A new high-tech observatory is soon to open in Cork, but what does it mean for the future of science and astronomy in Ireland, asks Brian O'Connell
The fortified battlements of Blackrock Castle, at the entrance to Cork harbour, seem an unlikely setting for one of the most significant developments in Irish astronomy in decades. While some work remains to be done, Dr Niall Smith, head of research at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), is clearly proud of his achievements in setting up the first robotic observatory in the Republic, scheduled to open its doors later this month.
While Blackrock Observatory represents Ireland's first robotic facility, the country boasts a strong history of non-robotic facilities. The oldest scientific institution in Ireland is Dunsink Observatory, built in 1783-1785 for the first Andrews professor of astronomy in Trinity College. The observatory is situated on a hill 8km northwest of Dublin's city centre, where it houses the astronomy section of the school of cosmic physics in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, and is open to visitors. And in Cork, the Crawford Observatory, built in 1878, represents the only observatory on any university campus in Ireland. Funded in part by local businessman William Horatio Crawford and the Duke of Devonshire, the observatory was designed by Howard Grubb, one of the foremost scientific instrument makers of the 19th century.
The opening of Blackrock Observatory will bring to an end almost five years of hard slog, turning what was then a rundown and dishevelled 19th-century building with 16th-century foundations into a modern, high-tech, working observatory. Costing in the region of €6 million, the transformation has been remarkable.
In 2002, Cork City Council purchased Blackrock Castle, which had at that stage fallen into a serious state of disrepair. Murray O'Laoire Architects came on board to take care of the refurbishment and a major restoration project went into motion.
Simultaneously, CIT had been looking for a site to build an observatory in Cork, financed by an American businessman who believed all Irish cities should have a place where kids can go and look at the stars. CIT suggested locating their facility at Blackrock: the City Council liked the idea, and thus was born Ireland's first observatory. For Dr Niall Smith, the opening will bring to fruition a lifelong passion, first sparked by grainy images on a black and white television set in 1969.
"I was fortunate enough to be one of the Neil Armstrong generation," says Smith, by way of explaining his astral roots. "I was old enough to be allowed stay up to watch Armstrong walk on the moon. It's so easy to sound cliched but it was absolutely amazing. I can still see the room at home with the family gathered around and the grainy pictures coming in. Okay, so nowadays we're not doing something as a civilisation like landing man on the moon - there's nothing really as exciting as that going on. We have issues to confront, but putting somebody on the moon was a visionary thing. From a kid's perspective, the response really was simply 'wow - we've done this!' So I'm delighted to be able to restore some of that wow factor by virtue of this facility."
STRICTLY SPEAKING, THE site at Blackrock Castle is a far-from-ideal location for an observatory, which are seldom built at sea level. Locating an advanced telescope so low down means that astronomers have to look through the full atmosphere, often resulting in a blurred vista. If observatories are placed on higher ground, then a sharper view is more likely.
Yet there are few places in Ireland high enough that would make a significant difference, and much of the time our view of the atmosphere is obstructed by cloud cover. So the solution for Blackrock Observatory is to link up with a telescope abroad. To this end, a high-tech link has been developed with an observatory in Greece, allowing the two telescopes to talk to one another unattended, thus going some way towards making up for the shortcomings in Blackrock Observatory's location.
When fully functioning, it is envisaged that Blackrock Observatory will harbour a comprehensive public outreach programme, where local schools and members of the public can avail of the facility's interactive elements. Coupled with this, strong emphasis will be placed on using the facility for academic purposes.
Increasingly, astronomy graduates are finding themselves in demand by many mainstream industries, who value their computing and instrumentation skills.
These graduates, however, represent a tiny fraction of overall third-level numbers, and science continues to struggle to attract sufficient numbers.
JOHN McFARLAND, PUBLIC education officer at Armagh Observatory, is aware of the need to try more imaginative ways to interest children in science at a younger age. Certainly, the availability of interactive and up-to-date material on the internet has meant that many institutions have had to rethink the ways they attract and sustain public interest.
"The internet has done us a lot of good. We now have a lot of electronic visitors coming to us through the website. Of course we have had to change and adapt, namely by introducing special features kids can participate with and get involved in. I think the key is to try and remain as topical as possible, and to take account of some of the major scientific endeavours facing the globe. So, for instance, here in Armagh we have a big emphasis on studying global warming and in particular how bodies in our solar system affect the earth and our climate."
WITH THIS IN mind, Blackrock Observatory has focused its interactive tour on tackling one of the big questions - does extraterrestrial life exist in the solar system? As part of the exhibit, touch screens trace the evolution of the universe while messages can be beamed to outer space using satellite technology. As well as this, up-to-date images of the solar system can be downloaded, while an interactive cinematic presentation simulates the effects of an asteroid hitting the earth. Dispensing with tickets, biometric handprints will be used to gain admission and visitors will have numerous telescopes to use and observe with. The idea is for the facility to be informative, intelligent, and, most of all, fun.
For David Moore of Astronomy Ireland, the observatory is long overdue, and should serve as an example to other Irish cities currently lacking in facilities.
"I think it would be nice if Dublin and some other cities could follow suit. For example, there is no large-scale planetarium in Ireland. We have a small one in Inishowen and one in Schull but that's about it. To have a capital city and not have a planetarium is a serious omission and something that needs to be addressed."
While Moore acknowledges that Blackrock Observatory is a positive development, much more needs to be done to enable the Irish workforce to evolve in the years ahead.
"I think it's great to see public funding being spent on science and we need more of this," says Moore. "Ireland, remember, is looking to change from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based one, and it will be investments like this that ensure our young people stay ahead of the game."
Moore agrees that interest in science at third level has been dropping alarmingly over the past decade, yet argues that astronomy has had little difficulty attracting interest from the general public. "In general, people are fascinated by the universe," says Moore. "We were all created by it and we all want to know where we came from."
Without heavy government investment though, Moore believes the sciences will continue to struggle. With this in mind, Astronomy Ireland asked their members to get assurances from general election candidates that science in Ireland would be adequately funded. While Blackrock Observatory is to be welcomed, Moore believes we are not capitalising on the huge appetite among the public for scientific knowledge.
"Astronomy Ireland has 10,000 members, which makes it the biggest astronomy society proportionally in the world," says Moore. "We should be capitalising on that nationally. Really, science is just an extension of human curiosity formalised by maths and physics. We all want to know what makes the universe tick. It's just about ensuring that our curiosity is channelled properly."
For more information, see www.bco.ie