SYNOPSIS

Over the past 30 years, we have discovered thousands of exoplanets, but at the same time we have also started to find other objects around these stars, including exo-comets and giant exorings, some of which might be one astronomical unit across. I will discuss some of these strange objects, how we find them and how we can investigate them.

Brief biography

Dr. Ernst de Mooij is a Senior Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast. He obtained his PhD from Leiden University, after which he became a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto. Subsequently he moved to Queen’s University Belfast as the Michael West Fellow, following on from that he was an assistant professor for 3 years at Dublin City University.

His research is focused on the characterisation of exoplanets, focusing in particular on their atmospheres and the circumplanetary environment, including exorings. He has also been investigating exo-comets, particularly those orbiting beta Pictoris.

Abstract:
Astronomers can be frustrated by bad weather and day-light when trying to make observations of celestial sources. Within the last 20 years a series of satellites have been launched allowing astronomers to obtain virtually uninterrupted observations of stars lasting months or even years. I will outline some of the results from these observations which have allowed us to probe into the core of stars and the discovery of thousands of planets orbiting other stars.
Bio:
Gavin obtained his PhD in X-ray observations of accreting binary stars from UCL’s Mullard Space Science Lab, after which he spent two years at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Returning to MSSL for more than ten years, he then moved to Armagh Observatory. His interests include accreting binaries, stellar activity, transients and exo-planets and uses multi-wavelength observations from radio to X-ray bands. He is the Community Scientist for ESA’s Plato mission due to be launched early in 2027.

 Constructing the largest telescope in the World, bigger than the Colosseum and high up in the Andes Mountain, has proven to be challenging. It is however already well on its way and promises us images of Earth-like planets around nearby stars, the ability to search for signs of life in their atmospheres and an understanding of how the first galaxies formed.

In this talk, Professor Tom Ray, President of the European Southern Observatory, will explain how engineers and astronomers have overcome the difficulties in building such a colossus and what it can do to help us unravel the birth of the Universe and address the age-old question of whether we are alone.

Unfortunately due to circumstances outside our control, the lecture by Dr Ernst de Mooj has had to be rearranged for March 18.

We are extremely grateful to one of our past Presidents, Paul Evans, for stepping in at a day’s notice to give us an alternative lecture on the latest on NASA’s Artemis Mission to the Moon.

This is very timely, with the first human-crewed mission to the Moon for over 50 years due to launch within the next month or so. This is an updated version of a very popular talk that Paul has already given to various groups. So it promises to be fascinating!

The meeting will begin with a short address by NI STEM Ambassador Manager, Dr Hanagh Winter.

VENUE: Larmor Lecture Theatre, Astrophysics Research Centre, Physics Building, QUB.

Admission free, including light refreshments, All welcome.

“The Nitrogen Crisis in the Early Universe” by Dr Jorick Vink, Senior Research Astronomer at Armagh Observatory & Planetarium,

Synopsis
Nitrogen is one of the key elements for life, yet its origins in the early Universe remain surprisingly uncertain. Recent observations of very distant galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed unexpectedly high levels of nitrogen — levels that are difficult to explain with our standard ideas about how stars form and evolve. In this talk, I will explain where nitrogen is thought to come from, why these new discoveries pose a serious challenge to our current understanding, and how new insights into the lives of massive and very massive stars may help to solve this cosmic puzzle.

Brief biography
Jorick Vink is an Astrophysicist at Armagh Observatory & Planetarium, where he studies some of the most massive stars in the Universe and their role in shaping galaxies over cosmic time. He is Principal Investigator of the ESO Large Programme X-Shooting Ulysses: Massive Stars at Low Metallicity, and combines observations from major telescopes with theoretical models to understand how massive stars evolve and how they produce heavy elements and black holes.

“Kilonovae and the origin of the heavy elements”

Synopsis:

It is generally agreed that only hydrogen and helium were present in significant quantities immediately after the Big Bang, and so the question of how astronomical objects have created all the heavier elements has been a longstanding topic of research. In particular, the origin of the heaviest elements (those beyond the iron group) has been particularly difficult to explain. New insights on this have emerged in recent years thanks to the first clear identifications of astronomical explosions associated with the mergers of neutron stars, so-called “kilonovae”: these transients have been found thanks to advances in “multi-messenger” astrophysics, in which gravitational wave detectors and satellite telescopes (including gamma-ray and infrared observations) have made it possible to find and study these events. I will discuss our progress in the study of kilonovae, particularly efforts at Queen’s and elsewhere to understand the role they play in creating the heavy elements.

Bio:

Originally from the north east of Scotland, Stuart Sim studied at the University of Oxford (1995 to 2002) before working as an astrophysics researcher in London, Munich and Canberra. Since 2013 he has been a member of the Astrophysics Research Centre and Queen’s University Belfast where he was made professor of theoretical astrophysics in 2024. His research is focussed on studying astrophysical explosions, including supernovae and kilonovae, with an emphasis on using computer simulations to interpret data and understand the physics that undermines these phenomena.

