Tuning in to the Radio Universe from Birr Castle
Prof Peter Gallagher
Booking required. Free tickets available via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-evening-public-lecture-tickets-53400776159
Astronomical objects emit light across the electromagnetic spectrum, which has led astronomers to build instruments to observe the Universe from gamma-rays to radio waves. For over 70 years from the mid-1800s, the largest optical telescope in the world was at Birr Castle in Ireland, which enabled the 3rd Earl of Rosse to see the spiral arms of galaxies for the first time. Recently, a new telescope has been built at Birr to explore the Universe at radio wavelengths. In this talk, Professor Gallagher will describe the construction of the Irish Low Frequency Array (I-LOFAR; www.lofar.ie), how it operates, and show some first-light observations.
Professor Gallagher leads the Solar Physics and Space Weather Group at Trinity College Dublin and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His research focuses on understanding solar activity and its impacts on Earth. Prof. Gallagher is head of the Irish LOFAR radio telescope project at Birr Castle (www.lofar.ie) and is a member of numerous ESA and NASA satellite teams, including Solar Orbiter. He was appointed to ESA's Space Science Advisory Committee for 2017-2019. Before joining Trinity, Prof. Gallagher was a Research Fellow at Owens Valley Radio Observatory and Big Bear Solar Observatory in California, and a Senior Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
IMAGE: Star trails above the Leviathan Telescope at Birr Castle in Ireland
Doors open at 5.30 pm. Please be aware that there is no admittance once the lecture begins at 6 pm, as tickets will be reallocated to those queuing for no-shows. Thank you.