jeffery. Bebe Ishak and Natalie Behara both passed their
differentiation reviews on 9 June 2004. They will continue their studies on ‘The Importance of Small-Scale
Dynamic Features in the Heating of the Outer Solar Atmosphere’ and ‘The Atmospheres of Hydrogen-
Deficient Stars’, working under the supervision of Gerry Doyle and Simon Jeffery respectively.
One student, namely Ignacio Urra Ugarte passed his PhD oral examination on 2 December 2004, the
thesis topic being “Brightness and Magnetic Evolution of Solar Coronal Bright Points”. He will leave the
Observatory in Spring 2005 for a post-doctoral position at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington
DC, to work on the Solar-B mission, scheduled to be launched in September 2005.
Several PDRAs arrived and left the Observatory during the year: Drs Lidong Xia and Eoghan O’Shea
arrived on 5 January 2004 to work with Gerry Doyle on six-month and two-year PDRA positions respectively,
funded by the PRTLI CosmoGrid project from 1 January 2004; Dr Ibrahim Abdalla came to
the Observatory for approximately two months (30 January to 31 March 2004), to work with Michael
Smith on computational fluid dynamics problems concerning jets in radio galaxies; and Dr Jinzeng Li,
from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, visited the Observatory for two months from 23 March
to 31 May 2004, also to work with Michael Smith. Finally, although Professor Bill Napier formally left
the Observatory on 30 April after an association with Armagh lasting slightly more than 8 years, he
continues to collaborate with members of the solar system group.
2 Review of Financial Year 2004/2005
The principal objectives for 2004/2005 were to:
• maintain existing high-quality research programmes – done;
• obtain grants and additional external funding to support new research projects – done;
• strengthen the Observatory’s research capability in solar system and stellar astrophysics;
• strengthen the Observatory’s access to research infrastructure such as CosmoGrid, the Southern
African Large Telescope (SALT), and obtain high-bandwidth connections to the internet through
the Northern Ireland Metropolitan Area Network (NIMAN) – done;
• widen access to the heritage material in its possession – done; and
• advance plans for a new Library, Archive and Historic Scientific Instruments Building – done.
The key additional task for the year was to widen the Observatory’s access to research development funds
and to lay a strong foundation for the forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise benchmark. This was
to involve working with the DCAL not just to provide an adequate level of core funding for astronomical
research, but also to obtain the further funds necessary for the recruitment of additional research staff
and to maintain and improve the Observatory’s access to high-quality research infrastructure.
In the event, it is unfortunate to record that no additional funding could be obtained for new staff
positions during the reporting year, and the first six-months’ budget settlement for 2004/2005 was the
worst for many years. Nevertheless, there remains a strong argument both to maintain the level of core
funding in real terms and to provide the Observatory with additional research development funds.
First, the Observatory has participated in the RAE for more than a decade, but has never benefited
from access to the performance related additional funding enjoyed by comparable research groups in the
university sector. Indeed, the Observatory’s position in this respect is doubly difficult, as owing to its
small size there are very limited opportunities to transfer resources within the organization, and this is not
helped by further clipping the institution’s wings. The Department’s inability to provide a stable level of
core funding and additional research development funds puts the Armagh Observatory at a considerable
disadvantage so far as expansion and strategic planning is concerned.
Additional research staff would give the Observatory an opportunity to broaden the scope of its
present research. They would also provide capacity to respond more flexibly to new research funding opportunities,
thereby enhancing the organization’s ability to lever additional research income from the UK
Research Councils and other grant-awarding bodies, attracting additional research income into Northern
5

Ireland and further increasing the Observatory’s output. Additional research development funds would
allow the Observatory to operate more effectively in an extremely competitive third-level research sector.
It is noteworthy that in recent years the Observatory has attracted substantial external funding per
unit of DCAL grant-in-aid, currently averaging more than £250,000 per year, and has closely met or
exceeded essentially all the performance targets set in the previous year, all of which are on ascending or
stable trajectories. It is extremely difficult to maintain this performance, and associated staff morale, in
a situation where good performance is not rewarded.
In addition to the above principal objectives, the Observatory has continued to play an influential
role in the community, for example through its high-level involvement in bodies such as the Astronomical
Science Group of Ireland (ASGI) and in helping to organize the first joint meeting between the ASGI and
the Institute of Physics in Ireland, held in Armagh from 1–4 April 2004, the largest astronomy meeting
ever held in the City. The Observatory also plays a leading role in promoting the public awareness
of astronomy and related sciences, especially through talks and public lectures, the release of media
information sheets about its work, the appearance of staff or their work in various mass-media, and
the provision of information through web-pages and links displayed on the Observatory’s principal website
(http://star.arm.ac.uk/). The Observatory’s commitment to the Southern African Large Telescope
project has continued with the support of the DCAL, and the largely HLF and DCAL-funded project to
restore the historic telescopes and telescope domes has progressed satisfactorily.
2.1 Performance
As proxy indicators of performance in each of the Observatory’s principal areas of activity (research,
education and public outreach, and heritage) records are maintained of (A) External Grant Income (per
financial year); (B) the number of Refereed Journal Publications (per calendar year); (C) the number of
Identified Media Citations (per calendar year); and (D) the number of Distinct e-Visitors (DeVs) to its
web-sites (per calendar year). Although other data are recorded for internal management and statistical
purposes (e.g. numbers of presentations, seminars and invited talks, grants and telescope time etc.),
a detailed annual analysis of such indicators is less informative than a thorough periodic assessment
of the Observatory’s research performance in the round, making allowance for the available resources
and, for example, the Observatory’s relatively small size compared to many university departments and
research institutes with which the Observatory is often compared. The Observatory has participated in
the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) since 1992, and during this period has maintained a Quality
Research (QR) rating of Grade 4. In the 2001 RAE this grade corresponded to: “Quality that equates to
attainable levels of national excellence in virtually all of the research activity submitted, showing some
evidence of international excellence.”
The trends of these principal performance indicators, provided in Table 1, are repeated below for
convenience and shown graphically in Figure 2. Note that all items refer to calendar year, with the
exception of financial matters (e.g. external grant income for 2004 refers to the financial year 2004/2005
and so on).
External Refereed Identified Distinct Total DCAL
Calendar Year Grant Income Journal Media e-Visitors RAE Grade Grant Income
(£000s) Publications Citations (DEVs) (£000s)
2001 221 32 302 318,000 4 713.5
2002 306 33 267 354,000 733.5
2003 270 34 226 470,000 781.5
2004 239 41 282 576,000 884.0
2005 Required Income: 773.4
2005 Targets: 200 35 200 400
Table 2: The trend of various performance indicators (PIs) versus calendar year, including the total DCAL grant
income received in cash terms in the corresponding financial year. Note that these figures include the announced
capital and recurrent funding together with any additional funding received in-year. Also shown is the total
budget required for 2005/2006, namely £748,400 (Recurrent) and £25,000 (Capital). External grant income for
2004/2005 represents a preliminary, unaudited estimate. Performance targets for calendar year 2005 (financial
year 2005/2006) are expressed in round figures.
So far as the particular indicators are concerned, the Observatory’s total non-DCAL income (£250,000)
slightly exceeds the value for external grant income alone (an unaudited estimate of £239,000); the num-
6

Figure 2: Histograms showing various performance indicators for the Armagh Observatory during the past decade.
The Figure shows respectively the variation of External Grant Income (£000s) per financial year, the number of
Refereed Journal Publications, the number of Identified Media Citations, and the number of Distinct e-Visitors,
all per calendar year. The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March, so external grant income for 2004
corresponds to the period 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 and so on. Dotted lines indicate prior-year Business
Plan targets.
ber of refereed journal publications is a lower limit to the total number of refereed papers, which is a
subset of the Observatory’s entire research output; the number of identified media citations is a lower
limit to the actual number of mentions of the Observatory or its staff in various mass-media; and the
number of Distinct e-Visitors (DeVs) is the number of distinct hosts served by the Observatory’s web-site.
This too is a lower limit, owing to caching by big servers and sharing or repeat visits from the same IP
number. The number of DeVs can also vary significantly, depending on which computer programme is
used to analyse the web-traffic. Here, we have chosen the average of two independent estimates, namely
381,000 and 771,000. In future years we plan to record just the lower figure.
Total external grant income during 2004/2005, namely £239,000, was slightly below the target figure
of £250,000 set in April 2004, and was again significantly boosted by contributions from the largely
HLF-funded telescope domes and historic telescopes restoration project. As a group, the five Research
Astronomers at Armagh have continued to bring into the Observatory more external funding in terms
of non-DCAL grant income than their gross DCAL-funded salary costs, a remarkable achievement. This
statistic alone demonstrates the potential for resonant growth associated with additional research staff.
The target for external grant income for 2005/2006 has been set at £200,000, owing to the projected
retirement of one Astronomer during 2005. Considering the fierce competition for research grants, this
still represents a challenging objective.
The number of refereed journal publications in 2004 has shown a substantial increase compared with
the level of recent years, a highly commendable result given that the number of core research staff at
the Observatory has shown no increase at all. Similarly, the number of identified media citations has
remained at a high level, substantially above the target of 200 per year, and the number of DeVs continues
7

to grow. Taken together, these results demonstrate a very satisfactory performance in research output,
public profile and the external impact of the Armagh Observatory, despite the near-constant number of
research-active staff.
The chosen performance measures (Table 2 and Figure 2) show that the Observatory has maintained
a very high level of research activity during the reporting period, has attracted substantial amounts of
external income, and has maintained an exceptionally high public profile. For such a small research
group, the frequency with which members of staff appear in or are quoted in newspapers and other media
is probably second to none.
2.2 New TSN Action Plan
New Targeting Social Need (TSN) is an overarching government policy with the aim of tackling social
need and social exclusion. It is intended as a long-term programme to mitigate the problems arising
from social need, focusing particularly on issues of unemployment and ways to increase employability;
on inequality in fields such as health, education and housing; and on factors that contribute to social
exclusion which need a cross-departmental approach.
New TSN is not a spending programme, but a theme which runs through spending programmes and
which requires resources to be redirected within such programmes towards areas shown objectively to
be in greatest need. Following a decision by the DCAL in 2003 to consolidate the TSN policies of the
agencies, NDPBs and Statutory Bodies that it currently supports, the Armagh Observatory and Armagh
Planetarium policies on New Targeting Social Need have been incorporated into an overarching DCAL
policy. For convenience we have continued to make the Armagh Observatory’s New TSN policy available
on the internet and in hard copy on request. The New TSN Policy for 2005, which was most recently
reviewed in January 2005, is available on the internet at http://star.arm.ac.uk/TSN.html and is appended
to this Annual Report as Appendix G.
2.3 Objectives for Financial Year 2005/2006
The announced parliamentary grant-in-aid for 2005/2006 is £660,000 (Resource Funding) and £6,000
(Capital), substantially less than that required to maintain the present level of activity in the long term.
The amount is the same in cash terms as in 2003/2004, and the very significant cut in the Observatory’s
projected grant-in-aid puts many of the medium to long-term aims and objectives of the Observatory at
risk. In particular, because a high fraction of the Observatory’s overall running costs is related to core
items such as salaries and fixed costs such as heat, light, power, insurance etc., the announced funding
for 2005/2006 will put severe strain on the Observatory’s ability to maintain its planned programmes
of research, outreach and public understanding of science for 2005 and beyond. Such treatment of a
scientific institution which has demonstrated a decade of significantly improved performance flies in the
face of Government policies that aim to increase spending on science and on programmes to encourage
young people to consider careers in the traditional ‘hard’ sciences.
The allocated funds will be directed towards achieving the following principal objectives during
2005/2006, namely to:
• maintain existing high-quality research programmes;
• obtain grants and additional external funding to support new research projects;
• strengthen the Observatory’s research capability in solar system and stellar astrophysics in readiness
for the next Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008; census date 31 October 2007);
• enhance the Observatory’s use of and access to necessary research infrastructure, such as CosmoGrid,
the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), and the Northern Ireland Regional Area
Network (NIRAN);
• widen access to the heritage material in its possession; and
• progress plans for a new Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building.
The corresponding targets for these objectives, which together span the Observatory’s principal areas of
activity (research, education and public outreach, and heritage), are indicated in Table 2.
The key task for the year is to obtain a stable level of core funding and to obtain resources to secure
the recruitment of additional research staff. This is to maintain current activity and to lay a strong
foundation for the forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise (2002–2007), which has a census date 31
October 2007.
8

3 Research
Research interests of Observatory staff currently focus on (i) Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics (including
star formation, astrophysical jets, cool stars, hot stars, and helium stars), (ii) the Sun (the dynamic solar
atmosphere, chromosphere and corona), (iii) Solar System Astronomy (including celestial mechanics,
planetary science, and the dynamical evolution and interrelationships of comets, asteroids, meteoroids
and interplanetary dust), and (iv) Solar System – Terrestrial Relationships (including solar variability,
climate, accretion of interplanetary dust and NEOs). In addition, Armagh Observatory staff participate
in an active programme of education and lifelong learning via lectures, popular astronomy articles and
interviews with the press, radio and television. Further details concerning the research interests of the
Observatory staff may be obtained from the Observatory web-site at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/.
A subset of the Observatory’s research activity, namely the list of 41 refereed journal publications
during 2004 and one book, is given in Appendix C. A related subset, namely the list of 93 public and
professional presentations delivered by Observatory staff during 2004, is given in Appendix D, while a
third subset — the list of Observatory seminars — is given in Appendix E.
These examples illustrate some of the routes by which research results are received and communicated
to others by Observatory staff: through public talks or articles in the local, national or international
media; at conferences, seminars and workshops; in refereed scientific publications and journals; in books;
and in a variety of non-refereed publications.
The remainder of this section first summarises a few highlights of the Observatory’s research and
other activities during 2004, and then, under the headings of the Observatory’s senior research staff,
presents lay reports of some of the principal research and related activities undertaken by these staff and
their colleagues during 2004. Full details can be obtained by referring to the refereed and other journal
publications of Observatory staff, available on the internet.
3.1 Highlights
Solar Physics The solar physics group has continued to study topics including ultraviolet (UV) explosive
events on the Sun, (UV)/X-ray bright points, and evidence for magnetic reconnection in the
solar atmosphere, using the impressive suites of instruments on board both the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SoHO) and the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) satellites. In particular,
Gerry Doyle and colleagues have made the first detection, to their knowledge, of a small magnetic loop
in the quiet Sun which shows evidence for a supersonic (≈130 km s −1 ) siphon-like flow. The group has
also revealed for the first time the existence of bi-directional jets, which are a signature of magnetic
reconnection, occurring along coronal hole (CH) boundaries; and in another study show, for the first
time, the association of the blinker phenomenon with brightenings in pre-existing coronal loops. Such
brightening seems to be triggered by interchange reconnection, serving to provide topological connectivity
between newly emerging magnetic flux and pre-existing flux, and a new model of the phenomenon has
been proposed which requires further testing.
Origin of Stars A book entitled ‘The Origin of Stars’, by Michael D. Smith, was published in October
2004 by Imperial College Press. It is the first book on star formation, apart from collective works
based on conference proceedings, for fifteen years. It presents the story of stellar procreation in a form
comprehensible to the avid science reader and suitable for use as a university textbook. In particular, the
book illustrates the recent revolution in our knowledge of star birth, on many scales. An accompanying
Web Gallery (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/ ∼ mds/Origin/origin.html) has been constructed.
ULTRACAM Observations of Subdwarf B Stars Subdwarf B stars are highly evolved stars which
pulsate non-radially in several modes with different frequencies. Measurements enable astronomers to
establish their overall properties and internal structure with unusual precision. In a second visit to use the
phenomenal high-speed ultracam photometer on the William Herschel Telescope in La Palma, Simon
Jeffery teamed up with Conny Aerts (Nijmegen and Leuven) to observe one of these pulsating stars
for six consecutive nights. Over 60,000 images were obtained, which when played in sequence show the
star’s oscillations in red, green and ultraviolet light. These observations were supported by 14 hours of
observations from the brand new Faulkes Telescope North in Hawaii. The combined observations have
revealed 19 pulsation frequencies including nine new ones. Moreover, groups of close multiplets give rise
to complex beating patterns, and are indicative of the star’s slow rotation rate. The results will enable
pulsation modes to be identified and the total mass and radius of the star to be measured. Together,
they will help to resolve fundamental questions about how subdwarf B stars were formed.
9

Figure 3: ultracam light curve for PG 0014+067, from 2004 August 20 to 2004 August 25 (top to bottom).
The differential light curves (V-C) are shown for each filter u ′ , g ′ and r ′ (top to bottom in each panel, coloured
blue, green and red respectively). The panels are labelled with the date of observation given as Julian Date (JD)
−2453230. The g ′ and u ′ data are offset vertically by an arbitrary amount. These data provide evidence for 19
pulsation frequencies, including complex ‘beating’ patterns indicative of the subluminous star’s slow rotation rate.
First CCD Observations of Asteroids from Armagh Apostolos Christou and David Asher, in collaboration
with the summer 2004 work-experience student Sharon McClure (Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor,
Co. Down), have conducted astrometric observations of main-belt and near-Earth asteroids using the Observatory’s
ST-7 CCD camera attached to the Armagh Planetarium’s 10-inch Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain
telescope. Three main-belt asteroids were observed, namely (304) Olga, (849) Ara and (1146) Biarmia.
One near-Earth asteroid, namely (1685) Toro, was also observed during a moderately close approach to
the Earth. These are the first CCD observations of asteroids, and of near-Earth asteroids in particular, to
be carried out from the Armagh Observatory, and represent the first precise astrometry to be carried out
at the Armagh Observatory since a woefully inaccurate position of (209) Dido was published forty years
ago! The observations obtained in summer 2004 were reported to the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
10

Apostolos Christou, David Asher and Sharon McClure also observed and imaged the unusual near-
Earth asteroid 2000 PH 5 during its close approach to the Earth around 27 July 2004. These observations
were carried out remotely using the new 2 m aperture Faulkes Telescope North, situated on the 10,000-
foot summit of Haleakala, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. They also formed part of Sharon McClure’s
summer work experience project, which was supported by the Nuffield Science Bursary Scheme, which
is run by the Sentinus programme in the University of Ulster at Jordanstown. It is believed that these
observations were also the first Earth-approaching near-Earth asteroid to be observed with the Faulkes
Telescope (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/press/2000PH5.html).
Occultation Astronomy A team of 12 staff and students travelled in three groups to locations west
of Sligo on the evening of Tuesday 20 July, to observe with small telescopes and binoculars the predicted
occultation of the magnitude 6.5 star HIP 186 in Pisces by the D-type minor planet (773) Irmintraud
(diameter c.95 km), at approximately 01:19:22 UT on 21 July 2004. This was a particularly interesting
event, as it had previously been suggested that Irmintraud could be an example of a very primitive parent
body similar to the source of extremely rare, primitive meteorites such as Tagish Lake.
Despite unfavourable weather the Armagh team was the only group on the island of Ireland able
to observe the star and report a definite negative observation. Similar negative results were reported
by observers in Spain, Italy and France, suggesting that the asteroid was quite far from its predicted
path. This was a valuable learning experience for the Armagh occultation team, and it gave the Armagh
Observatory summer students the opportunity to experience the development of a real scientific project
from inception to completion, culminating in a short publication.
Climate The Grounds and Meteorological Officer, Shane Kelly, and other staff members, have continued
to take daily measurements of the weather at Armagh throughout the year. Despite the warming
trend of recent years, falling snow at the Observatory on 25 December made 2004 the fourth White
Christmas at Armagh in nine years. Previous recent instances of snow at Armagh on Christmas Day
have been 1995, 1999 and 2001, prior to which we must go back to 1980 for another example. Figure 4
illustrates the 2004 White Christmas.
Technical Equipment Martin Murphy and Geoff Coxhead implemented a number of important changes
and upgrades to the Observatory’s technical equipment during 2004, a few of which are summarized in
their report below.
• The Observatory became an ordinary member of the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network
(NIRAN) consortium in early 2004 and was connected to the NIRAN at 10 Megabits per second
in October 2004. This was a considerable upgrade from the previous 1 Mbps proxy link to JANET
via QUB. The router which connects the Observatory and Planetarium to the NIRAN is managed
remotely by the NIRAN technical team, and as the Observatory has no control over this it was
necessary to implement a separate firewall between the router and the Observatory network. This
was done in software on a redundant PC system.
• A high-performance computer cluster comprising 15 dual-processor 3.0 GHz work nodes and one
master node, with a total of 30 GB memory, was purchased with funding from CosmoGrid (part
of the Grid Ireland project; see http://cagraidsvr06.cs.tcd.ie/vos.html). This was installed during
November 2004 in a room in the Observatory bungalow which has been converted to an airconditioned
computer room. The cluster is being used to model solar and stellar atmospheres. A
Grid gateway system was also installed which will integrate the Observatory Cluster with Grid
Ireland and will make the other computational clusters of Grid Ireland available to researchers at
the Observatory.
• For some years the Observatory’s scientific computer systems have used the RedHat Linux distribution
as their operating system. This distribution has now become semi-commercial, and so most of
the Observatory’s systems have been switched to the alternative Fedora Core distribution to ensure
lower total cost of ownership and access to the latest free software releases and updates.
• The online database system which has been used for some time to manage the Library catalogue
has been extended to include the inventory of computer equipment and the colloquia database.
• An up-to-date joint telephone system for the Observatory and Planetarium was installed and training
arranged for all staff. The system provides all the facilities expected of a modern telephone
11