VENUE: Larmor Lecture Theatre, Astrophysics Research Centre, Physics Building, QUB.

Admission free, including light refreshments, All welcome.

“Observing Asteroid Occultations from a Remote Observatory” by Michael O’Connell

Brief Synopsis:

Occultations are essentially mini-eclipses where a planetary body (such as the Moon, planet or asteroid), blocks the light of a star or other stellar target from reaching the Earth. The dip in the light curve due to this shadow effect can be analysed to tell us something about the planetary body or the stellar target itself. Michael’s talk aims to present some of the basics of observing occultations and the results derived therefrom. Michael will also explain how he is using his equipment in a remote observatory in Spain to pursue these observations.

Bio:

Michael is an amateur astronomer residing in Co. Kildare. Michael is a former chairperson of the Irish Federation of Astronomical Societies (IFAS) and Midlands Astronomy Club (MAC).

Aside from observing occultation events, Michael is also an active solar observer, member of the BAA, and operates 3 meteor cameras from his home as part of the Global Meteor Network (GMN).

Michael has previously presented to the IAA on the topics of ‘The Antikythera Mechanism’ and ‘Amateur Observations of Meteors’.

Venue: Larmor Lecture Theatre, Astrophysics Research Centre, Physics Building, QUB.

Admission free, including light refreshments, All welcome.

“How Solar Flares Affect the Atmosphere of Our Planet”. by Dr Susanna Bekker, Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB

Abstract:

Solar flares are among the most powerful energy releases in the Solar System: a single flare can emit as much energy as humanity consumes in a million years. Unsurprisingly, such enormous events leave detectable signatures at Earth, despite the vast distance between us and the Sun. Solar flares produce a wide range of atmospheric effects, from beautiful phenomena such as auroras to less pleasant consequences such as radio blackouts, navigation errors, and disruptions in satellite operations.

As we are at the peak of Solar Cycle 25, it is especially important to understand how the Earth’s atmosphere responds to these events and how long it takes to recover afterward. This talk will review the various impacts of solar flares and provide insight into our ongoing efforts to investigate these phenomena and improve our ability to predict them.

Bio:

I earned my PhD at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) in 2019, where I studied and modelled the behaviour of the Earth’s lower ionosphere under both quiet conditions and various natural disturbances. In 2023, I joined the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast as a Research Fellow. By combining my geophysical background with the expertise of outstanding astrophysicists, the QUB solar flare group has identified and evaluated several previously unrecognised Sun-Earth interaction effects. We continue to investigate the full chain of processes, from the generation of solar emissions on the Sun to the disturbances they produce in the Earth’s atmosphere.

ABSTRACT

This presentation explores the pivotal yet often underappreciated role of the Grubb Telescope Company in the advancement of astronomical instrumentation during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in Dublin by Thomas Grubb and later expanded by his son Howard, the firm emerged from a tradition of precision engineering to become a world-leading manufacturer of large-scale refracting and reflecting telescopes.

 I will trace the company’s early commissions for Irish observatories to its international acclaim, supplying major instruments across the British Empire and beyond, such as the magnificent 27” Vienna refractor and the great Greenwich Equatorial telescope. The Grubb’s key innovations in telescope mount design, clock drives, and optical fabrication, set new standards for stability, precision, and ease of use. These technological breakthroughs not only enabled groundbreaking astronomical discoveries but also cemented the company’s reputation for unparalleled craftsmanship.

  Finally, I will address the challenges they faced, including increased competition and financial pressures, which ultimately led to the company’s transition into the renowned Sir Howard Grubb, Parsons & Co. By examining the company’s origins, triumphs, and eventual decline, I will argue that the Grubb Telescope Company was a fundamental catalyst in the professionalization of astronomy, bridging the gap between the era of the gifted amateur and the dawn of modern astrophysics.

Brief Bio: 

Dr. Donnacha O’Driscoll received a BSc in UCC in 1987, a PhD in UCD in 1991 and an MBA in DCU in 2000. He is the General Manager of the Science Foundation Ireland research centre ‘Insight’ in UCD. Although professionally he has worked in the biotechnology and data analytical sectors, his passion is in astronomy and in particular Lunar astronomy. He has been an active observer of the Moon for over 40 years and has presented many talks on the subject in that time.

He established and runs the outreach website www.themoon.ie. Donnacha was recently elected president of the Irish Astronomical Society where he also leads the Lunar Observation Group.

 Abstract: This year saw the discovery of the 3rd Interstellar Object, 3I/ATLAS, passing through our Solar system. In this talk Alan will explain what is known about this new object so far and the prospects for seeing it through small telescopes. Alan will also discuss what the three ISOs tell us so far about this exciting new area of research.

Alan needs no introduction at all!

VENUE: Larmor Lecture Theatre, Astrophysics Research Centre, Physics Building, QUB.

Admission free, including light refreshments, All welcome.

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