Figure 4: The 2004 White Christmas at Armagh Observatory. Image courtesy of Miruna Popescu.
system including the ability to use the Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) which is the first stage
towards the total integration of the telephone and computer networks both internally and externally.
• New external lighting was installed at the front and rear of the main Observatory building together
with pathway lighting to the Robinson and Calver Domes. Great care was taken to ensure that the
lighting complied with the Observatory’s Dark Skies Policy, which parallels that of the Armagh City
and District Council, namely that all external lights, including floodlights, security and perimeter
lights, and lights used to illuminate paths and walkways, should be fit for purpose and minimalistic.
Such lights should be downward directed and shielded so as to avoid light pollution and to minimise
cost, energy waste and other adverse environmental consequences. For more information on Light
Pollution, see http://star.arm.ac.uk/darksky/armagh.html.
3.2 Technical Research Summaries
3.2.1 D.J. Asher
Trans-Neptunian Objects In collaboration with Vacheslav Emel’yanenko (South Ural University,
Russia), David Asher and Mark Bailey have continued their research on bodies in the outer part of the
12

solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. Previously they had identified a new class of orbit in that
region, stable over the lifetime of the solar system. Now they are investigating more unstable orbits, in
particular the question of where bodies on such orbits can dynamically evolve to. There are dynamical
routes through the Centaur region occupied by the outer planets, to the family of Jupiter comets often
observed from Earth. Objects of high orbital eccentricity in trans-Neptunian space are found to be a
significant source of Jupiter family comets. It is also concluded that the primordial number of such
trans-Neptunian objects was substantially larger than at present.
Near-Earth Asteroids David Asher again visited the Bisei Spaceguard Center in Japan, and took
part in the further development of software for the automatic detection and position measurement of
near-Earth objects (NEOs) and other asteroids and comets. The Bisei system surveys the sky to add
to the world database on objects with the potential to impact the Earth. David Asher was also part
of an international collaboration led by Andrea Boattini (Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy) to
use large-aperture telescopes (2–4 m aperture) at La Silla, Chile, for making observations of NEOs that
would be impossible using smaller instruments.
Meteors David Asher was invited to present a review, at a conference of the IAU (International Astronomical
Union) in Belgrade, of the ground-breaking work that has been done at Armagh and elsewhere
in recent years on the subject of meteor storm forecasting. He also continued to provide information on
meteor predictions to interested parties, of whom there are still many. The paper by Vaubaillon et al.
(2004) discussed details of the meteor activity in the latest Leonid shower.
Other Work Asher remains a member of the Scientific Organising Committee of IAU Commission
22 (Meteors, Meteorites and Interplanetary Dust), the IAU Working Group on Near-Earth Objects, the
Council of the IMO (International Meteor Organization) and the Editorial Board of WGN, the Journal
of the IMO.
3.2.2 M.E. Bailey
Research Jonathan Horner, a former summer student at Armagh (now at the University of Bern,
Switzerland), Wyn Evans (University of Cambridge) and Mark Bailey have completed two papers on the
dynamical evolution of outer solar system objects known as Centaurs. These are large, so-called ‘giant’
comets, circulating on dynamically unstable orbits confined approximately between the orbits of Jupiter
and Neptune. The first paper presents bulk statistics of the orbital evolution of an ensemble of 23,328
particles, derived from the observed sample, integrated for ±3 Myr either side of the present. These
represent the orbits of 32 well-known Centaurs. The average half-life for the entire sample is 2.7 Myr,
ranging from as short as 0.5 Myr up to more than 32 Myr for the most stable objects. The computed
transfer probabilities demonstrate the principal pathways through which these outer solar system objects
move before being dynamically ejected or inserted on to short-period cometary orbits similar to those of
the observed Jupiter family. The total number of Centaurs larger than 1 km across is estimated to be
approximately 44,000.
The second paper presents a more detailed investigation into the evolution of the individual objects,
illustrating behaviours such as capture of Centaurs into Jovian Trojan orbits, repeated ‘bursts’
of short-period cometary orbital evolution, capture into mean-motion resonances with the giant planets
and so-called ‘Kozai’ resonances, as well as traversals of the whole solar system. Roughly 60% of the
largest Centaurs, such as (2060) Chiron, become short-period comets at some stage of their dynamical
evolution. This is a typical feature of the Centaur population, a result which has important implications
for understanding the origin and long-term evolution of interplanetary dust in the solar system and the
number of Earth-crossing ‘asteroids’ of high mass.
Other Activities Mark Bailey delivered the prestigious Harold Jeffreys Lecture, “The Origin of Comets
and the Oort Cloud”, at the Royal Astronomical Society on 12 March 2004, and played a leading role in
arrangements for the first joint meeting of the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland (ASGI) and the
Institute of Physics in Ireland (IoPI), “Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland”. This was the largest
astronomical conference ever held in Armagh, with nearly 140 registered participants.
Mark Bailey, David Asher and Apostolos Christou together created and supervised the construction
of the Human Orrery (see Section 5.4), the first large outdoor exhibit designed to show with precision
the elliptical orbits and changing relative positions of the planets and other solar system bodies versus
time.
13

Scientific Administration During the year, Mark Bailey served on a PPARC Rolling Grant Review
Panel, and continued to serve on a number of scientific committees: as a member of the Royal Irish
Academy Committee for Astronomy and Space Research, the Royal Astronomical Society Education
Committee, the Governing Board of the DIAS School of Cosmic Physics, and scientific working groups
of the International Astronomical Union, namely Commissions 15 and 20 (both concerning comets and
minor planets). He also continued to serve as a member of the Editorial Board of the journal New
Astronomy Reviews, and as Editor-in-Chief of Earth, Moon, and Planets.
3.2.3 C.J. Butler
Climatology A paper describing the calibration of the long temperatures series (1795–2003) from
Armagh Observatory was accepted for publication by the International Journal of Climatology. Further
papers on the soil temperature, pressure and humidity series are in preparation.
One of the remaining uncertainties in the temperature series, namely the correction for exposure
resulting from the move from a north wall screen type of exposure to a Stevenson Screen in 1885, was
cleared up by a series of continuous temperature readings from both locations throughout the year. The
results showed that there was a very small (less than 0.2 ◦ C) difference in the mean temperature between
the two locations, in spite of the close proximity of the north wall screen to the Observatory and the
installation of central heating in parts of the building. The corrections applied were practically identical
to corrections derived from data supplied by the Valentia Observatory where a similar situation existed.
The large amount (over 1000 documents) of meta-data concerning the Armagh climate site has been
catalogued and scanned digitally. This material is of the utmost importance for future studies of the
Armagh climate series which, now that they are standardised, receive more and more attention by climatologists.
Influence of Climate Variables on Tree-Ring Widths of Different Species Tree rings can
provide continuous yearly palaeoclimatic records for regions of the Earth or periods of time with no
instrumental climate data. However, trees of different species are expected to react differently to changes
in climate, with some species more sensitive to rainfall and others to temperature or sunshine. In order
to disentangle the effects of different climate variables on tree-ring growth rates of different species, and
to explore the possibility that more than one species could improve the accuracy of the reconstructions
of climate using tree rings, a methodical study of trees in close proximity to the Armagh Observatory
climate station was initiated together with Ana Maria García Suárez, and continued as part of the latter’s
PhD thesis with John Butler and Professor Mike Baillie (QUB).
A selection of 10 to 20 specimens of each of five species that are common in Northern Ireland, and
which had grown within 10 km of the climate station at Armagh Observatory, was made. The trees were
cored and the tree rings measured with a travelling microscope. Standard chronologies (tree-ring width
series) from the late 18th or early 19th century were established for four of the species studied, namely
ash, oak, beech and scots pine. Attempts to form a chronology for lime were abandoned after it was
found that tree-ring series from this species did not replicate. This part of the work was undertaken with
the kind assistance of the School of Archaeology and Palaeoecology at Queens University Belfast.
A detailed statistical analysis by Ana Maria García Suárez, using procedures developed and kindly
made available to us by Dr Ed Cook (The Lamont-Doherty Tree-Ring Laboratory, Columbia University,
New York), has shown that of the species we have studied beech and ash are the most sensitive to climate,
with tree-ring growth more strongly influenced by precipitation and soil moisture in early summer than by
temperature or sunshine. These meteorological parameters can also be relevant to growth in the autumn
months, particularly in the previous year. Whereas previous studies of tree rings in Ireland (with oak)
have been able to explain only about 30% of the variance in tree-ring widths by climate, we have found
that we are able to explain 50% in beech, 30% for oak and ash and 25% for pine. Combinations of climate
variables are able to explain a significantly higher fraction of the variance than single variables.
Though it has not proved possible to successfully reconstruct from tree rings annual mean meteorological
data, some parameters such as rainfall and the Palmer Drought Index, and to a lesser extent
maximum and mean air temperatures, can be reconstructed over limited portions of the year. As with
the response of trees to climate, we find that combinations of species are better able to reconstruct
meteorological parameters than single species.
Phenology Thirteen cloned specimens recommended by the International Phenology Garden Network
were supplied by the central coordinating laboratory in Berlin and planted in spring 2004 in the new
14

phenology garden at Armagh. This is the first such garden in Northern Ireland and one of the earliest in
the UK. A further eighteen native species were planted in a separate section of the garden.
A new website is currently under construction at Armagh Observatory by Martin Murphy and John
Butler for the Irish Phenology Network.
Observing Run 3–9 August, 2004. The youngest late-type stars. High-resolution spectroscopy with
the giraffe (Grating Instrument for Radiation Analysis with a Fibre Fed Échelle) Échelle Spectrograph
on the 1.9 m Radcliffe Telescope at the SAAO (with D. García-Alvarez and J. Drake, Harvard).
3.2.4 A. Christou
Scattering of Irregular Satellite Groups Following creation of a condor PC mini-cluster for the
Observatory, early in 2004, it became possible to pursue new projects involving very large-scale numerical
simulations that had previously been beyond the reach of a single work-station. Apostolos Christou
completed large N-body simulations with condor using the mercury N-body integration package to
investigate a contemporary issue in solar system dynamics.
Groups of newly discovered Jovian irregular satellites appear to be less compact than theory predicts.
In other words, the dispersion of orbits within each group is larger than hydrocode simulations of collisional
fragmentation of one or more parent bodies would suggest. Attention has focused in particular
on a group containing the large irregular satellite Himalia, with the result that in treating Himalia as a
body with mass, rather than assuming it is a massless particle as in previous work, the group disperses
with time and can reproduce the picture we see today.
Equally interesting is the discovery that gravitational resonances can operate between irregular satellites,
a hitherto unexpected mechanism that also modifies the orbits with time. These results were
presented at the 2004 ASGI/IoP meeting in Armagh in April 2004, and at the 35th Division of Dynamical
Astronomy meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Cannes, France (also in April 2004). A
paper on the subject has been accepted for publication in Icarus.
Meteors in Planetary Atmospheres As part of his PhD project investigating the properties of
meteors in the atmospheres of other planets, Jonathan McAuliffe has perfected his Fortran code simulating
the ablation process of a meteoroid in a given planetary atmosphere. In particular, he has implemented
a novel ‘shelling’ scheme as a method of dealing with the high thermal gradients established within the
ablating meteoroid. In the first application of the code, he has sought to corroborate the findings of
Christou (Icarus 168, 23–33, 2004) regarding the detection of meteors in the atmosphere of Venus. He
was able to confirm, using his more sophisticated model, that Venusian meteors would be brighter and
ablate higher than at the Earth, showing that the more numerous faint component of the meteoroid size
distribution at the Earth would be up to two stellar magnitudes brighter at Venus. This bodes well for
the detection of meteors from orbit.
Dynamics of Co-orbital Satellites Collaborative work on the dynamics of co-orbitals of the Saturnian
moons has continued throughout the year, with Fathi Namouni (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur,
Nice, France) and Maria Helena Moreira Morais (Observatório Astronómico de Coimbra, Santa Clara,
Portugal). This research seeks to explain why we see co-orbitals associated with two of the moons, Dione
and Tethys, but not Mimas and Enceladus.
During the year, we have successfully modified the mercury integrator to simulate the tidal evolution
of such orbits. An initial batch of simulations (without tides) using the condor mini-cluster has shown
that co-orbitals of all four satellites are stable with the exception of ‘shallow’ co-orbitals of the satellite
Mimas. ‘Deep’ co-orbitals are, however, all stable. This strengthens our suspicion that tidal evolution of
the orbits is mainly responsible for the picture we see today. Future work will focus on determining the
exact cause of the instability that precludes co-orbitals of Mimas and Enceladus. Since tidal evolution
and capture into resonance are not time-reversible, it should be possible to place interesting constraints
on the orbital history of the satellites though the absence or otherwise of co-orbitals.
3.2.5 J.G. Doyle
The solar group continues to make excellent use of both existing and new data from the SoHO satellite, in
particular, data from the SUMER, CDS, EIT and MDI instruments, in addition to data from the TRACE
satellite. Topics investigated include ultraviolet (UV) explosive events, UV/X-ray bright points, evidence
for magnetic reconnection, plus a new proposed blinker model. The overall location of these different
15

events within the wider framework of the outer solar atmosphere, and in particular their relationship with
the hotter corona and the cooler chromosphere is poorly known. Within the solar group we have: Eoghan
O’Shea (PDRA employed under CosmoGrid), Chia-Hsien Lin (PDRA, also employed under CosmoGrid),
Youra Taroyan (PDRA employed under a PPARC grant), Ignacio Ugarte Urra (final year PhD student
who successfully completed his thesis in December 2004), Miruna Popescu (second year PhD student)
and Bebe Ishak (first year PhD student).
A new line of investigation was started in late 2004, i.e. the origin of radio emission from brown
dwarfs. To date, radio emission has been reported for a few brown dwarfs at luminosities that violate our
understanding of traditional coronal emission. Identifying the actual emission process is proving difficult
due to the small number of known radio active sources. With a new PhD student (Antoaneta Antonova)
we have started to investigate this in three ways: a re-analysis of VLA data taken for several brown dwarfs
in 2001 (where only upper limits were reported) using a phase-only self-calibration method; applying for
new VLA time; and thirdly, an EVN proposal to hopefully resolve the source of the radio emission. This
topic will be reported in more detail next year.
Explosive Events High spectral, spatial and temporal resolution UV observations of the quiet Sun
transition region show a highly structured and dynamical environment where transient supersonic flows
are commonly observed. The extremely high quality of our observations allows us to identify tens of
explosive events from which we estimate an average size of 1800 km and a birthrate of 2500 per second
over the entire Sun. Estimates of the kinetic and enthalpy fluxes associated with these events show that
explosive events are not important so far as solar coronal heating is concerned. The relationship with the
underlying photospheric magnetic field is also studied, revealing that explosive events generally occur in
regions with weak (and, very likely, mixed polarity) magnetic flux.
By studying the structure of upward and downward flows exceeding those associated with average
quiet Sun profiles, we find a clear correlation between the ‘excess’ flows and the magnetic network.
However, although explosive events are always associated with flow patterns often covering areas larger
than the explosive event itself, the contrary is not true. In particular, almost all flows associated with the
stronger concentrations of photospheric magnetic flux do not show non-Gaussian line profiles. In some
cases, non-Gaussian line profiles are associated with supersonic flows in small magnetic loops. The case
of a small loop showing a supersonic siphon-like flow of ≈130 km s −1 is studied in detail. This is, to our
knowledge, the first detection of a supersonic siphon-like flow in a quiet Sun loop. In other cases, the flow
patterns associated with explosive events may suggest a relation with UV spicules (Teriaca et al. 2004).
In a second dataset we obtained simultaneous observations of the chromospheric Si ii 1251.16 Å and
C i 1251.17 Å, the transition region N v 1238.8 Å and coronal Mg x 625 Å lines using SUMER. We show
an example of a UV explosive event observed in the chromospheric and the transition region lines but not
showing any detectable signature in the coronal line. The phenomenon, however, was also clearly detected
by the TRACE imager with the 171 Å filter. This discrepancy is explained with a non-Maxwellian electron
distribution which makes a significant fraction of the plasma in the TRACE 171 Å pass-band to be derived
from temperatures around ≈300,000 K, as opposed to ≈800,000 K. This could have implications for other
phenomena observed in the TRACE pass-bands, including the transition region ‘moss’ and the threeand
five-minute oscillations (Doyle et al. 2004).
Bright Point Studies A detailed study of two consecutive bright points observed simultaneously with
CDS, EIT and MDI is presented. The analysis of the evolution of the photospheric magnetic features
and their coronal counterpart shows that there is a linear dependence between the EIT Fe xii 195 Å
flux and the total magnetic flux of the photospheric bipolarity. The appearance of the coronal emission
is associated with the emergence of new magnetic flux and the disappearance of coronal emission is
associated with the cancellation of one of the polarities. In one of the cases the disappearance takes place
≈3–4 hours before the full cancellation of the weakest polarity.
The spectral data obtained with CDS show that one of the bright points experienced short time
variations in flux on a time scale of 420–650 s, correlated with the transition region lines (O v 629.73 Å
and O iii 599.60 Å) and also the He i 584.34 Å line. The coronal line (Mg ix 368.07 Å) undergoes changes
as well, but on a longer scale. A wavelet analysis of the temporal series reveals that many of these events
appear in a random fashion and sometimes after periods of quietness. However, we have found two cases
of an oscillatory behaviour. A sub-section of the O v temporal series of the second bright point shows a
damped oscillation of five cycles peaking in the wavelet spectrum at 546 s, but showing in the latter few
cycles a lengthening of that period. The period compares well with that detected in the S vi 933.40 Å
oscillations seen in another bright point observed with the SUMER spectrometer, which has a period of
16

Figure 5: A detailed view of the loop flow velocity at different locations (Teriaca et al. 2004). (a) Logarithmicallyscaled
radiance image. Isocontours of the negative polarity of the longitudinal magnetic flux at (−10, −25 and
−40) Gauss (G) are shown with black solid lines (no positive flux above 10 G is present in the displayed area).
Locations where non-Gaussian line profiles were found are marked with a black +. The dashed dark-grey (red)
line indicates the projection (on the plane perpendicular to the line-of sight [LOS]) of a semi-circular loop with a
diameter of 13 arcsec. The loop is inclined by 18 ◦ with respect to the LOS and the footpoint line rotated by 12.5 ◦
clockwise. The black dots indicate the measured position of the observed loop. (b) Line profile at a location on
the northern leg of the loop. The bars indicate the data points. The thin solid lines show the three components
used to fit the data while the resulting fitting profile is represented by the thick solid line. (c) Line profile at the
top of the loop. The dotted line shows the profile obtained averaging over the whole raster times 4.9. (d) The
same as for panel (b) but for the southern leg of the loop.
491 s. The derived electron density in the transition region was 3×10 10 cm −3 with some small variability,
while the coronal electron density was 5 × 10 8 cm −3 (Ugarte-Urra et al. 2004a).
In a follow-up study, we used wide slit (90 arcsec×240 arcsec) movies of four EIT coronal bright points
(BPs) obtained with CDS. The wavelet analysis of the He i 584.34 Å, O v 629.73 Å and Mg ix 368 Å timeseries
confirms the oscillating nature of the BPs, with periods ranging between 600 and 1100 s. In one
case we detect periods as short as 236 s. We suggest that these oscillations are the same as those seen
in the chromospheric network and that a fraction of the network bright points are most likely the cool
footpoints of the loops comprising coronal bright points. These oscillations are interpreted in terms of
global acoustic modes of the closed magnetic structures associated with BPs (Ugarte-Urra et al. 2004b).
Magnetic Reconnection This study reveals for the first time the existence of bi-directional jets, which
are a signature of magnetic reconnection, occurring along coronal hole (CH) boundaries. The SUMER
spectrometer observations obtained in the N iv 765.15 Å (1.3 × 10 5 K) and Ne viii 770.42 Å (6 × 10 5 K)
emission lines in an equatorial extension of a polar coronal hole, known as the “Elephant’s Trunk” coronal
hole, show small regions of a few arc-seconds size with strong blue- and red-shifted emission reaching
Doppler shifts of up to 150 km s −1 , i.e. bi-directional jets. The jets’ number density along coronal hole
boundaries was found to be about 4–5 times higher with respect to the quiet Sun (Madjarska et al. 2004).
In a follow-up study, we use a high spatial resolution raster acquired on-disk with SUMER in a polar
17

CH region. We analyse two EUV emission lines, representing the properties of solar plasma in the low
transition region (TR), O iii 703.87 Å (maximum electron temperature, 8×10 4 K), as well as in the corona,
Mg ix 706.02 Å (1 × 10 6 K). For Mg ix, we find that low CH intensities correspond to negative Doppler
velocities (outflows) of ≈5 km s −1 , Along the quiet Sun (QS)/CH boundaries, the coronal plasma begins
to be more red-shifted. A coronal bright point (BP) located within the CH is blue-shifted in the coronal
line. In the TR line, the outer region of the BP is red-shifted at ≈5 km s −1 , but, towards its middle, the
shift is around zero. The O iii line, although it shows predominant downward motion of ≈5.5 km s −1 in
the CH and ≈6 km s −1 in the QS, also has blue-shifts arranged in a small-scale network pattern with
average negative values of 3.5 km s −1 in CH and 3 km s −1 in the QS. The blue-shifts are caused either
by plasma outflows of a few km s −1 , or by transient events such as bi-directional jets which dislocate
plasma to upward velocities even higher than 100 km s −1 . The outflows originate predominantly from
the intersection between the magnetic network and the inter-network cells (network boundaries). The bidirectional
jets are found along the CH/QS boundaries, and, moreover, in locations where the plasma seen
in the Mg ix line is blue-shifted, but very close to small red-shifted regions. Another interesting change in
behaviour is observed at the QS/CH boundaries, in the O iii line, where plasma from the network changes
its velocity sign, becoming red-shifted. Our results constitute the lowest-altitude observed signature of
plasma outflows from the chromospheric network boundaries inside a CH. We have derived this conclusion
from direct correlation between Doppler velocity and the intensity of the O iii 702.87 Å line (Popescu,
Doyle & Xia 2004).
A Blinker Model We present, for the first time, blinker phenomena associated with brightenings in
pre-existing coronal loops registered by the EIT in Fe xii 195 Å. The brightenings occur during the emergence
of new magnetic flux as registered by the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) magnetograph. The
blinkers were identified using simultaneous observations obtained with CDS and SUMER spectrographs.
In light of the new observational results, we present one possible theoretical interpretation of the blinker
phenomenon. We suggest that the blinker activity we observe is triggered by interchange reconnection,
serving to provide topological connectivity between newly emerging flux and pre-existing flux. The EIT
images show the existence of loop structures prior to the onset of the blinker activity. Based on the available
spatial resolution, the blinker occurs within or nearby an existing coronal loop. The temperature
interfaces created in the reconnection process between the cool plasma of the newly emerging loop and
the hot plasma of the existing loop are what we suggest to cause the observed activity seen in both the
SUMER and CDS data. As the temperature interfaces propagate with the characteristic speed of a conduction
front, they heat up the cool chromospheric plasma to coronal temperatures, an increasing volume
of which brightens at transition region temperatures. We believe this new interpretation gives further
qualitative understanding about the evolution of newly emerging flux on the Sun. This also provides new
insight into the dynamic nature of the solar transition region (Doyle, Roussev & Madjarska 2004).
3.2.6 C.S. Jeffery
Research Group Simon Jeffery leads a research group which, during 2004, included PhD students
Amir Ahmad, Christopher Winter, Natalie Behara and Timur Şahin, and an undergraduate placement
student David Morgan (University of Surrey). In February, he took up a visiting fellowship for six
weeks study at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. Amir Ahmad completed his PhD in July and
subsequently took up a position as PPARC-funded PDRA with the group. Dr Gajendra Pandey (Indian
Institute for Astrophysics, Bangalore) was a PPARC-funded visiting fellow. Anne O’Leary and Ciara
Quinn (both from Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry) spent time with the group in July and August
as Nuffield Foundation sponsored summer students, and Louise Jeffery (Royal School Armagh) joined
the group for work experience in September.
Subluminous B Stars Hot subluminous stars (or subdwarfs) are low-mass stars that are less luminous
than massive main-sequence stars of a similar temperature. They are all evolved stars, most being about
0.5 M ⊙ with helium-burning cores. We seek to explain their origin and to study the physics of their
interiors.
Chris Winter and Simon Jeffery worked towards completing a scheme for the automatic spectral
classification and parameterization of hot subdwarfs. These build on the classification scheme developed
previously by Drilling and Jeffery. David Morgan extracted spectra of 3500 sdB stars and blue horizontalbranch
stars from the Sloan Digital Sky survey, which will be analyzed using these techniques.
Amir Ahmad and Simon Jeffery made follow-up observations of the unique helium-rich hot subdwarf
binary PG 1544+488 with the William Herschel Telescope. These demonstrated the orbital period to be
18

almost precisely 12 hours — making it a difficult target for single-site observations. They also continued
their photometric survey of southern helium-rich subdwarfs from the South African Astronomical
Observatory, discovering a multi-periodic pulsator with periods in the 1100–3000 s range.
Simon Jeffery has embarked on a project to construct theoretical models for subluminous B stars.
During six weeks at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, he reinstated his stellar evolution code,
introducing contemporary opacities. Further work will allow it to be used for modelling horizontal-branch
stars, including the subluminous B stars. These models will be tested using the pulsational properties
obtained in campaigns such as that described in Section 3.1.
Post-AGB Stars Following core-helium burning, a low-mass star expands to become a giant as it
consumes its final reserves of nuclear fuel and, subsequently, contracts to become a white dwarf. A final
pulse of nuclear burning, or a merger between two white dwarfs can cause the star to expand as a giant.
Our research on extreme helium stars and other post-AGB stars is directed towards understanding these
processes and towards developing models of stellar evolution that fit the observations.
Working with Pandey, Rao (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) and Lambert (University of Texas),
Simon Jeffery is using Hubble Space Telescope observations to make measurements of s-process elements
in extreme helium stars. These elements are produced while a star is a red giant and when light elements
in the region between the hydrogen and helium-burning shells capture neutrons released in other nuclear
reactions. These measurements reinforce the phenomenological and probable evolutionary connections
between cool R Coronae Borealis stars and the hotter extreme helium stars.
Meanwhile Natalie Behara and Simon Jeffery have completely updated the treatment of continuous
and line opacities in the Armagh model atmosphere code sterne. Continuous opacities are taken from
the Opacity Project, whilst up to 10 million atomic transitions are incorporated using an opacity sampling
method. The consequences for hydrogen-deficient atmospheres, in particular, are very important because
they have very low background opacities. Early results indicate changes of up to 1,000 K in the derived
effective temperatures of extreme helium stars.
After joining the group in 2004 September, Timur Şahin has commenced his studies by reducing échelle
spectra of post-AGB stars obtained with the Anglo-Australian Telescope. These will be analyzed in order
to compare the abundances of s-process elements in conventional post-AGB stars with the abundances
measured in extreme helium stars.
E-Science CosmoGrid is an Irish project led by DIAS to develop and exploit e-science technology for
research in cosmic physics. As part of this programme, Simon Jeffery leads a project to develop tools for
the automated analysis of stellar spectra. During 2004, we have further developed our automated fitting
software sfit both to make it more robust and to facilitate processing very large numbers of spectra.
Extensive documentation has been developed, including improved source code documentation which can
be automatically extracted to linked hypertext documents with a utility autodoc developed by David
Morgan.
To facilitate the computational work, a high-performance computer cluster has been installed at the
Armagh Observatory. This comprises 15 dual-processor 3.0 GHz work nodes, and one master node, with
a total of 30 GB memory, and provides the Armagh node of the CosmoGrid network. The Armagh cluster
is known as the Beehive, or M 44 for short, after the open star cluster in Praesepe.
3.2.7 W.M. Napier
Spread of Life Through the Galaxy When a comet strikes the surface of a body like Earth, Moon
or Mars at high speed, it creates a shock wave which throws material out to form an impact crater. For
a large enough impact, some rock and dust may be thrown into space. If material ejected from the Earth
contains microorganisms and spores, the question arises whether life may be carried from planet to planet
within the solar system. Computations show that this can happen. The transfer of life between planets,
may therefore take place within the solar system.
However, the solar system is tiny on the scale of the Galaxy, and it has generally been thought that
the transfer of life between stars is impossible — the microorganisms would be destroyed by cosmic rays,
ultraviolet light and so on. Bill Napier has demonstrated that this may not be the case. Quite frequently
in geological terms, the Sun passes close to molecular clouds containing star-forming regions. Life-bearing
dust from the solar system may be injected quickly into these regions during such close encounters, while
the microorganisms are still viable, and so be incorporated into the planets and comets forming within
the star systems. The result is that if life began on Earth, it could by now have spread around the Galaxy
19

Figure 6: Image showing the Observatory’s CosmoGrid high-performance computer cluster, “M 44: The Beehive”.
(and life on Earth might originally have formed elsewhere). The implication that life spreads between
the stars has many scientific and even philosophical consequences.
Stealth Comets Each year a few long-period comets, with orbital periods typically a million years,
arrive in the planetary system. One or two percent of these incoming comets are thrown into so-called
Halley-type orbits, with orbital periods of 20–200 years. There should be about 5,000 such objects over
10 km across, and perhaps 50,000 over a kilometre across. This is hundreds of times more than are
actually observed, however, a huge discrepancy. The problem was pointed out some years ago by Mark
Bailey and Vacheslav Emel’yanenko and raises the question: where have all the comets gone?
To resolve this paradox it has been proposed that the Halley-type comets disintegrate to dust after
two or three passages close to the Sun. However Bill Napier, and Chandra and Janaki Wickramasinghe
at Cardiff University, have shown that this explanation doesn’t work: the dust so created would yield
many strong annual meteor streams without parent comets, and these are not observed. Further, the
Sun would be surrounded by a bright spherical cloud of dust, and this too is not seen.
The explanation may lie in a very strong darkening of a comet’s surface after it becomes inactive. Bill
Napier and colleagues have shown from classical radiation scattering theory that a porous carbonaceous
surface, of the sort which may develop on a comet after it has lost its volatile ices through solar heating, has
a vanishingly small reflectivity, becoming much blacker than coal. Extremely dark patches, approaching
those predicted, were detected on Comet Borrelly during a recent flyby. They suggest that the comets have
not disintegrated, they are simply too dark to be seen by current near-Earth object search programmes.
There may therefore exist a population of fast, multi-kilometre bodies too dark to be seen. Such bodies
would constitute a significant additional impact hazard.
3.2.8 M.D. Smith
High-Mass Star Formation Massive stars are of elevated importance in our Universe for several
reasons. At the end of their lives, they enrich the interstellar medium with elements essential for life.
During their lives, they influence the nurseries in which new stars might form.
Jinzeng Li (Beijing) was employed at the Observatory for two months. He and Michael Smith investigated
the consequences of massive star formation in one such region of our Galaxy. They uncovered that
massive stars are forming in the Rosette Molecular Complex at a rate way beyond previous expectations.
Their infrared data were acquired from an archive from the 2MASS survey. The key was to compare data
20

on stars at different wavelengths to help eliminate the uniformly distributed stars in the foreground and
background of the cloud. They found that clusters of embedded stars form in a multi-seeded multi-mode
manner and contain some of the most massive stars known in our Galaxy. They also found that stars
appear to form in a spreading mode, following a tree-like pattern. The highly successful project continues
with Jinzeng Li, who is now back in Beijing.
Stars of high mass are relatively rare, and therefore distant. To understand how they interact and form
out of their immediate environments, we first require special observing techniques. Speckle interferometry
involves taking hundreds of snapshots and combining them with mathematical techniques. Michael Smith,
working with a group at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, has been interpreting
images so reduced from the Special Astrophysical Observatory in Russia. Results were presented at the
JENAM 2005 meeting in Granada, Spain. New observations were proposed by Smith for an observing
campaign at the Multiple Mirror Telescope in Arizona and are now ready to be analysed.
Low-Mass Star Formation By contrast, stars of low mass like our Sun are formed within molecular
clumps. Michael Smith has been investigating the clumps and the individual cores they contain within
one nearby cloud near the star Rho Ophiuchi. With Stanke (Hawaii), Khanzadyan (Heidelberg) and
Gredel (Calar Alto), he has determined the masses of over 100 protostellar cores and compared this to
the distribution of masses for stars. The distributions are very similar, suggesting that stars form directly
from the cores. Furthermore, the mass distribution of cores does not vary with location within the cloud,
suggesting a universality which is difficult to explain with current theories. The region has also been
investigated in the near-infrared, where numerous new outflows from protostars have been discovered.
The results were presented at a workshop on low mass stars in Volterra, Italy. The group has also been
awarded time with the 10 m Keck telescope to try to catch a clump in the process of transforming from
atomic into molecular gas.
Michael Smith has continued his work on the Unification Scheme for protostellar evolution. Led by
Dirk Froebrich (DIAS, Dublin), the group has combined the computer simulations of Ralf Klessen and
Stefan Schmeja (Potsdam) with the Unification Scheme to predict how protostars could evolve given
the statistical nature of the mass accretion predicted by the simulations. To compare these results with
observations required the development of new statistical techniques to compare different samples. The
agreement turned out to be rather weak, probably due to the present paucity of reliable observations.
Jets Ibrahim Abdalla, originally from Sudan, visited the Observatory for two months after completing
his PhD in Loughborough. His expertise in computational fluid dynamics was exploited by Michael
Smith. Techniques to run and explore the nature of adiabatic magnetohydrodynamic jets were investigated
with the ZEUS code on the local supercomputer, FORGE. Problems associated with incorporating
the magnetic field were solved and the code is now being employed by the Lindsay Scholar, Anthony
Moraghan.
An INTAS-funded European collaboration with astronomers based in Armenia, Russia, Germany and
Spain got underway. The partners are the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, the Special
Astrophysical Observatory in Russia, Byurakan Observatory in Armenia and Calar Alto Observatory in
Spain. They have begun to study some specific regions containing multiple jets. The spectroscopic
methods reveal the radial velocity across and along the jet flows, providing a superb view of how a jet
propagates. The plan is to further investigate the environments of young stars by using sophisticated
observing methods to study the causes and effects of protostellar outflows.
Simulations of jets were employed to interpret star forming environments (see Figure 7). With Alex
Rosen (Dublin City University), Michael Smith has continued his exploration of three dimensional hydrodynamic
simulations. The series of papers was extended to include fast and slow precession, and a
web page updated to present a complete archive of all the relevant movies which demonstrate the evolution
of jets (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/ ∼ mds/Jets/jets.html). Predictions for the Spitzer Space Telescope
were also made, and work is starting on a detailed interpretation of the first Spitzer data with Alberto
Noriega-Crespo (Pasadena). Time on the Spitzer telescope was awarded to a group including Smith to
observe outflows (Principal Investigator: John Bally, Colorado).
Stellar Outflows and Shocks Student Barry O’Connell continued to investigate the nature of the
outflows from the youngest protostars. Detailed near-infrared data for three outflows have been obtained
and are being analysed. All three show a curious arrangement of shock waves. The shock physics has
been investigated by studying the spatial distributions of excitation and radial velocity. With supervisor
Michael Smith and several external collaborators including Tom Ray and Dirk Froebrich (DIAS, Dublin),
21

Figure 7: Synthetic snapshots of the outflows from young stars derived from supercomputer simulations in order
to predict the detectable structures from the IRAC Camera on board the Spitzer Space telescope. The Figure
shows the same molecular outflow rotated by different amounts, φ, about the horizontal axis.
he has found that magnetohydrodynamic bow shocks in which the magnetic field plays a key role are
essential. Each outflow is unique and our overall understanding remains quite superficial.
Shock waves accelerate, heat and destroy material in their paths. In astronomy, shock waves are
ubiquitous. The fact that a shock front heats the gas makes it a strong radiator and hence a focus for our
attention. Student Babulakshmanan Ramachandran began a general study of shock waves in astrophysics.
With Michael Smith, he generalised the equations for disturbed shock waves to see if they move steadily or
if they are unstable. He took a general specific heat ratio and thus compared the linear stability criteria
for atomic and molecular shocks. The regime in which molecular shocks suffer overstability (growing
oscillations) was found to be quite restricted. However, low-amplitude high-frequency oscillations are
expected under a wide range of conditions.
4 Education and Public Outreach
In addition to its primary research role, the Armagh Observatory has an important secondary responsibility
(a) to maintain and preserve the fabric of the historic buildings, the library, historic books and
archives, and the collection of scientific instruments and other artefacts built up over more than two
hundred years of continuous astronomical activity in Armagh, and (b) to advance public understanding
of science, and of astronomy in particular.
Not only is the scientific, cultural and built heritage provided by astronomy at Armagh a highly
significant asset for the region, but the Observatory’s collection of scientific artefacts, instruments and
historic telescopes spans virtually every aspect of modern astronomy. In many cases, the underlying
motivation and reasons for the developments of astronomy at a particular time can be explained with
reference to discoveries at Armagh, or to material held within the Library and Archives. This gives
astronomers at Armagh a unique opportunity to explain the development of their subject over more than
two hundred years and the context in which modern scientific research is supported and carried out.
For these reasons, the Observatory has an important secondary objective to contribute to lifelong
learning and to promote amongst the general public a deeper understanding of astronomy and related
sciences. This is achieved in a variety of ways, for example by:
• attracting visitors to Armagh, primarily to the Armagh Observatory Grounds and Astropark, and
to the Human Orrery and Phenology Garden;
• providing wider knowledge of the Observatory’s unique meteorological record, the longest in the
UK and Ireland from a single site, and to maintain it in the long term;
• widening knowledge of the Observatory’s cultural heritage, for example its listed buildings, library,
archives and historic scientific instruments, the telescopes and telescope domes, and the historical
development of the Observatory’s landscaped grounds and Astropark;
• providing talks and presentations to individuals and groups encompassing people of all ages and
from all backgrounds;
• providing opportunities for partnerships with other institutions and organizations having similar
public education objectives to those of the Armagh Observatory, for example the Astronomical Science
Group of Ireland, the Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society, the Armagh Visitors
22

Education Committee, the Irish Astronomical Association and other astronomy organizations, and
university research groups and research institutes;
• ensuring that technical questions from members of the public about astronomy can be answered,
and the results of astronomical research disseminated widely to the press, radio and television; and
• maintaining the development of the Observatory’s web-site as a rich educational resource with the
facility to widen access to the latest research findings on astronomy and related sciences and to the
Armagh Observatory’s history and heritage;
As part of this programme of education and public outreach the Observatory issues press information
sheets on recent developments in astronomy and on research carried out at Armagh. The list for 2004
numbers 37 separate press releases on various meteorological or astronomical topics, slightly fewer than the
previous year. However, it is noteworthy that a remarkably high fraction (35/37) of these were published
in one form or another, underlining the very high level of public and media interest in astronomy and
demonstrating an exceptionally high ‘hit’ rate for stories about astronomy and related sciences. There
were 282 identified media citations referring to the Observatory, its staff or its work, well above the target
of 200 set at the beginning of the year.
The Librarian, together with other staff, frequently answers queries from members of the public on
different aspects of astronomy and what is visible or has been seen in the night sky. He also writes
a monthly column for the Belfast Telegraph. The recorded list of public enquiries for 2004, which is
undoubtedly incomplete, covers more than 130 separate responses. Many such requests (especially those
that are answered by students or other research staff) are received during weekends or outside normal
working hours.
4.1 Widening Access
Improving Facilities for Disabled Visitors As a result of receipt of additional funding from the
DCAL in September 2004 to support reasonable alterations, adjustments and other initiatives to widen
access by disabled people to the Observatory and the Observatory Grounds and Astropark, a number of
important improvements have been carried out to the Observatory’s Estate. The principal changes are
(1) improved wheelchair access and installation of additional seating in and around the Astropark; (2) the
provision of ramps and adjustments to the rear of the main building, to facilitate wheelchair access into
the ground floor of the main Observatory building where occasional small exhibitions are provided that
describe the Observatory’s history and current scientific research; and (3) the installation of a disabled
toilet in the Library. A number of other minor changes have been made to provide an improved visitor
experience for those who cannot reach the first and second floor levels of the main building and the
historic telescope domes. Visitors to the main Observatory building are always accompanied by one or
more members of staff. Further improvements to facilitate access to the Observatory and the Observatory
Grounds and Astropark will be considered as part of the detailed design for the proposed new Library,
Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments building.
Work-Experience Students, Summer Students and Third-Level Training During 2004, the
Observatory was able to support with external PPARC funding one undergraduate on the British Council
International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) programme,
namely Eleanor Nolan (NUI, Galway), as well as another student (Mark Purver, University of Nottingham),
working on the same project. In addition, a range of second and third-level students were supervised
under the Observatory’s continuing work-experience and summer student training programmes, including
the Nuffield-Sentinus scheme. In total, more than 100 days of school work-experience took place, the
individuals involved including Adam Moss (Mercy Secondary School, Tralee, Co. Kerry), Adam Maye
(St. Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon), Richard Robinson (Grosvenor Grammar School, Belfast), Ciara
Quinn (The Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry), Anne O’Leary (The Sacred Heart Grammar School,
Newry), Sharon McClure (Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor), Brendan Owens (Our Lady’s Grammar School,
Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan), Louise Jeffery (The Royal School, Armagh), and Cathal Hughes (St.
Brigid’s School, Armagh). The Observatory attracts young people to Armgah not just from Northern
Ireland but from Britain, Ireland and sometimes farther afield.
First Observation of a Close Earth-Approaching Near-Earth Asteroid Using the Faulkes
Telescope Apostolos Christou and David Asher at the Armagh Observatory together with summer
23

Figure 8: Can you detect the motion of the near-Earth asteroid 2000 PH 5 against the background stars during
its close approach to Earth around 27 July 2004?
student Sharon McClure (Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor, Co. Down) observed and imaged the unusual near-
Earth asteroid 2000 PH 5 during its close approach to the Earth around 27 July 2004. The observations
were carried out remotely using the new 2 m aperture Faulkes telescope situated on the 10,000-foot
summit of Haleakala, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. They formed part of Sharon McClure’s summer
work experience project, supported by the Nuffield Science Bursary Scheme, which is run by the Sentinus
programme in the University of Ulster at Jordanstown. The aim of the observations was to image the
asteroid using the Faulkes Telescope, and determine its changing brightness and position in space as the
small object passed near the Earth on its orbit about the Sun.
2000 PH 5 was discovered on 3 August 2000 by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory near-Earth Asteroid
Research (LINEAR) project at the White Sands Missile Range in Socorro, New Mexico, USA. It is one
of approximately 100,000 asteroids now known with reasonably well-determined orbits, many of them
discovered by the US-based LINEAR programme within the past few years. On the 27 July 2004, owing
to its close proximity to the Earth at that time (just 6 times the distance to the Moon or approximately
2,300,000 km), the asteroid appeared to race across the sky, covering a distance equal to the apparent
diameter of the Moon every hour.
The Faulkes Telescope Project (see http://faulkes1.astro.cf.ac.uk/) is a private educational facility
that will eventually consist of two research quality 2 m telescopes, one in Hawaii and the other to be
constructed in Australia. It is intended that school pupils will be able to select their celestial targets and
operate the telescopes themselves during normal school hours, and carry out their own research projects.
The Armagh Observatory accessed the Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii with the assistance of Robert Hill of
the Armagh Planetarium through the Planetarium’s role as a regional centre for the Faulkes Telescope
Project in Northern Ireland.
One of the results of this project was a set of images showing the asteroid’s relatively rapid motion
across the sky during its close approach to Earth (see Figure 8). One way to discover the asteroid, and
to see its motion against the background stars during a few minutes, is to look at the images shown in
Figure 8 so as to ‘fuse’ the separate images into a central third image. Any slight movement will cause
the asteroid to appear to jump out of the fused image, while the fixed stars remain stationary.
Web-Site Content and Internet Access The Armagh Observatory web-sites now include a substantial
amount of weather and related meteorological information. This provides e-access to a variety
of meteorological and climate data, including the Observatory’s 210-year archive of weather records at
Armagh. The Observatory web-site also increasingly makes available the results of astronomical obser-
24

Server DeVs Hits Data Exported
star: http://star.arm.ac.uk/ 305,000 6.9 million 826 GB
climate: http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ 21,000 0.9 million 19 GB
arpc65: http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/∼spm/ 55,000 1.6 million 75 GB
Total: 381,000 9.4 million 920 GB
Table 3: Breakdown of Observatory web-site statistics for 2004. For star and arpc65 the busiest month was
June, with the 8 June 2004 (the Transit of Venus) being by far the busiest day.
vations carried out at Armagh, for example images of meteorological or space-weather events such as
aurorae (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/images/aurora-2003-Oct/), and transient astronomical events such as
occultations, eclipses and transits.
Following experimental web-casts involving transits and eclipses during 2003, further examples of
time-dependent web-imaging were carried out during 2004, largely through the efforts of Apostolos
Christou and Martin Murphy. An example of the Transit of Venus, on 8 June 2004, can be seen at
http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/venustransit/.
Measuring Internet Access One measure of the success of the Armagh web-site is the annual number
of distinct e-Visitors (DeVs), in fact the number of distinct hosts served by the Observatory’s web-site.
This is a lower limit to the number of e-Visitors, owing to caching by big servers and sharing or repeat
visits from the same IP number. A second measure of success is the number of ‘hits’, defined as the
number of successful page requests. This is typically 5–20 times greater than the DeV statistic, but
depends not just on a user accessing a web-page but the way in which the web-page has been configured,
for example whether as a single file or to include graphics and other links as well. A third, and arguably
the most useful measure of the ‘value’ of a web-site, is the amount of data transferred from the site, or
‘exported’, to external users. A single page request or distinct e-Visit simply demonstrates that someone
looked at the Observatory web-site, but does not indicate how long they stayed or what they thought of
the information provided. However, the amount of data exported provides an indication of the value of
the web-site as a source of information.
For the Observatory’s three principal web-sites (star, climate and arpc65), the detailed breakdown
of these figures for 2004 is shown in Table 3 (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/stats.html). The recent trend in
the adopted number of distinct e-Visitors is shown in Table 4.
Media Coverage The Observatory is a principal point of contact for astronomy amongst the mass
media (press, radio and television), and plays a major role in the promotion of astronomy and public
understanding of science both locally (i.e. within Armagh City and District and Northern Ireland) and
abroad. Astronomers at Armagh receive (and deal with) numerous questions from the general public, and
are frequently invited by the national and international media to provide expert advice on recent research
results or discoveries. These contacts often lead to articles or citations in the national and international
press, and to sound-bites and media clips on radio and television.
The number of identified mentions of the Armagh Observatory and its staff in various mass-media
has increased rapidly during the past few years, from about 10 in 1994 to more than 230 in 1999 and
2000. During the past five years the number has averaged in excess of 250 per year, substantially above
the current target figure of 200. It should be emphasized that this is an extremely high figure for a small
research group for which the promotion of astronomy is a secondary activity; moreover, the Observatory
does not employ a press officer nor a public relations agency, nor does it have access to a cuttings service.
The results under this aspect of the Observatory’s education and public outreach programme have been
obtained merely by encouraging the Librarian and other staff to be proactive in presenting astronomy to
the general public and to be available for comment by the press and others on request.
It is noteworthy that many of the identified citations (some 25–30%) are in the local press (e.g. the
Ulster Gazette, Armagh Observer etc.), some of which have among the highest local impact factors in the
UK. However, a substantial number of citations are also in media such as radio and television, and the
national and international press, while others are in specialist or technical magazines and on the internet.
The breakdown of known media citations versus type of publication is shown in Table 5. Many of the
newspapers and radio or television programmes that mention astronomy at Armagh reach millions of
25

Year
Number of Distinct e-Visitors (DeVs)
http://star.arm.ac.uk/ http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/∼spm/ Total
1998 80,000 — — 80,000
1999 134,000 — — 134,000
2000 174,000 — — 174,000
Average 129,000 — — 129,000
2001 317,000 1,000 318,000
2002 322,000 5,000 27,000 354,000
2003 190,000 49,000 96,000 335,000
New Average 321,000 18,000 75,000 390,000
2004 512,000 170,000 89,000 771,000
2004 305,000 21,000 55,000 381,000
2004 Average 408,000 96,000 72,000 576,000
Table 4: The number of distinct e-Visitors (DeVs) to the Armagh Observatory web-site. Note that the 2002 figure
for arpc65 represents only 6-months data, while that for star in 2003 corresponds to just 7-months data. Rough
corrections have been applied in estimating the revised baseline figures for 2001–2003. The two results for 2004
represent the results of analyzing web-traffic using two different programs. In future years only the method used
to obtain the lower figure will be used.
Programme or Medium
Identified Citations
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
UK and Republic of Ireland local newspapers 72 82 82 92 80 73
UK national newspapers excluding Northern Ireland 31 12 16 8 3 2
Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland national newspapers 18 26 18 18 21 32
Popular astronomy and specialist magazines 34 31 63 52 39 44
UK local radio and Republic of Ireland radio 25 22 17 26 19 10
UK national radio 9 4 3 0 1 0
UK and Republic of Ireland national television 11 14 17 4 5 8
Northern Ireland and UK local television 6 9 6 11 13 4
Foreign newspapers 9 3 17 1 1 0
Foreign radio 3 6 5 0 1 1
Foreign television 2 1 7 2 2 1
Miscellaneous items 18 24 51 53 41 107
Total 238 234 302 267 226 282
Table 5: Breakdown of known media citations for 1999–2004. The 282 identified citations for 2004 include 8
reports in the Belfast Telegraph, as well as 3 in the News Letter, 13 in the Irish News, and 4 in the Irish Times;
and 10 reports on UK and Ireland local radio stations. The known citations in foreign newspapers and on foreign
television are obviously extreme lower limits due to under-reporting, but are known to include virtually every
country in the world, for example a report on BBC World TV News.
people simultaneously, and it is clear that every year many tens of millions of people are being exposed
to information about the Armagh Observatory or its research. The number of known media citations in
2004, namely 282, comfortably exceeded the current target of 200 for the sixth year in a row.
26

Group Date Approximate Number
St Patrick’s Day Tours 17 Mar 2004 100
QUB Extramural Group 25 Mar 2004 25
Malahide School, Dublin 27 Mar 2004 30
ASGI/IoPI and Public tours 3 Apr 2004 80
Dundalk Unemployed Group 21 Apr 2004 20
DCAL and DFP Visit 26 May 2004 10
Transit of Venus Exhibition and Open Day May/Jun 2004 35
Beaumont Active Retirement Group, Dublin 24 Jun 2004 15
IAA Summer Solstice Event 26 Jun 2004 25
County Cavan Museum Group 3 Jul 2004 45
Dublin Tourism Group 25 Aug 2004 10
Routes to Roots Exhibition 6 Sep 2004 15
European Heritage Day Tours 11 Sep 2004 100
Irish Phenology Garden Meeting 28 Sep 2004 10
Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society 14 Oct 2004 20
Heritage Lottery Fund 10th Birthday 6 Nov 2004 10
QUB Extramural Group 11 Nov 2004 20
Launch of Human Orrery Event 26 Nov 2004 40
Table 6: Selected list of Group visits and tours around the Armagh Observatory during 2004.
Tours and Visits The Observatory has continued to encourage visits to the Armagh Observatory
Grounds and Astropark. During 2004 such visits have included school groups from as far afield as
Dublin, as well as groups of retired people, unemployed people and members of history, philosophical and
astronomical societies. In addition, the Observatory opened its doors to the general public on a number
of occasions, including events surrounding the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland and Institute of
Physics in Ireland conference in April 2004, the Transit of Venus on 8 June 2004, the UK and Ireland
“Routes to Roots” exhibition, and the Heritage Lottery Fund 10th Anniversary celebrations.
A selection from the list of Group visits to the Observatory during 2004 is provided in Table 6. In
addition, 677 people signed the Visitors Book, suggesting that approximately 1,000 people were accompanied
on tours of the Observatory by staff and students during 2004. It is noteworthy that visitors to
the Observatory originated from more than a dozen separate countries.
The number of visitors using the Armagh Observatory Astropark has continued to be recorded during
2004. Nine months data for this period (owing to intermittent instrumental failure) indicated approximately
16,000 visitors to the Astropark. This undoubtedly includes many repeat visits by regular users of
the facility, but the corresponding annual figure (more than 20,000) again demonstrates the importance
of the Armagh Astropark for people of all ages and from all sections of the community, including local
residents and general visitors.
Official Visits A party of about 10 staff members from the DCAL and the DFP visited the Observatory
on 26 May 2004 as part of Museums and Galleries Month.
Research and Other Visitors During the year more than a dozen external research staff visited the
Armagh Observatory for discussions and collaboration on joint research projects. The wide range of
countries from where these individuals originated gives an indication of the international character of the
Observatory’s astronomical research activity and the esteem in which it is held by its peers abroad.
Such research visitors included Chris Trayner (University of Leeds), 4–8 January 2004; Dipankar
Banerjee (Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, the Katholieke University, Leuven, Belgium), 11–15 January
2004; Ibrahim Abdalla (Loughborough University), 30 January – 31 March 2004; Maria Madjarska
(MSSL), 3–6 February 2004; Janaki Wickramasinghe (University of Cardiff), 17–18 February 2004; Elena
Dzifčáková (Astronomical Institute, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia), 1–12 March 2004; Paul
Bryans (University of Strathclyde), 15–18 March 2004; Vacheslav Emel’yanenko (University of South
Urals, Chelyabinsk, Russia), 15–27 March 2004; John Giannikakis (University of Athens, Greece), 21
March – 16 April 2004; Jinzeng Li (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing), 23 March – 31 May 2004;
Jeremie Vaubaillon (Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Ephemerides, Paris), 26 March – 23
27

Figure 9: The Northern Ireland Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ms Angela Smith MP, prior to the
formal opening of the ASGI/IoPI meeting in St Patrick’s Trian, Armagh, on 2 April 2004. Those present, in
addition to the Minister, are (left to right): Dr Apostolos Christou (Armagh Observatory), Professor Martin
Henry (Dublin City University, Chair, IoPI), Professor Tom Ray (DIAS, Chair, ASGI), Professor Mark Bailey
(Armagh Observatory), and Councillor Mrs Pat O’Rawe (Mayor, Armagh City and District Council).
April 2004; Georgi Pavlovski (University of Southampton), 31 March – 7 April 2004; Gajendra Pandey
(Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India), 4 May – 1 July 2004; Simon Glover (American
Museum of Natural History, New York), 8–11 June 2004; Dipankar Banerjee (Indian Institute for Astrophysics,
Bangalore), 8 September – 8 October 2004; Dirk Froebrich and Alex Rosen (DIAS and DCU),
4–6 October 2004); Alastair Gunn (Jodrell Bank), 13–15 October 2004; Valery Nakariakov (University
of Warwick), 29 October 2004.
Other visitors during the year included those by Dr Julie Corbett (Institute of Physics in Ireland),
Dr Ray McGrath (Met Éireann), Mr Stephen O’Meara (Sky and Telescope, Boston), Dr Dill Faulkes
(Faulkes Educational Trust, London), Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell (University of Oxford) and Dr Jim
Sadlier (PPARC, Swindon).
4.2 Conferences and Public Events
St Patrick’s Day Festival and Tours Staff and students showed more than 100 visitors around the
Observatory and the Observatory Grounds and Astropark on St. Patrick’s Day (Wednesday 17 March)
as part of the Armagh City and District Council St. Patrick’s Day Festival Events. In addition, the
Observatory organized a public lecture by Professor Mike Baillie (QUB) on the evening of the same day,
on the subject “Patrick, Comets and Christianity”. This was a highly successful event, attracting an
audience of approximately 70.
ASGI/IoPI Meeting, “Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland”, 1–4 April 2004 This meeting,
the first joint event between the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland (ASGI) and the Institute of
Physics in Ireland (IoPI), was the largest astronomical conference ever held in Armagh, with nearly 140
registered participants. The formal scientific sessions, which took place in the Rotunda Lecture Theatre,
St Patrick’s Trian, included some 30 oral contributions and 50 poster papers, and were uniformly well
attended, with the Rotunda Theatre full to capacity throughout the meeting.
The conference began on the evening of 1 April with an extremely well attended public lecture “The
ESA Mars Express Mission”, by Michael McKay (ESA Ground Segment Manager and Flight Operations
Director, Mars Express). He held an audience of nearly 100 spellbound with the latest images from the
Mars Express Orbiter, which — on a single pass — produces results that can be converted into three-
28

Figure 10: Members of the ASGI and IoPI near the Knockmany chambered cairn, 3 April 2004. Image courtesy
of Peter van der Burgt (NUI Maynooth).
dimensional images, which themselves can be manipulated, rotated and viewed from any perspective one
chooses. Mars Express is one of the European Space Agency’s greatest successes in planetary science to
date, and it has already provided firm evidence for water ice and other compounds suggestive of possible
former life on Mars, locked up mostly in the form of a rock-ice permafrost located near the Martian south
pole.
The opening ceremony for the meeting took place on the morning of 2 April, when the DCAL Minister
Ms Angela Smith MP welcomed participants to Armagh and highlighted in particular the strength of
the department’s support for astronomy in Armagh, both the Armagh Observatory and the Armagh
Planetarium. Responses were provided by Professors Martin Henry (Dublin City University) and Tom
Ray (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), the respective Chairs of the IoPI and the ASGI. Full details
of the meeting are available at http://star.arm.ac.uk/publicevents/IOP/.
Following the formal ceremony, participants enjoyed a full programme of talks and other events.
The principal sessions (organizers in brackets) were: (1) Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (Simon Jeffery,
Armagh Observatory); (2) Astrophysical Jets (Denise Gabuzda, University College Cork); (3) High-
Energy Astrophysics (Brian McBreen, University College Dublin); (4) Poster Competition (Martin Henry,
Dublin City University); (5) Astronomy of the Solar System (Apostolos Christou, Armagh Observatory);
(6) Optics and Astronomical Instrumentation (Michael Redfern, NUI Galway); and (7) Physics and
Astronomy Education and Public Outreach (Ian Elliott, Dunsink Observatory, DIAS).
The Mayor of Armagh City and District Council, Mrs Pat O’Rawe, hosted an evening reception for
participants on the evening of Friday 2 April, and a very full social programme was also arranged for
delegates and their families. The social events included guided tours of the Armagh Observatory Grounds
and Astropark, arranged by John McFarland and several PhD students, and also of the Armagh Planetarium
(arranged by Julie Thompson and Robert Hill), and a field trip to the Knockmany Chambered
Cairn, Co. Tyrone (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/Knockmany/ and Figure 10), organized by Mark Bailey.
Overall, the meeting succeeded in its main aim to attract physicists and astronomers from all corners
of Ireland to Armagh, and to generate a high level of exchange between the two overlapping scientific
communities. A report of the meeting was published in the IoPI Newsletter (Series 5, #9, June 2004; see
http://ireland.iop.org/newsletters/IOPI June 2004.pdf).
Transit of Venus, 8 June 2004 Research Astronomer John Butler created an exhibition, “Measuring
the Solar System”, timed to coincide with the 8 June 2004 Transit of Venus, the first such transit visible
for 121.5 years (the last was on 6 December 1882). The exhibition presented drawings, images and
29

Figure 11: Illustration of the Transit of Venus exhibition in the Observatory Boardroom, June 2004.
courtesy of Miruna Popescu.
Image
artefacts held by the Armagh Observatory and elsewhere, concerning various previous transits of Venus
which historically had provided the first direct measurements of the size of the solar system.
Transits of Venus usually occur in pairs separated by 8 years, each transit ‘season’ (when Venus and
the Earth happen to lie in an exact straight line with the Sun) currently beginning at alternating intervals
of 105.5 and 121.5 years after the last event of the previous pair. (In fact, the key to understanding Venus
transits is the 395/243 mean-motion commensurability with the Earth, which produces a nearly exact
243 yr cycle of events.) Recent transits have occurred on 7 December 1631 and 4 December 1639; 6 June
1761 and 3 June 1769; and 9 December 1874 and 6 December 1882. The 8 June 2004 event will be
followed by another on 6 June 2012; and then by another pair on 11 December 2117 and 8 December
2125.
The Armagh Observatory Transit of Venus exhibition was open to the public, Monday to Friday, during
the two-week period 31 May to 11 June. Further details of the exhibition can be found on the Observatory
web-site at http://star.arm.ac.uk/venustransit/exhibit/. In addition, staff made arrangements on the
day of the transit to provide (i) a live web-cast of the transit, for projection in the Library and on the
internet, using data from the 5-inch Meade ETX-125EC; (ii) observations of the transit by the ‘projection’
technique with the newly restored Grubb 10-inch refractor; and (iii) further observations using a portable
solarscope borrowed from the Armagh Planetarium and other instruments. Unfortunately, poor weather
meant that only limited opportunities were available to observe the Sun properly during the transit, but
conditions improved towards the end of the event and several people, including the Mayor of Armagh
City and District Council, Councillor Mrs Pat O’Rawe MLA, were able to enjoy the final stages of the
phenomenon and witness 3rd and 4th contacts.
Systems Manager Martin Murphy reported that despite the generally cloudy weather the Observatory
web site for the transit generated so much interest that the internet connection was saturated
at full capacity from about 08:00 until approximately 04:00 the following day. On the main web site
(http://star.arm.ac.uk/) average daily ‘hits’ for May, approximately 13,000, rose to almost 300,000 on
June 8, and average Distinct e-Visitors (DeVs) rose from approximately 1,200 to 16,500 for the same
period. Owing to caching by the large internet service providers (ISPs), this is very much a lower limit
to the number of people who viewed the site.
The Director thanks the many staff who involved themselves in these arrangements and activities,
especially John McFarland, Martin Murphy, David Asher, John Butler, Apostolos Christou, Michael
Smith and PhD students Amir Ahmad, Natalie Behara, Ana M. García Suárez, Bebe Ishak, Miruna
Popescu, Babulakshmanan Ramachandran, and Ignacio Ugarte Urra.
30

Figure 12: Members of the Irish Astronomical Association during their tour of the Observatory on 26 June 2004.
Image courtesy of Miruna Popescu.
IAA Summer Solstice BBQ, 26 June 2004 The Irish Astronomical Association (IAA) held their
annual Summer Solstice BBQ at the Observatory on the afternoon and evening of 26 June 2004. Approximately
25 IAA members, guests and visitors from all over Ireland attended the event, as well as a
number of Observatory staff and students. Activities included an astronomical quiz arranged by Terry
Moseley (IAA), a tour of the main Observatory building by Mark Bailey, a talk on recent developments
at the Observatory, and daytime observations of both the Sun and Moon.
“Routes to Roots” Exhibition and European Heritage Open Days, September 2004 The
Observatory again opened its doors to the general public for the week 6–11 September 2004, as part of the
UK and Ireland Archive Awareness Campaign and European Heritage Open Days. The Librarian, John
McFarland, produced an excellent exhibition for the event, which had as its theme “Routes to Roots”. He
also produced a highly informative brochure for the exhibition, entitled “The Development of Astronomy
at Armagh”. For a second year running the Observatory collaborated with the Armagh Public Library
and other museums and specialist libraries in the City, resulting in a record number of visitors to the
Observatory for this event. Group tours were carried out by the Librarian and other staff, notably Ana
Maria García Suárez, Babulakshmanan Ramachandran, Chia-Hsien Lin, and Miruna Popescu. Further
information can be obtained from the web-site (http://star.arm.ac.uk/archive-exhibit/) and accompanying
media information sheets (e.g. http://star.arm.ac.uk/press/AAW0904 pr.html). During the week a
total of approximately 115 members of the public visited the Observatory for these events.
Partnership with the ANHPS The Observatory continued its informal partnership with the Armagh
Natural History and Philosophical Society (ANHPS) by hosting one of the Society’s public lectures on
the evening of 15 October 2004. A former student and PDRA at Armagh Observatory, Dr Alastair Gunn
(now at the University of Manchester Jodrell Bank Observatory), delivered a talk entitled “Armagh’s
Longcase Regulators” to a group of approximately 40 visitors, including some from as far afield as Dublin
and Belfast.
2004 Robinson Lectures, 25–26 November 2004 The recent past President of the Royal Astronomical
Society and the discoverer of pulsars, Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell (University of Oxford),
agreed to deliver the 2004 Robinson Lecture on the evening of Friday 26 November 2004. In addition, she
kindly provided a Robinson Schools Lecture the previous afternoon, which was co-hosted by St. Patrick’s
31

Figure 13: Dr F.N. Byrne (Deputy Chair, Management Committee) presenting Professor Bell Burnell with the
Robinson Medal on the occasion of her delivery of the 2004 Robinson Lecture in Armagh on 26 November 2004.
Image courtesy of Miruna Popescu.
Academy, Dungannon. Following the Schools lecture, Professor Bell Burnell also opened the school’s
Observatory.
The 2004 Robinson Lecture was delivered in the Studio Theatre, the Market Place, Armagh, to a full
house of approximately 140 people. The subject, “Tick, Tick, Tick Pulsating Star, How We Wonder What
You Are!”, was well received, and a great many positive remarks were made concerning the clarity of the
speaker’s presentation and her ability to bring a complex scientific subject to life for the non-specialist.
The Schools Lecture, on the afternoon of 25 November 2004, was similarly well attended. The lecture,
“You are Made of Star Stuff”, described one of the greatest advances of 20th century astronomy, namely
the discovery that essentially all the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium which make up the
molecules of our bodies and the contents of the Earth around us were originally made by a process of
nuclear fusion in the centres of stars. It was attended by approximately 120 teachers, pupils and guests
from schools all around Northern Ireland. The high level of concentration on the lecture by the pupils
was indicated by the very high quality of questions received from all parts of the hall.
Following the lecture, Professor Bell Burnell formally opened the school’s newly refurbished observatory,
naming it “An Réaltlann”, meaning ‘a collection of stars’. Among the schools attending were: The
Royal Belfast Academical Institution; St. Patrick’s Academy, Lisburn; The Royal School Dungannon;
The Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry; The Royal School Armagh; and St. Mary’s Christian Brothers
Grammar School, Belfast. In short, the two Robinson lectures were highly successful events, due in
no small part to Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s careful preparation and her ability to put science into
language that non-specialists can understand.
5 Buildings, Grounds, Library and Archives
The Observatory has an important responsibility to maintain and preserve the fabric of the historic
buildings and the wealth of the scientific and intellectual heritage in its care. The main historic buildings,
which are listed, have unique architectural features, and together with the library, historic books and
archives, and the collection of scientific instruments and other artefacts built up over more than two
hundred years of continuous astronomical activity in Armagh, contain one of Northern Ireland’s most
valuable scientific collections.
The Observatory also maintains a unique 210-year long meteorological record and data-bank (see
http://climate.arm.ac.uk/). This provides it with a further important vein of activity, namely the need
32

to understand and promote public understanding of environmental change, and particularly the extraterrestrial
causes of such change, for example the variable bolometric output of the Sun, long-term changes
in the Earth’s orbit, changes in the accretion of interplanetary dust on the Earth, and the implications
of such changes (varying temperature and rainfall, incidence of gales and so on) for Northern Ireland.
Taken together, the scientific and architectural heritage of astronomy at Armagh is thus a highly
significant asset: the entire collection — books and scientific journals, instruments and scientific artefacts,
historic telescopes and clocks, and scientific data — encompasses virtually every aspect of modern
astronomy. In many cases, the underlying motivation and reasons for the developments of astronomy at
a particular time can be explained by direct reference to discoveries at Armagh, or to artefacts and other
material held within the Library and Archives. This rich cultural heritage gives astronomers at Armagh
a unique opportunity to explain the development of their subject over past centuries and the context in
which modern research is carried out.
Heritage Policy The Observatory’s heritage policy is to maintain and preserve the historic buildings,
telescopes, telescope domes, scientific instruments and other material in its care, to place restored instruments
and artefacts in their original locations in the building so far as possible, and to add to and
maintain the integrity of the historic Library and Archives as a coherent, growing collection in the City of
Armagh for future generations. In this way, members of the public, researchers and others who visit the
Observatory will be able to appreciate more clearly the conjunction of the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ at Armagh,
and to comprehend the development of modern astronomy in the context of the historical development
of astronomy as a whole.
5.1 Buildings, Telescopes and Telescope Domes Project
John Butler reports that the HLF-supported programme of restoration of three historic telescopes and
their domes has continued throughout the year, and that a growing collection of images showing progress
with the Telescopes and Telescope Domes restoration project is available on the Armagh Observatory
web-site (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/history/Domes/).
The principal items completed under the project during 2004 were the 15-inch Grubb Reflector and
its dome, the 10-inch Grubb Refractor and the Robinson Memorial Dome, and finally the new 6-metre
diameter Calver Dome.
The 15-inch reflector (1834) by Thomas Grubb, some parts of which were originally made for the
Great Markree Refractor, is believed to be the earliest clock-driven reflecting telescope in the world,
incorporating a number of pioneering developments in telescope design. It was built for Thomas Romney
Robinson, the third director, who used it for early experiments in astronomical spectroscopy, and its
design was influential in later, larger telescopes constructed by Thomas Grubb, including the Great
Southern Telescope erected in Melbourne, Australia, in 1869. Following its restoration by the Sinden
Optical Company in Newcastle upon Tyne, it was returned to Armagh and re-erected on 4 March 2004.
The telescope now has a new glass primary mirror to replace the original speculum, broken in the mid-20th
century.
The 1827 Dome, at the eastern end of the main Observatory building, was constructed originally for
a Herschel Reflector but modified in 1834 to accommodate the 15-inch reflecting telescope by Thomas
Grubb. This too has been restored and fitted with a new copper covering. Much of the original fabric
has been retained including the wooden dome support structure and parts of the shutter. The dome now
turns and opens for the first time in three quarters of a century.
The 10-inch refractor (1885) by Howard Grubb has also been restored by Mr Bertie McClure of Belfast
and is now fully operational. A replacement primary lens which was ordered from the Sinden Optical
Company has sadly been delayed by difficulties in obtaining flint glass of the requisite quality.
The Robinson Memorial Dome is an early prefabricated building, the design of which is believed to
have derived from military buildings used in the Crimean War. This dome has been extensively restored
with new wooden cladding and a new floor of recycled pine, and has been sealed to prevent the ingress
of moisture and to allow the humidity to be controlled.
The new dome for the 18-inch Calver Telescope is now fully operational and awaits the return of
the telescope to Armagh later in 2005. The telescope itself (see Figure 14) has had a chequered history.
It came to Ireland first as the property of John Pierce of Wexford, and subsequently came into the
possession of William Ellison who presented it to Armagh Observatory as a gift on his appointment as
director. George Calver, its maker, was one of the earliest English telescope manufacturers to use glass
mirrors instead of ‘speculum’ metal. The telescope was subsequently converted to a Schmidt design by
33

Figure 14: The restored 18-inch Calver reflector in the workshop of the Sinden Optical Company (SOC), Newcastle
upon Tyne, summer 2004. Image courtesy of the SOC.
Hargreaves, and is currently undergoing restoration to its original Newtonian form by the Sinden Optical
Company.
5.2 Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building
Strong support for the provision of a new Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building
was expressed by the Board of Governors at their annual meeting in March 2004. They drew particular
attention to the pressing need for a suitable archive and library building to provide a more accessible
library, some office space and a suitable public display of the Observatory’s archives. During 2004 the
project was advanced largely by John Butler, who prepared a detailed application for external funding
to support the proposal, which is intended to be submitted to the HLF in 2005.
5.3 Phenology Garden
5.3.1 Background
The recently established Irish Phenological Garden Network seeks to encourage the collecting of phenological
data in Ireland (i.e. the time in the year when various biological phenomena occur, such as the first
cuckoo, the first leaf etc.), and to archive these data so that the effects on the natural world of climate
change can be assessed in the long term. The creation of a phenology garden in Armagh, a project still
in its infancy, is part of this effort.
The project grew out of discussions during 2003 between Research Astronomer John Butler and
Dr Alison Donnelly and colleagues in the Department of Botany, Trinity College Dublin. There is a
need for such gardens to be close to meteorological stations having long time series of observations for
calibration purposes, one of the Armagh Observatory’s strengths in the environmental field. Moreover,
the scientific value of a phenology garden extends well beyond climate research, and impinges also on
long-term prospects in agriculture and horticulture, areas that Trinity College Dublin is particularly
interested in.
34

Following these discussions, construction of the phenology garden was largely completed during 2004,
and a garden established in the north-west corner of the Observatory’s estate in the area between the
Stone Calendar in the Armagh Astropark and the Observatory Bungalow. This provides a gently sloping
site, similar in many characteristics to the orchard-covered drumlins of Co. Armagh. The location has all
the qualities required of a good site for a phenology garden in this area with more than adequate space
for several specimens of each of the 15 recommended species. The principal additional requirement is the
need to construct a bound gravel path to facilitate access to the garden by all visitors, including those
with disabilities.
The main aim of the phenology garden project is that, as part of the International Phenology Garden
(IPG) programme, the Armagh garden will help to give a clearer picture of how the effects of climate
change vary geographically across Europe, and Ireland in particular. In this respect, it is evidently of
particular importance to have such gardens close to meteorological stations with long records and to
ensure that the standard plants are exposed, so far as possible, to the same environmental characteristics
as the meteorological station. The standard plants should be free to grow with a minimum of hindrance,
and the groundsman’s regular reports should include not just a comment on each IPG plant’s growth
and development, but notes on any additional factors that should be considered when interpreting the
plant’s development, such as the need for weeding the surrounding ground, watering or mulching etc., or
the presence of any pests or infections.
The following report, by Research Astronomer John Butler, provides more details on this new initiative
and summarizes progress to date. The summary report, together with images and links to a number of
related web-sites can be seen at http://star.arm.ac.uk/phenology/.
5.3.2 Summary Report
The phases of the annual cycles of certain flora and fauna have been known throughout history to be
influenced by climate. Many diaries and garden records from past centuries, including those of the
Armagh Observatory, give dates of phenological events such as bud burst, first flowering and leaf fall as
well as the return of migratory birds such as the cuckoo. This type of material can help to provide proxy
climate data for periods when no instrumental records are available, and also give valuable knowledge on
how our changing climate is affecting the natural world today.
In the mid-twentieth century, a number of phenological gardens were set up in Europe with the
intention of employing observations of certain common species of plants as indicators of climate change.
They used genetically identical material provided by a central coordinating laboratory in Germany. Four
such gardens were established in Ireland, namely those at Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry; The J.F.
Kennedy Arboretum, Co. Wexford; Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford; and the Botanic Gardens, Dublin.
Only one or two such gardens were established in Great Britain at that time and none in Northern
Ireland.
Why Armagh? In order to relate the phenological data with climate change, it is essential that a
nearby meteorological station exists which can provide information on local environmental variables such
as precipitation, temperature, sunshine and humidity. The Armagh Observatory, which has the longest
climate record in Ireland and one of the longest in the UK, is therefore a prime location for such a
garden. The establishment of such a garden in Armagh will provide a valuable addition to the current
Irish network, and in association with exhibits in the Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium and
Eartharium will highlight the importance of climate change, how it has occurred throughout geological
history and how it continues to affect our environment.
Site We have established a phenological garden in the north-west corner of the Observatory’s estate,
between the Stone Calendar in the Astropark and the Observatory Bungalow. The site is exposed to the
south and west and partially sheltered from the east. It has all the qualities required of a good site for a
phenological garden in this area with more than adequate space for several specimens of each of the 15
International Phenological Garden (IPG) recommended species as well as other native plants.
The site lies to the west of the Stone Calendar in the direction of several important vistas relevant to
the Astropark. These include the setting points on the horizon of the Sun at mid-winter solstice, midsummer
solstice and the equinoxes, and dramatic views of the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland
cathedrals on neighbouring hills in the City of Armagh. The lines of sight to these buildings and to the
calendrical markers are to be left free of obstruction. Further dramatic views of the Roman Catholic
cathedral from the Observatory Drive should also not be obscured.
35

IPG Species Common Name
121 Picea abies (early) Norway Spruce
122 Picea abies Norway Spruce
211 Betula pubescens Downy Birch
281 Tilia cordata Small-leafed Lime
311 Ribes alpinium Alpine Currant
321 Salix aurita Willow
323 Salix acutifolia Pussy Willow
324 Salix smithiana Smith’s Willow
326 Salix viminalis Basket Willow
331 Sambucus nigra Elder
411 Corylus avellana Hazel
421 Forsythia susp. Forsythia
431 Syringa vulgaris Lilac
1 Taxus baccata Yew
2 Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak
3 Ilex aquifolium Holly
4 Euonymus europaeus Spindle
5 Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree
6 Fraxinus excelsior Ash
7 Prunus spinosa Blackthorn
8 Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn
9 Corylus avellana Hazel
10 Viburnum opulus Guelder Rose
Table 7: Species supplied by the IPG Central Coordinating Laboratory in March 2004, and the various Native
Species included in the Phenology Garden.
A 1–2 m wide grass path will eventually link three planted blocks. It will connect to the tarmac path
around the Stone Calendar, to the garden at the rear of the bungalow and to the main public car park.
This will enable the meteorological observer to make a short detour through the phenological garden from
his current daily walk between the met station where the readings are taken and the bungalow where
they are entered into the computer. A second path with a more moderate slope will be provided in due
course for disabled visitors. The area between the plants and path will be established as a wild flower
meadow with the sward cut only once or twice annually and the mown grass removed. No fertiliser or
weedkiller will be used in the phenology garden.
Species to be Planted A list of 15 species has been proposed by the IPG network which includes
a few species native to Ireland. In late March 2004 the IPG Central Coordinating Laboratory at the
Humboldt University of Berlin provided clones of 13 species. These have now been planted in the northwestern
part of the garden. As it may be some time before we are able to obtain the full quota of suitable
cloned specimens, we have also planted a selection of native species proposed by Trinity College Botany
Department together with some taken from a longer list in the Woodland Trust’s booklet A Guide to
Recording Spring and Autumn Events in Nature’s Calendar. The native specimens have been provided
by Woodside Nursery, Ashford, Co. Wicklow, and Future Forests, Co. Cork.
Collaboration with Other Groups The project, which involves collaboration with a variety of research
institutes in the Republic of Ireland and Europe, is being undertaken in association with Drs
A. Donnelly and A. Caffarra, and Professor Mike Jones of the Department of Botany, Trinity College
Dublin, who have an ongoing research project to study the environmental triggers of tree phenophases.
Such studies could be of considerable value for the horticultural and agricultural industries in Ireland,
North and South.
We are also indebted to Dr Eoin Moran and Jack O’Sullivan of the Valentia Observatory, Cahirciveen,
36

Figure 15: Group photograph showing some of the participants at the second meeting of the Irish Phenological
Garden Network, Armagh 28 September 2004. Shown (left to right) are: Shane Kelly (Armagh), Eoin Moran
(Met Éireann, Valentia), Philip Croxton (CEH, Monks Wood), John Butler (Armagh), Matthew Jebb (National
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin), Paul Maher (National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin), Barry McAuley (DOENI),
Amelia Caffarra (TCD, Dublin), Alison Donnelly (TCD, Dublin), Jack O’Sullivan (Met Éireann, Valentia), Ana
Maria García Suárez (Armagh), Geoffrey Michael (JFK Arboretum, Wexford), Ethel White (DARDNI), and
Mark Bailey (Armagh). The image of the photographer, Tim Sparks (CEH, Monks Wood), has been pasted in
at the far right.
Co. Kerry, who first gave us the idea to initiate a garden in Armagh. The staff at Valentia Observatory
have first-hand practical experience of operating such a garden for several decades and have in the past
given us help with the calibration of instruments at Armagh.
The data from the phenological garden at Armagh will be passed in a standard format to the central
coordinating organisation in Ireland (to be based at the Valentia Observatory), to the Woodland Trust
of the United Kingdom, and to the International Phenological Garden Data Centre at the Humboldt
University, Berlin.
Further Information Further information about phenological gardens may be obtained from: “Phenological
Gardens in Ireland 2003”, by A. Donnelly, A. Caffarra, and M. Jones, Department of Botany,
Trinity College, Dublin (2004), and “Instructions for Establishing an International Phenological Garden”,
by the Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, The Institute of Crop Sciences, Section of Agricultural
Meteorology, Humboldt University, Berlin.
Table 7 lists the species supplied by the IPG Central Coordinating Laboratory as well as the several
native species also included.
There are four phenology gardens in the Republic of Ireland, namely those at the National Botanic
Gardens, Dublin; the Valentia Observatory, Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry; the JFK Arboretum, Co. Wexford;
and Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford. With one now in Armagh, the three Irish stations with the longest
daily meteorological series (Armagh, Dublin, Valentia) will be covered.
The second meeting of the Irish Phenological Garden Network took place at the Armagh Observatory
on 28 September 2004. It was a one-day meeting involving almost a dozen participants from external institutions
including the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Monks Wood Centre for Ecology
and Hydrology (Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire), Met Éireann (Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry), DOENI,
DARDNI, Trinity College Dublin, the John F. Kennedy Arboretum (Wexford), and the National Botanic
Gardens (Glasnevin, Dublin).
The Grounds and Meteorological Officer, Shane Kelly, has primary responsibility for care and main-
37

tenance of the phenology garden specimens, and for making periodic reports on their condition. As part
of this effort, he attended during autumn 2004 an introductory course on digital imaging, to facilitate the
creation of a growing digital archive relating to the phenology garden, and also of other flora and fauna
in the Armagh Observatory Grounds and Astropark. Other staff have already taken a large number of
images of the Observatory Grounds and Astropark (e.g. http://www.arm.ac.uk/ ∼ mdp/AO.html).
Plans for future phenological activities include arranging training courses for observers, and coordinating
the planting of clones of both the standard IPG network specimens and a selection of native
species in the five phenological gardens now established on the island of Ireland.
5.4 Human Orrery
The Armagh Observatory Human Orrery is believed to be the first large outdoor exhibit designed to
show with precision the elliptical orbits and changing relative positions of the planets and other solar
system bodies versus time. It is also the first major addition to the Observatory Grounds and Astropark
for more than a decade, providing a dynamic map of the positions and orbits of the six classical planets,
an asteroid and two comets, as well as an indication of the thirteen zodiacal constellations through which
the Sun passes in the course of a year and pointers to more distant objects in the Universe.
The exhibit (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/) was constructed during 2004, with the support of the
DCAL, close to the south-east corner of the main Grade A Listed Building, between the existing Library
and two telescope domes. In general, it can be used to show the orbital periods of objects revolving
around the Sun and also to illustrate a wide range of celestial phenomena, such as planetary alignments,
conjunctions, transits, and the laws of orbital mechanics.
In the Human Orrery people play the role of the moving planets, and the scale model provides an
accurate map of the orbits of the six classical planets, an asteroid and two comets, and shows their
positions at any time. Users gain a better understanding of the principal parts of the solar system (Sun,
terrestrial planets, outer planets, asteroid belt and comets) through a variety of games and activities, and
are immediately faced with the elliptical orbits of the various objects and their different speeds around
the Sun, as well as their differing directions in space as seen from the Earth, the Sun, or any other point
in the model.
The Human Orrery thus facilitates activities such as establishing Kepler’s laws by direct measurement,
and the introduction of concepts such as planetary alignments, conjunctions and transits. In particular,
because questions of distance-scales, time-scales, and the dynamics and spatial relationship between solar
system bodies lead naturally to questions concerning the calendar, the seasons, the equation of time, and
the precession of the equinoxes, the Human Orrery can also be used to introduce ideas such as leap years
and the need for the Gregorian calendrical reform.
The Orrery was formally opened on the morning of the day of the Robinson Lecture, around midday
on 26 November 2004, in the presence of approximately 40 external guests, as well as Armagh Observatory
staff, students and associates. An innovative ‘Dance of the Planets’ (see Figure 16), facilitated by Dance
Northern Ireland, was choreographed by Ms Jennifer Rooney and performed by twenty-five P7 pupils
from the local Armstrong Primary School, watched by guests including parents from the school.
When the Human Orrery is finally completed in 2005, it will also show the thirteen zodiacal constellations
through which the Sun passes in the course of a year and the directions to a wide range of
more distant objects in the Universe. The idea is to explain the Earth’s position in space at a variety of
different levels, and to link this understanding to direct observations of the Sun, planets and stars. In
this way, the Human Orrery provides a wealth of educational and public outreach opportunities, ranging
from the level of primary school children up to adults and university students.
6 Summary and Conclusion
Section 3 of this report and the publication record of staff at the Armagh Observatory demonstrate the
completion of a wide range of research projects and individual contributions to astronomical advances
during 2004, in addition to the activities described in Sections 4 and 5 of this Annual Report.
The astronomers have also brought to Armagh significant amounts of external funding as well as
students, visitors and research staff, and played an influential role in the professional advancement of
astronomy and in public understanding of science and education. In recent years — as shown in Table 1
(p.iv) — the Observatory has regularly obtained substantial levels of non-DCAL funding to support its
research, maintaining a high level of activity throughout this period and an exceptionally high public
profile. During the past five years alone, astronomers at Armagh have averaged almost 35 publications per
year in refereed scientific journals, and have appeared in or been quoted in newspapers and other media at
38

Figure 16: Children from the Armstrong Primary School, Armagh, at the Launch of the Human Orrery on 26
November 2004. The innovative ‘Dance of the Planets’ was choreographed by dance teacher Jennifer Rooney.
Upper image by Miruna Popescu, lower image by Julie Thompson (Armagh Planetarium).
least 250 times per year. In short, the Armagh Observatory is a flourishing astronomical research institute
which continues to play an influential role both in professional astronomy and in public understanding of
science and education.
With sufficient resources to carry out its work, the Observatory remains in a strong position to
continue this activity and to play an influential role in both UK and international astronomy for years
to come. However, the announced flat funding for Financial Year 2004/2005 put severe constraints on
the Observatory’s ability to sustain its programmes of research, outreach and public understanding of
science. Although the position was largely recovered by the end of the year, with a welcome uplift in
39

funding announced during September 2004, it was by then too late to employ a third Observatory-funded
research student. The recruitment of only two such PhD students during 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 is
bound to have a negative impact on the Observatory’s future RAE results.
The organization’s capacity to plan strategically is now being put at risk by the Department’s apparent
inability to provide it with a secure core funding line. Moreover, the lack of additional research
development funds is placing severe constraints on the organization’s ability to position itself strongly for
the next Research Assessment Exercise. There is a clear risk that a decade of improved performance in
virtually every aspect of the Observatory’s activities (see Figure 2, p.7) could be undermined by systemic
underfunding.
For the Observatory to avoid falling into this trap it requires a stable level of core funding adequate
for its needs and sufficient to support a reasonable number of research-active staff. In 2001 there were 8
such staff in post, but this has now fallen to 6 and there is a clear need to recruit at least 2 and preferably
3 or 4 such staff, preferably young, ambitious and promising research scientists.
It is noteworthy that the Observatory is the oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland, the
longest continuously operating astronomical research institute in the UK and Ireland. It remains a fully
functioning, viable and successful research institute. In addition to its scientific research, which generates
cultural capital, it presents a vibrant, positive image of Armagh City and District — and of Northern
Ireland — on the national and world stage, and makes a major contribution to both DCAL departmental
objectives and to the wider initiatives of the Northern Ireland Programme for Government. This report
has summarized what can be achieved; the key task for 2005/2006 is to work with the DCAL to obtain
a stable level of core funding, and to obtain resources to secure the recruitment of additional research
staff. This is to maintain current activity and to lay a strong foundation for the forthcoming Research
Assessment Exercise, which has a census date 31 October 2007.
40

A Board of Governors and Management Committee 2004
A.1 Board of Governors
The Board of Governors comprises the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh (Chairman), the Dean
and Chapter of the Church of Ireland Cathedral of Armagh, 1 DCAL nominee, 1 QUB nominee, and up
to 3 additional members nominated by the Board of Governors. Nominees normally serve for an initial
period of 5 years with the possibility of extension.
• Chairman: His Grace, The Most Reverend Dr R.H.A. Eames, The Lord Archbishop of Armagh
• The Very Reverend Dean H. Cassidy, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh
• The Venerable Archdeacon R.G. Hoey, Camlough
• The Reverend Canon J.M. Barton, Acton
• The Reverend Canon W.J.A. Dawson, Pomeroy
• The Reverend Canon J.W. McKegney, Armagh
• The Reverend Canon C.F. Moore, Newtownhamilton
• The Reverend Canon H.J.W. Moore, Ballinderry
• The Reverend Canon R.J.N. Porteus, Derryloran
• The Reverend Canon F.D. Swann, Drumglass
• Councillor W. Gardiner-Watson (DCAL Nominee)
• Professor K.L. Bell 1 , Queens University Belfast (QUB Nominee)
• Professor A. Hibbert 2 , Queens University Belfast (QUB Nominee)
• Dr E. Haughey, Ballyedmond Castle, Rostrevor (Board of Governors Nominee)
A.2 Management Committee
The Management Committee comprises the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh or his nominee
(Chairman), 3 Nominees from the Board of Governors, 4 DCAL nominees, 1 QUB nominee, 1 PPARC
nominee, 1 DIAS nominee, and up to 4 additional members co-opted by the Board of Governors. Nominees
and those co-opted by the Governors normally serve for an initial period of 3–5 years with the possibility
of extension.
• Chairman: His Grace The Most Reverend Dr R.H.A. Eames, The Lord Archbishop of Armagh
• Deputy Chairman: Dr F.N. Byrne (Co-opted, Board of Governors)
• The Venerable Archdeacon R.G. Hoey, Camlough (Board of Governors Nominee)
• Professor K.L. Bell 3 , Queens University Belfast (Board of Governors Nominee)
• Dr E.M. (Á.) Downey (DCAL Nominee)
• Mrs S. Hogg (DCAL Nominee)
• Mrs M. Cruickshank (DCAL Nominee)
• Professor P.L. Dufton, Queens University Belfast (QUB Nominee)
• Professor M.S. Merrifield, University of Nottingham (PPARC Nominee)
• Professor L. Drury, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS Nominee)
• Sir Kenneth Bloomfield (Co-opted, Board of Governors)
• Professor D.A. Williams 4 , University College London (Co-opted, Board of Governors)
1 Resigned September 2004
2 From September 2004
3 Resigned September 2004
4 To 30 June 2004
41

B Armagh Observatory Staff 2004
Title, Name and Computer Username Position Notes Base Cost
Centre
1 Professor Mark E. Bailey meb Director OBS OBS
2 Dr C. John Butler cjb Research Astronomer OBS OBS
3 Dr Apostolos Christou aac Research Astronomer OBS OBS
4 Professor J. Gerry Doyle jgd Research Astronomer OBS OBS
5 Dr C. Simon Jeffery csj Research Astronomer OBS OBS
6 Dr Michael D. Smith mds Research Astronomer OBS OBS
7 Dr David J. Asher dja Research Fellow OBS OBS
8 Mr H. Martin Murphy hmm Computer Systems Manager OBS OBS
9 Mr Geoff Coxhead gc Software/Hardware Support OBS OBS
10 Mr John McFarland jmf Librarian/PRO/Archivist OBS OBS
11 Mr Shane T. Kelly stk Grounds/Meteorological Officer OBS OBS
Mr Bernard Toner Assistant Groundsman OBS Rutledge
12 Mrs Aileen McKee ambn Group Secretary/Admin. Support OBS OBS
13 Mrs Margaret Cherry mc Accounts Officer OBS OBS
14 Mr Lawrence F. Young lfy Joint Administrator OBS/PLA OBS/PLA
15 Dr Amir Ahmad amir Postdoctoral Research Assistant PPARC OBS OBS
16 Dr Chia-Hsien Lin chl Postdoctoral Research Assistant CosmoGrid OBS OBS
17 Dr Eoghan O’Shea eos Postdoctoral Research Assistant CosmoGrid OBS OBS
18 Dr Youra Taroyan yat Postdoctoral Research Assistant PPARC OBS OBS
19 Mr David Morgan drm Undergraduate Research Assistant CosmoGrid OBS OBS
Mr Eamonn Ansbro Research Student (PhD) P/T Open Univ. Home Self
20 Ms Antoaneta Antonova tan Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
21 Ms Natalie Behara ntb Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
22 Ms Ana M. García Suárez amgs Research Student (PhD) P/T QUB OBS OBS
Mr John Giannikakis Research Student (PhD) Athens Athens Self
23 Ms Hayati Bebe Hajra Ishak bbk Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
24 Mr Jonathan McAuliffe jma Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
25 Mr Anthony Moraghan ajm Research Student (PhD) F/T TCD OBS OBS
26 Mr Barry O’Connell boc Research Student (PhD) F/T TCD OBS OBS
27 Ms Miruna Popescu mdp Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
28 Mr B. Ramachandran brc Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
29 Mr Timur Şahin tsa Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
Mr P. Nick Sleep Research Student (PhD) P/T Open Univ. Home Self
30 Mr Ignacio Ugarte Urra iuu Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
31 Mr Christopher Winter cwr Research Student (PhD) F/T QUB OBS OBS
Armagh Observatory staff position at 2004 December 31. Temporary staff such as summer students are not shown, nor
are Professor W.M. Napier (Emeritus Professor) and three PDRAs (Lidong Xia, Ibrahim Abdalla and Jinzeng Li), who
all left during the year.
42

C Refereed Journal Publications 2004
1. Ahmad, A., Jeffery, C.S., 2004, “Physical parameters of helium-rich subdwarf B stars from spectral
energy distributions”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 413, 323–327.
2. Ahmad, A., Jeffery, C.S., 2004, “The evolution of helium-rich subdwarf-B stars”, Astrophysics and
Space Science, 291, 253–260.
3. Ahmad, A., Jeffery, C.S., Fullerton, A.W., 2004, “Discovery of a spectroscopic binary comprising two
hot helium-rich subdwarfs”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 418, 275–281.
4. Ahmad, A., Jeffery, C.S., Solheim, J.-E., Østensen, R., 2004, “Pulsation instability of helium-rich
subdwarf B stars”, Astrophysics and Space Science, 291, 435–439.
5. Archontis, V., Moreno-Insertis, F., Galsgaard, K., Hood, A., O’Shea, E., 2004, “Emergence of magnetic
flux from the convection zone into the corona”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 426, 1047–1063.
6. Boattini, A., D’Abramo, G., Scholl, H., Hainaut, O.R., Boehnhardt, H., West, R., Carpino, M., Hahn, G.,
Michelsen, R., Forti, G., Pravec, P., Valsecchi, G.B., Asher, D.J., 2004, “Near-Earth Asteroid search and
follow-up beyond 22nd magnitude. A pilot program with ESO telescopes”, Astronomy and Astrophysics,
418, 743–750.
7. Christou, A., 2004, “Prospects for meteor shower activity in the Venusian atmosphere”, Icarus, 168,
23–33.
8. Doyle, J.G., Madjarska, M.S., Dzifčáková, E., Dammasch, I.E., 2004, “Coronal response of Bi-directional
jets”, Solar Physics, 221, 51–64.
9. Doyle, J.G., Roussev, I.I., Madjarska, M.S., 2004, “New insight into the blinker phenomenon and the
dynamics of the solar transition region”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, L9–L12.
10. Emel’yanenko, V.V., Asher, D.J., Bailey, M.E., 2004, “High-eccentricity trans-Neptunian objects as a
source of Jupiter-family comets”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 350, 161–166.
11. Horner, J., Evans, N.W., Bailey, M.E., 2004, “Simulations of the population of Centaurs – I. The bulk
statistics”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 354, 798–810.
12. Horner, J., Evans, N.W., Bailey, M.E., 2004, “Simulations of the population of Centaurs – II. Individual
objects”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 355, 321–329.
13. Isobe, S., Asami, A., Asher, D., Hashimoto, N., Nakano, S.-I., Nishiyama, K., Ohshima, Y., Terazono, J.,
Umehara, H., Urata, T., Yoshikawa, M., 2004, “A new 1 m telescope for space debris survey observations”,
Advances in Space Research, 34, 917–920.
14. Jeffery, C.S., 2004, “Colour and radial velocity variations in pulsating subluminous B stars”, Astrophysics
and Space Science, 291, 403–410.
15. Jeffery, C.S., Dhillon, V.S., Marsh, T.R., Ramachandran, B., 2004, “Multicolour high-speed photometry
of pulsating subdwarf B stars with ultracam”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 352,
699–707.
16. Khanzadyan, T., Gredel, R., Smith, M.D., Stanke, T., 2004, “An unbiased search for the signatures of protostars
in the ρ Ophiuchi A molecular cloud. I. Near-infrared observations”, Astronomy and Astrophysics,
426, 171–183.
17. Khanzadyan, T., Smith M.D., Davis C.J., Stanke T., 2004, “An excitation study of bow shocks driven
from protostars in S233 IR”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 418, 163–176.
18. Lin, C.-H., Däppen, W., 2004, “Isolating the effects of chemical composition in the equation of state”,
American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings, 731, 219–229.
19. Lin, C.-H., Däppen, W., 2004, “The chemical composition and equation of state of the Sun inferred from
seismic models through an inversion procedure”, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings,
731, 230–236.
20. Madjarska, M.S., Doyle, J.G., van Driel-Gesztelyi, L., 2004, “Evidence of magnetic reconnection along
coronal hole boundaries”, The Astrophysical Journal, 603, L57–L59.
21. McFarland, J., 2004, “A modern vision: Eric Lindsay at Armagh”, Astronomy and Geophysics, 45,
1.18–1.22.
22. Napier, W.M., 2004, “A mechanism for interstellar panspermia”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical
Society, 348, 46–51.
23. Napier, W.M., Wickramasinghe, J.T., Wickramasinghe, N.C., 2004, “Extreme albedo comets and the
impact hazard”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 355, 191–195.
24. O’Connell, B., Smith, M.D., Davis, C.J., Hodapp, K.W., Khanzadyan, T., Ray, T., 2004, “A nearinfrared
study of the bow shocks within the L1634 protostellar outflow”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 419,
975–990.
43

25. O’Toole, S.J., Falter, S., Heber, U., Jeffery, C.S., Dreizler, S., Schuh, S.L., and the MSST and Wet Teams,
2004, “MSST observations of the pulsating sdB star PG 1605+072”, Astrophysics and Space Science, 291,
457–464.
26. Pallé, E., Butler, C.J., O’Brien, K., 2004, “ The possible connection between ionization in the atmosphere
by cosmic rays and low-level clouds”, Journal for Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 66, 1779–1790.
27. Pandey, G., Lambert, D.L., Rao, N.K., Jeffery, C.S., 2004, “Abundances of neutron-capture elements in
the hot extreme helium stars V1920 Cygni and HD 124448”, The Astrophysical Journal, 602, L113–L116.
28. Patel, M.R., Christou, A.A., Cockell, C.S., Ringrose, T.J., Zarnecki, J.C., 2004, “The UV environment of
the Beagle 2 landing site: detailed investigations and detection of atmospheric state”, Icarus, 168, 93–115.
29. Pavlovski, G., Smith, M.D., Mac Low, M.-M., Rosen, A., 2004, “Hydrodynamical simulations of
molecular dynamics in supersonic turbulent flow”, Astrophysics and Space Science, 292, 69–75.
30. Mariş, G., Popescu, M.D., 2004, “Solar flare cycles”, Romanian Reports in Physics, 56, 141–169.
31. Popescu, M.D., Doyle, J.G., Xia, L.D., 2004, “Network boundary origins of fast solar wind seen in
the low transition region?”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 421, 339–348.
32. Ramachandran, B., Jeffery, C.S., 2004, “Simulating colour variations in pulsating sdB stars”, Astrophysics
and Space Science, 291, 441–444.
33. Ramachandran, B., Jeffery, C.S., Townsend, R.H.D., 2004, “Synthetic photometry for non-radial pulsations
in subdwarf B stars”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 428, 209–214.
34. Rosen, A., Smith, M.D., 2004, “Numerical simulations of highly collimated protostellar outflows. The
effects of relative density”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 413, 593–607.
35. Rosen A., Smith, M.D., 2004, “Hydrodynamic simulations of molecular outflows driven by fast-precessing
protostellar jets”, Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 347, 1097–1112.
36. Smith, M.D., Pavlovski, G., Mac Low M.-M., Rosen, A., Khanzadyan, T., Roland, G., Stanke, T.,
2004, “Molecule destruction and formation in molecular clouds”, Astrophysics and Space Science, 289,
333–336.
37. Teriaca, L., Banerjee, D., Falchi, A., Doyle, J.G., Madjarska, M.S., 2004, “Transition region small-scale
dynamics as seen by SUMER on SOHO”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 427, 1065–1074.
38. Ugarte-Urra, I., Doyle, J.G., Madjarska, M.S., O’Shea, E., 2004, “Signature of oscillations in coronal
bright points”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 418, 313–324.
39. Ugarte-Urra, I., Doyle, J.G., Nakariakov, V.M., Foley, C.R., 2004, “CDS wide slit time-series of EUV
coronal bright points”, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 425, 1083–1095.
40. Vaubaillon, J., Lyytinen, E., Nissinen, M., Asher, D.J., 2004, “The unexpected 2004 Leonid meteor
shower”, WGN, The Journal of the International Meteor Organization, 32, 125–128.
41. Winter, C., Jeffery, C.S., Drilling, J.S., 2004, “Automatic classification of subdwarf spectra using a
neural network”, Astrophysics and Space Science, 291, 375–378.
C.1 Books
1. Smith, M.D., 2004, “The Origin of Stars”, Imperial College Press, London.
44

D Presentations by Armagh Observatory Staff 2004
Date Speaker Location Title
Wed 21 Jan 2004 C.S. Jeffery Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Subdwarf B Stars
Thu 29 Jan 2004 I. Ugarte University of Central Lancashire, England Coronal Bright Points: A Species in the Solar Zoo
Fri 6 Feb 2004 Y. Taroyan N+N Workshop for Young Researchers, Budapest Global Oscillations and the Magnetic Atmosphere of the Sun
Sat 7 Feb 2004 C.J. Butler A Radio Telescope for Ireland Meeting, Birr Castle Research on Spotty Stars at Armagh — and links with Radio
Astronomy
Sat 7 Feb 2004 I. Ugarte A Radio Telescope for Ireland Meeting, Birr Castle The Sun Observed in Radio
Fri 13 Feb 2004 C.S. Jeffery RAS Discussion Meeting, London Multicolour Photometry and Mode Identification in Pulsating
Subdwarf B Stars
Mon 16 Feb 2004 C.S. Jeffery IoA Stellar Evolution Group Seminar, Cambridge BI Lyncis
Wed 18 Feb 2004 C.S Jeffery IoA Lunchtime Seminar, Cambridge ULTRACAM Observations of Pulsating sdB Stars
Wed 18 Feb 2004 M.D. Smith University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield The Origin of Stars
Wed 18 Feb 2004 I. Ugarte Armagh Observatory Coronal Bright Points, Another Oscillating Environment
Mon 23 Feb 2004 C.S. Jeffery IoA Stellar Evolution Group Seminar, Cambridge Helium Stars
Wed 25 Feb 2004 C.J. Butler Phenology Meeting, Botanic Gardens, Dublin Proposed Phenology Garden at Armagh Observatory
Mon 8 Mar 2004 C.S. Jeffery IoA Stellar Evolution Group Seminar, Cambridge PG 1544+488
Tue 9 Mar 2004 C.S. Jeffery IoA Lunchtime Seminar, Cambridge White Dwarf Mergers and their Progeny
Wed 10 Mar 2004 M.E. Bailey Armagh Observatory The Origin of Comets: New Perspectives and the Oort Cloud
Fri 12 Mar 2004 W.M. Napier Steward Observatory, Tucson, USA Redshift Periodicity
Fri 12 Mar 2004 M.E. Bailey The Harold Jeffreys Lecture, RAS, London The Origin of Comets and the Oort Cloud
Mon 15 Mar 2004 C.S. Jeffery IoA Stellar Evolution Group Seminar, Cambridge V652 Her
Wed 24 Mar 2004 M.D. Smith University of Cape Town, Cape Town The Origin of Stars
Sat 27 Mar 2004 A. Ahmad Armagh Observatory The Life of Stars
Mon 29 Mar 2004 Y. Taroyan MIST/UKSP Meeting, Edinburgh Modelling Slow Standing Waves in Stratified Coronal Structures
Tue 30 Mar 2004 M.D. Popescu MIST/UKSP Meeting, Edinburgh Low Atmospheric Signature of the Fast Solar Wind in Coronal
Holes
Tue 30 Mar 2004 I. Ugarte MIST/UKSP Meeting, Edinburgh Coronal Bright Points and the Chromospheric Network: Oscillations
Link?
Tue 30 Mar 2004 L.D. Xia MIST/UKSP Meeting, Edinburgh Dynamic Properties of Solar Spicules Observed by
SUMER/SOHO
Fri 2 Apr 2004 A. Ahmad ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh The Story of PG 1544+488: a Double Helium-Rich Subdwarf
Fri 2 Apr 2004 C.S. Jeffery ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh The Last Stages of Stellar Evolution
Fri 2 Apr 2004 Y. Taroyan ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh Excitation and Damping of Longitudinal Coronal Loop Oscillations
Fri 2 Apr 2004 M. Smith ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh Jets from Comets
Fri 2 Apr 2004 L.D. Xia ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh, Coronal Holes and the Origin of the Fast Solar Wind
Sat 3 Apr 2004 A. Christou ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh The Dynamical Stirring of the Irregular Prograde Satellites of
Jupiter
Sat 3 Apr 2004 J. McAuliffe ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh Meteors on Venus
Sat 3 Apr 2004 W.M. Napier ASGI/IOPI Spring Meeting 2004, Armagh Extreme Albedo Comets and the Celestial Hazard
Tue 6 Apr 2004 A. Ahmad Isaac Newton Group Seminar, La Palma Helium-Rich Subdwarf B Stars: Binaries, Mergers or Bizarre?
Tue 6 Apr 2004 N.T. Behara Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Continuous Opacities in STERNE
Tue 6 Apr 2004 C.J. Butler Armagh Observatory Armagh Meteorological Programme
Wed 14 Apr 2004 W.M. Napier Irish Astronomical Association, Belfast Children of the Galaxy
Fri 23 Apr 2004 A. Christou 2004 Annual DDA Meeting, Cannes, France The Gravitational Stirring of the Irregular Prograde Satellites of
Jupiter
Fri 30 Apr 2004 W.M. Napier Armagh Observatory Dark Halleys and Panspermia
Presentations by Armagh Observatory staff, 2004 January 1 to 2004 April 30.
45

Date Speaker Location Title
Wed 5 May 2004 C.S. Jeffery Armagh Observatory Ultracam Observations of Pulsating Subdwarf B Stars
Understanding the Helium-Rich Subdwarf B Stars
Wed 26 May 2004 A. Ahmad South African Astronomical Observatory Seminar,
Cape Town
Mon 7 Jun 2004 D.J. Asher Armagh Observatory Numerology of Venus Transits
Tue 8 Jun 2004 C.J. Butler Transits of Venus Colloquium, University of Central
Lancashire
Observations of Planetary Transits Made in Ireland in the 18th
Century and their Influences on the Development of Astronomy
in Ireland
Tue 8 Jun 2004 C.-H. Lin Lorentz Center, Leiden, The Netherlands Observed Heavy-Element Effects in the Equation of State
Wed 9 Jun 2004 N.T. Behara Armagh Observatory (Differentiation Presentation) The Atmospheres of Hydrogen-Deficient Stars
Wed 9 Jun 2004 B. Ishak Armagh Observatory (Differentiation Presentation) The Importance of Small-Scale Dynamic Features in the Heating
of the Outer Solar Atmosphere
Tue 27 Jul 2004 M.D. Popescu Astron. Inst. of the Romanian Acad., Bucharest Fast Solar Wind and its Origins from the Low Solar Atmosphere
Thu 12 Aug 2004 J.P. McAuliffe Armagh Observatory Meteors in the Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets
Wed 14 Jul 2004 I. Ugarte Instituto Astrofísico de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain Coronal Bright Points and the Chromospheric Network: Oscillation
link?
Mon 16 Aug 2004 A. Christou Meteoroids 2004 Conf., London, Ontario, Canada Meteor Showers at the Nearest Planets: Prospects and Opportunities
Wed 18 Aug 2004 J.P. McAuliffe Meteoroids 2004 Conf., London, Ontario, Canada Modelling Meteor Phenomena in the Atmospheres of the Terrestrial
Planets
Thu 26 Aug 2004 M.D. Smith Armagh Observatory The Formation of Stars of Low Mass
Wed 1 Sep 2004 M.D. Smith Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn The Motions of Jets in Protostellar Environments
Sat 4 Sep 2004 D.J. Asher IAU Colloquium 197, Belgrade The Dynamical Structure of Meteor Streams and Meteor Shower
Thu 10 Jun 2004 W.M. Napier College de France, Paris A Statistical Evaluation Anomalous Redshift Claims
Fri 2 Jul 2004 A. García Suárez Holivar Meeting, Ghent, Belgium Non-Annually Resolved Proxy Climate Records
Wed 21 Jul 2004 C.S. Jeffery 14th Euro. W’shop on White Dwarfs, Kiel, Germany Spectroscopic Analysies of Helium-Rich Subdwarf B Stars
Fri 23 Jul 2004 C.S. Jeffery 14th Euro. W’shop on White Dwarfs, Kiel, Germany Mode Identification in Pulsating sdB stars from Ultracam Observations
Predictions
Mon 6 Sep 2004 Y. Taroyan University of Wales, Aberystwyth MHD Waves in the Solar-Terrestrial Environment
Tue 7 Sep 2004 E. O’Shea University of St. Andrews, Scotland Variation of Line Widths in Coronal Off-Limb Regions
Wed 8 Sep 2004 M.D. Smith Bonn Colloquium Star Formation Modes in the Rosette Molecular Clouds
Fri 10 Sep 2004 A. Christou ASGI, University College Dublin Meteor Shower Forecasts in the Venusian Atmosphere
Fri 10 Sep 2004 M.D. Popescu ASGI, University College Dublin How Long Does a Spicule Live?
Fri 10 Sep 2004 Y. Taroyan ASGI, University College Dublin Excitation and Damping of Hot Coronal Loop Oscillations: Observations
versus Theory
Thu 16 Sep 2004 M.D. Smith JENAM, Granada Bispectrum Speckle Interferometry of the Massive Protostellar
Outflow Source IRAS 23151+5912
Wed 22 Sep 2004 M.E. Bailey The Ronnie Ormond Lecture, IAA, Belfast The Origin of Comets and the Oort Cloud
Tue 28 Sep 2004 C.J. Butler Phenology in Ireland Meeting, Armagh Observatory Armagh Phenology Garden
Tue 28 Sep 2004 A. García Suárez Phenology in Ireland Meeting, Armagh Observatory Influence of Climate Variables on Tree-rings
Wed 29 Sep 2004 C.S. Jeffery Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group SFIT I: How do the Properties of a Star Affect its Spectrum?
Wed 29 Sep 2004 T. Şahin Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group CCD Photometry of ROSAT X-Ray Source: RX J1643.7+3402
Presentations by Armagh Observatory staff, 2004 May 1 to 2004 September 30.
46

Date Speaker Location Title
Sat 2 Oct 2004 M.D. Popescu Summer School, Copanello, Calabria, Italy Small-Scale Dynamics in a Polar Coronal Hole
Mon 4 Oct 2004 J. McFarland East Antrim Astronomical Society, Ballyclare Some Astronomical Cover-ups: Occultations
Tue 5 Oct 2004 N.T. Behara Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Opacity Sampling in STERNE
Tue 12 Oct 2004 A. Ahmad Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group LS IV-14 116: A Pulsating He-sdB Star
Thu 14 Oct 2004 A. García Suárez Induction Day for Postgrads, QUB Influence of Climate Variables on Tree-Rings
Thu 14 Oct 2004 M.D. Popescu Faculty of Science and Agriculture, QUB The Origins of the Fast Solar Wind
Mon 18 Oct 2004 M.D. Smith Centro studi Santa Maria Maddalena, Volterra, Tuscany,
Italy
Unbiased Surveys of ‘Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs: IMF,
Accretion and Activity’
Tue 19 Oct 2004 C.S. Jeffery Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group SFIT II: Applications and Documentation
Tue 19 Oct 2004 T. Şahin Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Short-Time Variability of AGB Stars
Wed 3 Nov 2004 C. Winter Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Pointers and Partition Trees in Fortran90
Fri 5 Nov 2004 B. Ishak Tatranska Lomnica, Slovakia The Importance of Small-Scale Dynamic Features in the Heating
of the Outer Solar Atmosphere
Tue 9 Nov 2004 A. Ahmad Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Astronomical Data Formats and Headers
Thu 11 Nov 2004 A. Ahmad Armagh Observatory — visit by students from the Institute
for Lifelong Learning,
QUB
Stellar Evolution: The Story from Birth to Death
Thu 11 Nov 2004 A. Christou Armagh Observatory — visit by students from the Institute
for Lifelong Learning, QUB
Thu 11 Nov 2004 M.D. Popescu Armagh Observatory — visit by students from the Institute
for Lifelong Learning, QUB
Eclipses and Occultations
A Travel Through the Sun
Fri 12 Nov 2004 C.S. Jeffery Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Asteroseismology of Pulsating Subdwarf B Stars
Mon 15 Nov 2004 I. Ugarte Naval Research Laboratory, Washington D.C., USA Brightness and Magnetic Evolution of Solar Coronal Bright Points
Wed 24 Nov 2004 A. Christou Armagh Observatory Himalia Jostles its Children: The Story of an Irregular Satellite
Family of Jupiter
Mon 29 Nov 2004 C.S. Jeffery Armagh Observatory Stellar Physics Group Asteroseismology of Subluminous B stars
Wed 8 Dec 2004 C.S. Jeffery Naini Tal, India Observations and Theory of Pulsations in sdB Stars
Thu 9 Dec 2004 C.J. Butler Modelling Climate Change Meeting, University College
Dublin
The Armagh Climate Series — Possible Links to Solar Activity
and the Cosmic Ray Cloud Connection
Wed 15 Dec 2004 C.J. Butler IAA, Belfast, Heritage Lottery Fund Telescopes and Domes Project
Wed 15 Dec 2004 M.D. Smith Astro-Lunch Talk, Library, Armagh Observatory Informal Thoughts on Planetary Formation
Tue 21 Dec 2004 M.D. Smith Ringberg Workshop on Planet Formation Connecting the Rate of Protostar Mass Accretion to the Nature
of Planet Formation
Presentations by Armagh Observatory staff, 2004 October 1 to 2004 December 31.
47

E Armagh Observatory Seminars 2004
Date Speaker Affiliation Title
Thu 8 Jan 2004 M. Starrett Experience of Experimenting, Newtownabbey Experiments with Chladni Figures
Thu 15 Jan 2004 D. Banerjee Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, Katholieke Universiteit,
Leuven, The Netherlands
Solar Active Region Oscillations as Seen from
SoHO and TRACE
Wed 21 Jan 2004 M. Simms The Ulster Museum, Belfast Hunting for Hidden (Hibernian) Impact Craters
Tue 3 Feb 2004 N. Bone BAA Meteor Section, Chichester The Work of the BAA Meteor Section
Wed 18 Feb 2004 I. Ugarte Urra Armagh Coronal Bright Points, Another Oscillating Environment
Wed 3 Mar 2004 M. Starrett Experience of Experimenting, Newtownabbey Practical Demonstrations of Chladni Figures
Wed 10 Feb 2004 M.E. Bailey Armagh The Origin of Comets: New Perspectives on the Oort
Cloud
Mon 15 Mar 2004 H. Summers University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland Atomic Modelling for Spectral Analysis of Astrophysical
and Laboratory Plasmas
Wed 24 Mar 2004 R. Hill Armagh Planetarium The Faulkes Telescope Programme
Mon 5 Apr 2004 R. McGrath Met Eireann, Dublin Climate Modelling in Ireland: the C4I Project
Fri 30 Apr 2004 W.M. Napier Armagh Dark Halley’s and Panspermia
Wed 5 May 2004 C.S. Jeffery Armagh Ultracam Observations of Pulsating Subdwarf B Stars
Wed 19 May 2004 G. Pandey Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India s-Process Elements in Hot Extreme Helium Stars
Mon 7 Jun 2004 D.J. Asher Armagh Numerology of Venus Transits
Thu 12 Aug 2004 J.McAuliffe Armagh Meteors in the Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets
Thu 26 Aug 2004 M.D. Smith Armagh The Formation of Stars of Low Mass
Thu 7 Oct 2004 D. Froebrich Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin The Youngest Protostars
Thu 14 Oct 2004 A. Gunn MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, Jodrell Bank Observatory,
University of Manchester
Fri 15 Oct 2004 A. Gunn MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, Jodrell Bank Observatory,
University of Manchester
Armagh’s Longcase Regulators
RadioNet: Advanced Radio Astronomy in Europe
Fri 29 Oct 2004 V. Nakariakov University of Warwick MHD Coronal Wave Activity
Thu 4 Nov 2004 P. van Hoof Queen’s University Belfast Studies of Gas and Grains in Post-AGB Outflows
Thu 18 Nov 2004 R. Street Queen’s University Belfast SuperWASP: Early Results from the First Season
of Observation
Wed 24 Nov 2004 A. Christou Armagh Himalia jostles its Children: the Story of an Irregular
Satellite Family of Jupiter
Table 8: Seminars at Armagh Observatory, calendar year 2004. Organized by J.G. Doyle.
48

F Identified Media Mentions 2004
Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
1 OBS 01-Jan-2004 Mild dry December (jmf) The Irish News
2 05-Jan-2004 Upcoming Meetings (John McConnell) EAAS Newsletter
3 OBS 07-Jan-2004 Mild dry December (jmf) Tyrone Courier
4 OBS 08-Jan-2004 Mild dry December (jmf) Ulster Gazette
5 OBS 09-Jan-2004 Mild dry December (jmf) Tyrone Times
6 OBS 14-Jan-2004 New International Collaboration to be led by Armagh Tyrone Times
Astronomers (mds)
7 18-Jan-2004 Could reaching for the stars be the death of us? (Robert The Sunday Telegraph
Matthews)
8 19-Jan-2004 Could reaching for the stars be the death of us? (Robert CCNet
Matthews)
9 OBS 22-Jan-2004 New International Collaboration to be led by Armagh Ulster Gazette
Astronomers (mds)
10 22-Jan-2004 Reaching for the stars after £1M Planetarium boost icnorthernireland.co.uk
11 23-Jan-2004 WebGuide Holiday: Armagh City and District Council BBC 1 TV Online
12 23-Jan-2004 Restoration Secrets BBC 1 TV Online
13 OBS 01-Feb-2004 A modern vision: Eric Lindsay at Armagh Astronomy and Geophysics
14 OBS 01-Feb-2004 Armagh Observatory and DIAS 2004 Lindsay Scholarship Astronomy and Geophysics
(Mark Bailey)
15 01-Feb-2004 A Comet Impact in AD 536? (Emma Rigby et al.) Astronomy and Geophysics
16 OBS 02-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) Fermanagh Herald
17 OBS 02-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) The Irish News
18 OBS 02-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) Downtown Radio
19 OBS 04-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) Tyrone Courier
20 04-Feb-2004 A Comet Impact in AD 536? (Emma Rigby et al.) CCNet
21 OBS 05-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) Ulster Gazette
22 OBS 06-Feb-2004 Mild January (jmf) Portadown Times
23 06-Feb-2004 Ireland: Celtic Myths and Splendors (Sandy Mortimer) Trailwood Films, Shelby, KY, USA
24 11-Feb-2004 Astronomical Society celebrates Seventh Anniversary Ballyclare Gazette
25 11-Feb-2004 Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland 1–4 April 2004 Institute of Physics in Ireland
Armagh
26 OBS 12-Feb-2004 Armagh Observatory and DIAS 2004 Lindsay Scholarship Ulster Gazette
(Mark Bailey)
27 16-Feb-2004 Comet Impact or Volcanic Eruption: What Happened in CCNet
AD 536–540? (B. Peiser)
28 16-Feb-2004 Reply to AD 540 ramblings (M. Baillie) CCNet
29 16-Feb-2004 No sign of life (Sarah Kendrew) www.londonstudent.net
30 20-Feb-2004 Armagh’s history of staring up at the stars (Brendan The Irish Times
McWilliams)
31 20-Feb-2004 Armagh’s history of staring up at the stars (Brendan The Irish Times Online
McWilliams)
32 21-Feb-2004 Armagh’s success owes a lot to Lindsay (Brendan The Irish Times
McWilliams)
33 22-Feb-2004 In the bag. (ECO-Eye RTE1) Sunday Times: Culture
34 23-Feb-2004 Armagh archives that date from 1784 (Brendan The Irish Times
McWilliams)
35 23-Feb-2004 Earth sows its seeds in space (Philip Ball) Advanced Physics Forums
36 23-Feb-2004 Earth sows its seeds in space (Philip Ball) BioEd Online
37 23-Feb-2004 Earth sows its seeds in space (Philip Ball) Nature Science Update Online
38 25-Feb-2004 Panspermia Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC Radio)
39 25-Feb-2004 In the bag (ECO-Eye RTE1) RTE 1: ECO-Eye (Environmental television series)
40 25-Feb-2004 Armagh Observatory www.goireland.com
41 OBS 27-Feb-2004 Armagh Observatory Talks and Tours (jmf) Portadown Times
42 01-Mar-2004 EAAS and the 2004 Andrew Trimble Memorial Lecture Arcturus (IFAS)
(Neil Bone)
43 01-Mar-2004 Andrew Trimble Lecture (Neil Bone) EAAS Newsletter
44 01-Mar-2004 A Message from the IOPI Chair (Martin Henry) Institute of Physics in Ireland Newsletter
45 01-Mar-2004 The Maunder Minimum and the Variable Sun-Earth Connection
World Scientific
(W. Soon and S. Yaskell)
46 OBS 03-Mar-2004 February drier and sunnier than usual (jmf) Tyrone Courier
47 OBS 05-Mar-2004 Armagh Observatory Talks and Tours (jmf) Portadown Times
48 08-Mar-2004 Armagh Observatory’s climate record RTE 1 Radio: Today
49 OBS 11-Mar-2004 Armagh Observatory Talks and Tours (jmf) Ulster Gazette
49

Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
50 14-Mar-2004 St Patrick’s Day Festival Armagh City and District Council
51 16-Mar-2004 The Origin of Comets and the Oort Cloud (meb) Royal Astronomical Society
52 OBS 18-Mar-2004 Armagh Observatory’s Historic 15-inch Grubb Telescope Ulster Gazette
Re-installed in 1827 Dome (jmf)
53 OBS 25-Mar-2004 Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland (jmf) Ulster Gazette
54 25-Mar-2004 Sun shines on Mall for Armagh’s St Patrick’s Day carnival Ulster Gazette
55 01-Apr-2004 Some springtime NGC objects (Dave Fletcher) Popular Astronomy
56 01-Apr-2004 IAA Programme 2003: Solstice BBQ Stardust
57 01-Apr-2004 Editorial: BBQ at Armagh Observatory Stardust
58 01-Apr-2004 Lunar occultation timing Stardust
59 01-Apr-2004 Asteroid occultation – NOT! Stardust
60 01-Apr-2004 The occultation of TYC 4970010091 by 566 Stereoskopia The Astronomer (TA)
on 2004 March 23 (Manek et al.)
61 OBS 02-Apr-2004 Physics and Astronomy at Armagh (meb) BBC Radio Ulster: Your Place and Mine
62 OBS 03-Apr-2004 Mild sunny March (jmf) The Irish News
63 03-Apr-2004 Planetarium gets funding injection (Darran McCann) The Irish News
64 07-Apr-2004 Bust of Sir Isaac Newton after L.F. Roubiliac Chelminski Gallery, London,
http://www.chelminski.com/marble/292.htm
65 OBS 08-Apr-2004 Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland (jmf) Ulster Gazette
66 OBS 08-Apr-2004 Mild sunny March (jmf) Ulster Gazette
67 08-Apr-2004 Armagh Observatory Grounds (jmf) www.what-to-do.org/add.php?attraction=149
68 OBS 22-Apr-2004 A Radio Telescope for Ireland (jgd/jmf) Armagh Observer
69 OBS 28-Apr-2004 Dark Moon rising: Total Lunar Eclipse (jmf) Tyrone Courier
70 OBS 28-Apr-2004 Dark Moon rising: Total Lunar Eclipse (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
71 01-May-2004 Radio Astronomy: Ireland bids to join club (John Moore) Physics World
72 OBS 13-May-2004 Clement April (jmf) Ulster Gazette
73 OBS 27-May-2004 Exhibition at Armagh Observatory to Commemorate a Ulster Gazette
Rare Astronomical Event (cjb)
74 28-May-2004 James Cook and the Transit of Venus (Tony Phillips) Science@NASA
75 01-Jun-2004 Astronomy and astrophysics stimulate plenty of interest Physics in Ireland: Newsletter of the IoPI
76 01-Jun-2004 Knockmany Chambered Cairn outing Physics in Ireland: Newsletter of the IoPI
77 01-Jun-2004 GCE A-level medal presented to Newry student Physics in Ireland: Newsletter of the IoPI
78 01-Jun-2004 50 and 25 years ago (Leif J. Robinson) Sky and Telescope
79 01-Jun-2004 The great aurorae of 29 and 30 October 2003 (Edward Weather
Hanna)
80 OBS 01-Jun-2004 Mild May (jmf) Downtown Radio
81 OBS 01-Jun-2004 Clouds and Earthshine (cjb) CCNet
82 OBS 02-Jun-2004 Mild May (jmf) Tyrone Courier
83 OBS 03-Jun-2004 Mild May (jmf) Ulster Gazette
84 OBS 03-Jun-2004 Transit of Venus events at Armagh Observatory (jmf) Ulster Gazette
85 OBS 03-Jun-2004 Mild May (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
86 04-Jun-2004 Third time lucky for Rosetta (Gill Ormrod) Frontiers
87 04-Jun-2004 Venus Transit June 8, 2004 Venusvoordezon.nl
http://www.xs4all.nl/ ∼ carlkop/venus/transit.html
88 OBS 08-Jun-2004 Transit of Venus events at Armagh Observatory (jmf) Downtown Radio
89 09-Jun-2004 ADH Telescope (Valerie Robinson) The Irish News
90 09-Jun-2004 Reminiscences about Armagh Observatory (Patrick Corvan)
BBC Radio Ulster: This Place
http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/ com-
munity/thisplace/regions/armagh.shtml
91 14-Jun-2004 Venus Transit 2004 EAAS Newsletter
92 16-Jun-2004 Un dragn en el garaje http://5mentarios.blogalia.com/
93 16-Jun-2004 Meteor showers and their parent bodies (aac) http://www.sondasespaciales.com/modules.php?
name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=10177
94 17-Jun-2004 Exhibition reveals history of Transit of Venus Ulster Gazette
95 17-Jun-2004 Primate Robinson 1709–1794 (A.P.W. Malcomson) Ulster Historical Foundation
96 18-Jun-2004 Mall panel Mall Trustees
97 21-Jun-2004 2004 June Bootids forecasting (J. Vaubaillon) www.imcee.fr/s2p/JBO.html with a link via
spaceweather.com
98 22-Jun-2004 Will the June Bootids Return in 2004? (Joe Rao) http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/
meteors/article 1280 1.asp
99 22-Jun-2004 Moon study tracks changes in Earth’s cloud cover (David Sky and Telescope online
Shiga)
100 28-Jun-2004 Astronomy at Armagh Observatory RTE 1: Nationwide
101 01-Jul-2004 Will the June Bootids Return? (Joe Rao) Sky and Telescope
102 01-Jul-2004 Council of the Irish Astronomical Association 2004/2005 Stardust
103 01-Jul-2004 Transit of Venus — 8 June 2004 Reports Stardust
104 OBS 07-Jul-2004 Warm June (jmf) Tyrone Courier
50

Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
105 OBS 08-Jul-2004 Warm June (jmf) Ulster Gazette
106 27-Jul-2004 Visitors repulsed by dog fouling at city attraction (Disgusted,
Ulster Gazette
Armagh)
107 29-Jul-2004 Take litter home! Ulster Gazette
108 29-Jul-2004 The 17th John Hewitt International Summer School Programme
www.johnhewitt.org
109 29-Jul-2004 Climate Change BBC World TV News
110 29-Jul-2004 Spotting climate change (Mike McKimm) BBC News World Edition Online
111 01-Aug-2004 Ask Astro: Moon Shadows (Tolis Christou) Astronomy
112 01-Aug-2004 “Encouraging progress” for Armagh Observatory’s dark Journal of the BAA
sky campaign (jmf, meb, aac)
113 01-Aug-2004 Restoration BBC 2 TV
114 OBS 02-Aug-2004 Warmest day of the year (jmf) Downtown Radio
115 OBS 02-Aug-2004 Weather in July (jmf) BBC NI Television (Newsline)
116 OBS 02-Aug-2004 Warmest day of the year (jmf) BBC NI Television (Newsline)
117 OBS 02-Aug-2004 Warmest day of the year (jmf) UTV Life
118 02-Aug-2004 BBQ and Perseids Watch EAAS Web site: www.eaas.co.uk
119 03-Aug-2004 Climate Change The Irish News
120 OBS 04-Aug-2004 Warmest day of the year (jmf) Tyrone Courier
121 04-Aug-2004 Some astronomical cover-ups (jmf) EAAS Programme
122 OBS 04-Aug-2004 Near-Earth asteroid 2000 PH5 observed by school student
Faulkes Telescope web site: http://
at Armagh Observatory (aac/meb/jmf)
faulkes1.astro.cf.ac.uk/press room.htm
123 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Weather in July (jmf) Armagh Observer
124 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Near-Earth asteroid 2000 PH5 observed by school student
Armagh Observer
at Armagh Observatory (aac/meb/jmf)
125 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Weather in July (jmf) Ulster Gazette
126 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Near-Earth asteroid 2000 PH5 observed by school student
Ulster Gazette
at Armagh Observatory (aac/meb/jmf)
127 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Warmest day of the year (jmf) Ulster Gazette
128 OBS 05-Aug-2004 Asteroid spotted from Armagh via Hawaii telescope Belfast Telegraph
(aac/meb/jmf)
129 OBS 06-Aug-2004 Weather in July (jmf) Portadown Times
130 06-Aug-2004 “Unusually Good” meteor shower expected Thursday
(John Roach)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news
/2004/08/0806 040806 perseid meteor.html
131 OBS 07-Aug-2004 The August Sky Scene (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
132 08-Aug-2004 Perseids Strabane Weekly
133 11-Aug-2004 Perseids News Letter
134 11-Aug-2004 Perseids The Irish News
135 12-Aug-2004 Get ready for meteor display (A.P. Maginness) The Irish News
136 OBS 17-Aug-2004 Near-Earth asteroid 2000 PH5 observed by school student
BBC NI Television (Newsline)
at Armagh Observatory (aac/meb/jmf)
137 19-Aug-2004 Met Office dispels Derry’s global warming fears (Seamus The Irish News
McKinney)
138 26-Aug-2004 European Heritage Open Day Environment and Heritage Service
139 OBS 01-Sep-2004 Tracing our roots at Armagh Observatory (jmf) Portadown Times
140 OBS 01-Sep-2004 Tracing our roots at Armagh Observatory (jmf) Tyrone Courier
141 01-Sep-2004 Leading Lights: An Interview with Terry Moseley Arcturus (IFAS)
142 01-Sep-2004 History Events Armagh and District History Group Newsletter
143 01-Sep-2004 10th Anniversary Invitation Heritage Lottery Fund
144 01-Sep-2004 NIRAN Joins the Fold – Regional Network for Northern UKERNA News
Ireland (Chris Kelly)
145 OBS 09-Sep-2004 Archive Awareness in Armagh (meb) Armagh Observer
146 OBS 09-Sep-2004 Wetter and Warmer August (jmf) Armagh Observer
147 OBS 09-Sep-2004 Wetter and Warmer August (jmf) Ulster Gazette
148 OBS 09-Sep-2004 Tracing our roots at Armagh Observatory (jmf) Ulster Gazette
149 09-Sep-2004 World consortium to build space observatory (John The Irish Times
Moore)
150 09-Sep-2004 Upcoming meetings EAAS Newsletter
151 09-Sep-2004 Island of Ireland: Visitor Attractions — Northern Ireland www.tourismireland.com
152 OBS 11-Sep-2004 The September Sky Scene (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
153 13-Sep-2004 Trainee of the Year Award 2004 Invitation British Council: Education and Training
154 OBS 16-Sep-2004 Archive Awareness in Armagh (meb) Ulster Gazette
155 16-Sep-2004 Mayor praises schools exchange initiative Ulster Gazette
156 22-Sep-2004 Time to turn your eyes to the heavens (Anne Hailes) The Irish News
157 25-Sep-2004 BBC Learning Zone: Asteroid Hunters BBC 2 TV: Open University
158 29-Sep-2004 Asteroids and meteorites BBC 2 TV: Open University
159 29-Sep-2004 Toutatis Asteroid (A. Hart-Davis and Lucie Green) BBC TV 2
51

Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
160 29-Sep-2004 Toutatis ITV Channel 4 National News
161 01-Oct-2004 Letters: Sun (Eleanor Nolan) Astronomy and Space
162 01-Oct-2004 Council of the Irish Astronomical Association 2004/2005 Stardust
163 01-Oct-2004 IAA Programme Update Stardust
164 01-Oct-2004 Armagh Observatory – Future Events Stardust
165 01-Oct-2004 IAA Midsummer BBQ at Armagh Observatory (Ken Stardust
Doyle)
166 01-Oct-2004 Pastel drawings by Miruna D. Popescu Stardust
167 OBS 02-Oct-2004 The October Night Sky (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
168 04-Oct-2004 Some astronomical cover-ups (jmf) EAAS Newsletter
169 04-Oct-2004 Boost for Armagh Planetarium BBC News Online
170 OBS 06-Oct-2004 Weather in September (jmf) Tyrone Courier
171 06-Oct-2004 Star attraction soon to re-open in Armagh (Angela Tyrone Courier
Smith)
172 06-Oct-2004 Some astronomical cover-ups (jmf) http://www.eaas.co.uk/meetings/200410.html
173 07-Oct-2004 £2M boost to get City’s Planetarium back in orbit Ulster Gazette
174 OBS 07-Oct-2004 Weather in September (jmf) Ulster Gazette
175 OBS 07-Oct-2004 Armagh astronomer launches book (mds/jmf) Ulster Gazette
176 07-Oct-2004 Jocelyn Bell Burnell http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/
whos who level2/bell.html
177 07-Oct-2004 Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell http://www.galegroup.com/free resources/whm/
bio/bellburnell s.htm
178 11-Oct-2004 Star attraction soon to re-open in Armagh (Angela Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
Smith)
179 12-Oct-2004 RIA Astronomy Committee Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
180 13-Oct-2004 Armagh Observatory 2004 Robinson Lecture (meb/jmf) EAAS e-Newsletter
181 13-Oct-2004 Two events at Armagh Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
182 14-Oct-2004 Asteroids occult two stars tonight! Astronomy Ireland e-newsletter
183 18-Oct-2004 Dark comets: NEO impact hazard significantly underestimated?
CCNet
(Jay Tate)
184 OBS 18-Oct-2004 Chance of a cometary impact re-assessed (wmn/jmf) CCNet
185 18-Oct-2004 Unseen comets may raise impact risk for Earth (Mark news@nature.com
Peplow)
186 19-Oct-2004 Unseen comets may raise impact risk for Earth CCNet
187 OBS 19-Oct-2004 Dark comets and impacts (wmn) CCNet
188 19-Oct-2004 ’Invisible comets’ — impact hazard underestimated? CCNet
(Hermann Burchard)
189 19-Oct-2004 Invisible comets (Nick Sault) CCNet
190 19-Oct-2004 Comets and imaginary doomsday scenarios (Benny CCNet
Peiser)
191 23-Oct-2004 Out of the black New Scientist
192 26-Oct-2004 Total lunar eclipse The Irish News
193 26-Oct-2004 Astronomische Reiseziele fuer unterwegs (Volker Witt) Spektrum Akademischer Verlag
194 OBS 28-Oct-2004 Total lunar eclipse (jmf) Ulster Gazette
195 OBS 28-Oct-2004 Armagh Observatory celebrates 10 years of the National Ulster Gazette
Lottery (jmf)
196 30-Oct-2004 Time change News Letter
197 01-Nov-2004 Armagh Observatory 2004 Robinson Lecture Arcturus (IFAS)
198 01-Nov-2004 Society News: Armagh Observatory Robinson Lecture Astronomy and Space
2004
199 01-Nov-2004 Society News: East Antrim Astronomical Society Astronomy and Space
200 01-Nov-2004 Observe the Leonids EAAS Newsletter
201 01-Nov-2004 Upcoming meetings EAAS Newsletter
202 01-Nov-2004 Studying solar transition events from Armagh (jgd) The Irish Scientist
203 01-Nov-2004 Trainee of the Year Award British Council: Education and Training
204 OBS 01-Nov-2004 October cooler and wetter (jmf) Downtown Radio
205 01-Nov-2004 Dark Halleys and Hyperbole (wmn) CCNet
206 02-Nov-2004 Dark comets and missing the point (Rusty Schweickart) CCNet
207 OBS 04-Nov-2004 October cooler and wetter (jmf) Ulster Gazette
208 04-Nov-2004 City set to party as the National Lottery celebrates 10th Ulster Gazette
birthday
209 04-Nov-2004 Dark comets and missing the point (wmn) CCNet
210 05-Nov-2004 Exclusive – Leonids come early eaas@yahoogroups.com
211 05-Nov-2004 2004 Leonid Forecasting (David Asher et al.) http://portail.imcce.fr/en/ephemerides/phenomenes/
meteor/leonids/Leonid forecast 2004.php
212 05-Nov-2004 Leonid peak on 8th November Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
213 OBS 06-Nov-2004 November night sky (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
52

Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
214 08-Nov-2004 Leonids eaas@yahoogroups.com
215 08-Nov-2004 Leonid peak on 8th November Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
216 OBS 10-Nov-2004 October cooler and wetter (jmf) Tyrone Courier
217 12-Nov-2004 Leonid meteor shower to peak next week (Joe Rao) CNN.com
218 16-Nov-2004 The Transit of Venus from Ireland (Albert White) VT-2004
219 OBS 18-Nov-2004 Armagh Observatory celebrates 10 years of the National Armagh Observer
Lottery (jmf)
220 18-Nov-2004 Drizzle of shooting stars visible Friday morning (Joe Rao) http://www.space.com/spacewatch/
041112 leonid meteors.html
221 19-Nov-2004 The Leonids: King of the meteor showers! http://hometown.aol.com/theleonids/
222 19-Nov-2004 2004: Touching on two dust trails November 8 + 19 http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/1998.html
(Leonid MAC)
223 19-Nov-2004 The Leonids meteor shower http://www.meteorscatter.net/leolinks.htm
224 21-Nov-2004 Spaced Out Gathers Momentum www.spacedout-uk.com/news/index.asp
225 OBS 22-Nov-2004 Robinson Schools Talk (meb/jmf) Ulster Herald
226 22-Nov-2004 Launch of Human Orrery http://www.innovations-report.com/html/
reports/physics astronomy/report-36625.html
227 22-Nov-2004 Launch of Human Orrery PhysOrg.com
228 OBS 25-Nov-2004 Launch of Human Orrery at Armagh Observatory (Jill Ulster Gazette
Heron/meb)
229 OBS 25-Nov-2004 Armagh Observatory’s Robinson Lecture (jmf) Ulster Gazette
230 OBS 26-Nov-2004 Robinson Schools Talk (meb/jmf) The Irish News
231 26-Nov-2004 Armagh’s human orrery initiative maps solar system 4NI: 4 Local News www.4ni.co.uk/ industrynews.asp?ID=35624
232 26-Nov-2004 Armagh’s human orrery initiative maps solar system 4Scot: 4 Local News
233 26-Nov-2004 Angela Smith Welcomes Stepping Stones in Space www.dcalni.gov.uk
234 26-Nov-2004 Launch of Human Orrery at Armagh Observatory www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=15569
235 27-Nov-2004 Observatory does its sums News Letter
236 28-Nov-2004 Human Orrery Opening www.eaas.co.uk/20041126 orrery.html
237 29-Nov-2004 Observatory opens for Academy star-gazers The Tyrone Herald
238 29-Nov-2004 Armagh shows universal appeal (Darran McCann) The Irish News
239 OBS 01-Dec-2004 Robinson Schools Talk (meb/jmf) Tyrone Courier
240 OBS 01-Dec-2004 Armagh’s stepping stones in space Tyrone Courier
241 01-Dec-2004 Dark comets threaten Earth? (Peter Bond) Astronomy Now
242 01-Dec-2004 Missing moon of the Solar System (Chandra Wickramasinghe)
Astronomy Now
243 01-Dec-2004 Human Orrery brings astronomy to life www.attractions.co.uk/newsdetail.cfm?codeID
=9772
244 01-Dec-2004 Human Orrery brings astronomy to life www.balppa.org/newsdetail.cfm?codeID=9772
245 01-Dec-2004 Human Orrery brings astronomy to life www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/newsdetail.cfm?
codeID=9772
246 OBS 02-Dec-2004 Launch of Human Orrery at Armagh Observatory (meb) Armagh Observer
247 OBS 02-Dec-2004 Launch of Human Orrery at Armagh Observatory (meb) Ulster Gazette
248 OBS 02-Dec-2004 Launch of Human Orrery at Armagh Observatory (meb) The Irish Times
249 02-Dec-2004 Official opening of ‘An Realtann’ The Democrat
250 03-Dec-2004 Official opening Dungannon Observer
251 OBS 03-Dec-2004 Robinson Schools Talk (meb/jmf) Tyrone Times
252 03-Dec-2004 ntl delivers broadband to NI education sector 4NI: 4 Local News www.4ni.co.uk/ industrynews.asp?id=35852
253 OBS 03-Dec-2004 November Drier and Milder (jmf) Belfast Telegraph: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/
news/story.jsp?story=589353
254 OBS 04-Dec-2004 December night sky (jmf) Belfast Telegraph
255 06-Dec-2004 Theory, Observations and Dark Comets (wmn) CCNet
256 07-Dec-2004 Orrery brings astronomy to life Leisure Opportunities
257 OBS 07-Dec-2004 Meteors from the twins (jmf) Towntown/Cool FM
258 07-Dec-2004 Cometary Impact Risk Similar to Hazard due to Near- CCNet
Earth Asteroids? (wmn)
259 08-Dec-2004 The 2003 Restoration of Armagh Observatory (cjb) Terry Moseley’s e-bulletin
260 09-Dec-2004 Locals Connect (NIRAN) Armagh Observer
261 OBS 09-Dec-2004 November Drier and Milder (jmf) Ulster Gazette
262 09-Dec-2004 Human Orrery brings astronomy to life attractionsmanagement.com
263 09-Dec-2004 New Images: Northern Ireland earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/
images.hph3
264 09-Dec-2004 Dancing at first Human Orrery in the world in Armagh www.danceni.com/news.html
265 09-Dec-2004 Launch of Human Orrery www.innovations-report.com
266 10-Dec-2004 Stars in their eyes The Irish Family
53

Armagh Observatory Media Mentions: Calendar Year 2004. Observatory-authored items indicated by ‘OBS’.
Running Approximate Main Subject, Author, and Other Details Newspaper, Radio, TV Programme etc.
Total Date
267 10-Dec-2004 Dublin Night Sky Observer - Astronomy + Space Links: http://indigo.ie/ ∼ gnugent/dnso/links.htm
Armagh Observatory
268 10-Dec-2004 PPARC Small Awards winners for Spring 2003 http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Rs/Fs/Pu/Artcl/
ListofWinners2003ARound.asp?Tx=1
269 11-Dec-2004 Turned off by too much light (Mary Russell) The Irish Times
270 14-Dec-2004 Europe heatwaves ‘soon routine’ (Alex Kirby) BBC News Online: http://news.bbc.co.uk/
1/hi/sci/tech/4095133.stm
271 16-Dec-2004 The end of an era at Dunsink (Dick Ahlstrom) The Irish Times
272 16-Dec-2004 ‘What is the stars?’ A Dubliner discovers (Mary Mulvihill)
The Irish Times
273 17-Dec-2004 Armagh City and District Council BBC News Online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
northernireland/webguide/ni
general/general.shtml
274 17-Dec-2004 Armagh Planetarium BBC News Online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
northernireland/webguide/learning/learning.shtml
275 19-Dec-2004 O Little Town: Children’s festive songs BBC 1 TV
276 19-Dec-2004 Christmas with hounds and horn (Susan Buckland) The New Zealand Herald: http://www. nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c
id=7&ObjectID=9002754
277 20-Dec-2004 2004 Christmas Card “North/South Ministerial Council, Armagh”
278 20-Dec-2004 Winter Solstice (David Moore) Astronomy Ireland e-newsletter
279 21-Dec-2004 Winter Solstice today 12:42pm (David Moore) http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?
story id=68010
280 22-Dec-2004 Observatory holds unique records Green Tourism and Heritage Guide UK
281 OBS 25-Dec-2004 White Christmas BBC Radio Ulster News
282 OBS 25-Dec-2004 White Christmas BBC Radio Ulster News
54

G
New TSN Action Plan
Armagh Observatory
New Targeting Social Need (New TSN) Action Plan 2005
The Vision of the Armagh Observatory is:
“To maintain and build on its position as a thriving astronomical research institute, and to
continue to expand our understanding of the Universe and of humanity’s place in it.”
The Mission is:
“To advance the knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences through the
execution, promotion and dissemination of astronomical research nationally and internationally
in order to enrich the intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of the community.”
Who We Are
The Armagh Observatory (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/) is the oldest continuously functioning astronomical
research institute in Great Britain and Ireland, founded by Archbishop Richard Robinson in 1790
as part of his dream to see the creation of a university in the City of Armagh. It stands close to the
centre of the City of Armagh together with the Armagh Planetarium in approximately 14 acres of attractive,
landscaped grounds known as the Armagh Astropark. The Astropark, which is managed by the
Observatory, includes two sundials and scale models of the solar system and the Universe, and features
a number of outdoor exhibits and interpretation panels (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/astropark/). A new
public outreach facility, the Human Orrery (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/), has recently been opened
in the Observatory grounds to the south-east of the main building of the modern Observatory.
The principal function of the Armagh Observatory, which is a third-level institution funded by the
Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), is to undertake original research of
a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related
sciences. Current key programmes focus on Stellar Astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy,
and Solar System – Earth relationships including the Sun’s influence on climate and the impact of
interplanetary dust, comets and asteroids on the Earth. The Observatory also maintains a unique 210-
year long meteorological record and data-bank (http://climate.arm.ac.uk/), the longest in the UK and
Ireland from a single site.
What We Do
Astronomy provides a singular perspective on our place in the Universe, addressing fundamental questions
such as the origin of the Earth, the origin of Life, and ‘Are we Alone?’. Research into astronomy plays
an increasingly important role in modern society, for example by:
• attracting and maintaining the interest of young people in science, and towards a scientific way of
thinking;
• contributing to a better understanding of global environmental change, for example global warming;
• predicting the effects of asteroid impacts, and the effects of space debris and meteoroids on artificial
satellites.
The research interests of Armagh Observatory staff currently focus on (i) Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics
(including star formation, astrophysical jets, cool stars, hot stars, helium stars, star-spots, flares,
circumstellar dust), (ii) the Sun (the dynamic solar atmosphere, chromosphere and corona), (iii) Solar
System Astronomy (including celestial mechanics, planetary science, and the dynamical evolution and
interrelationships of comets, asteroids and interplanetary dust), and (iv) Solar System – Terrestrial Relationships
(including solar variability, climate, accretion of interplanetary dust and Near Earth Objects).
In addition, Observatory staff participate in an active programme of education and lifelong learning, via
lectures, popular astronomy articles, and interviews with the press, radio and television. Further details
concerning the research interests of all the Observatory staff may be obtained from the Observatory
web-site at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/.
55

Astronomy is a highly creative cultural activity. It enjoys a strong public profile, particularly in the
printed and electronic media, and in books and film, for example in Hollywood classics such as 2001: a
Space Odyssey and blockbusters such as Armageddon and Deep Impact. The fruits of astronomy have
inspired artists and musicians, poets and authors, as well as scientists, engineers and philosophers. They
have often provided the inspiration for works of art, musical compositions, and theatrical performances.
In summary, the subject provides an invaluable resource for education, entertainment and leisure, being
featured in film, television documentaries, books and magazines that are seen or read by millions
worldwide.
How We Contribute to New TSN
Astronomy is an involving, inspirational activity with the capacity to attract people, especially the young,
towards science, engineering and information technology. The Armagh Observatory seeks to strengthen
this interest by promoting wider access to scientific knowledge amongst all sections of the community,
and disseminating the results of its scientific research through a high-profile programme of education and
public outreach. The principal elements of this policy include:
• attracting visitors to Armagh, primarily to the Armagh Astropark, the Observatory Grounds and
Phenology Garden, and the new Human Orrery;
• maintaining and extending the Observatory’s unique meteorological record, the longest in the UK
and Ireland from a single site;
• maintaining and preserving for future generations the Observatory’s cultural heritage, for example
its listed buildings, library and archives, historic scientific instruments, telescopes and telescope
domes, and the landscaped grounds and Astropark;
• providing lectures and presentations to interested individuals and groups that together include
people of all ages and from all backgrounds;
• partnership with institutions and organizations having similar public education objectives to those
of the Armagh Observatory, for example the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland, the Armagh
Natural History and Philosophical Society, amateur astronomy organizations, and university research
groups;
• answering technical questions about astronomy from members of the public and disseminating
astronomical results to the press, radio and television;
• maintaining and developing a web-site to facilitate access to the latest research findings on astronomy
and related sciences;
The Armagh Observatory is fully committed to implement the New TSN Policy. The Observatory
encourages a culture in which resources in appropriate areas of its activities and interactions with the
public are targeted so far as possible on individuals, groups, agencies, and geographical areas that have
greatest social need. In this way, the Observatory contributes directly to Northern Ireland’s New TSN
Policy and Programme for Government, especially in enhancing access to science, and providing wider
choice in education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
56

Armagh Observatory New TSN Action Table 2005
Business Area:
Social Need to be Tackled:
Desired Outcome:
Astronomy and Related Sciences
Access to Scientific Knowledge
Increased scientific knowledge, promotion of
lifelong learning opportunities amongst individuals
and disadvantaged groups
New TSN Objectives:
Targets or Actions and Time-Scales:
Objective 1
Improve opportunities among disadvantaged
sections of the community to
experience scientific research and learning
in a high-technology environment,
by:
Objective 2
Improve access to Northern Ireland’s
scientific and cultural heritage, by:
(a) facilitating an ongoing work experience programme for a
person with disabilities; and
(b) monitoring participation on student programme placements
with reference to New TSN.
(a) promoting e-access to astronomical and meteorological information;
and
(b) encouraging visits to the Observatory by people from
socially disadvantaged areas or scientifically disadvantaged
backgrounds.
Armagh Observatory
January 2005
57