Armagh Observatory, 6th April 2024: Armagh Observatory reports that March was much wetter, rather warmer, and duller than average at Armagh. For the second year in a row March was unseasonably wet. March is usually one of the four drier months of the year at Armagh, that is, February, March, April and May, but this March saw 107.95 mm (4.25 inches) of precipitation including three trace values, or 107.8 mm if trace values are ignored. This is nearly 95% more than the 183-year long-term (1838– 2020) average March precipitation at Armagh (55.7 mm) and 82% more than the most recent (1991–2020) 3 ..read more

April, is that you? Jaysus you’re lookin’ well!  That’s right, can you believe it, we’re already in April. March was a bit of a crazy one, with some days feeling like all the seasons had been rolled into one. We’re past that now, and from here on out we’re hoping for better weather, and some truly amazing night sky star gazing.     When going out stargazing this April, don’t forget to keep an eye on the weather. Don’t forget April showers bring May flowers! In Northern Ireland the weather can be unpredictable, but if you keep a good eye on your preferred weather apps and w ..read more

FEBRUARY WARMER, SUNNIER AND SLIGHTLY WETTER THAN AVERAGE. WINTER 2023/2024 WARMER, SUNNIER AND SLIGHTLY DRIER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory reports that February 2024 was warmer than average, sunnier, and slightly wetter than average. Despite the month having lower than average atmospheric pressure there were no gales or named storms. The meteorological winter 2023/2024, that is, the three months December 2023, and January and February 2024, was much warmer, sunnier, and slightly drier than average. The average temperature was a mild 7.30 degrees Celsius (45.1 Fahrenheit). This was 2.65 C ..read more

It really feels like we are settling in to 2024 at this point, and hopefully the year is going well for you so far! We are finally heading into the spring months, and hopefully the constant weather warnings will abate long enough for us to get out and do some relaxing stargazing. In fact, the Vernal Equinox takes place on the 20th of March this year, and marks the start of astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere. This is one of the two days of the year where the length of the day and night are equal, and the sun lies directly over the equator. Interestingly these are also the only days ..read more

February 2024 Leading astronomical research centre Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has played a key role in the discovery of a unique signature of the process by which white dwarf stars cannibalise their planetary systems. The research was conducted by an international team of scientists using the European Southern Observatory’s Chile-based Very Large Telescope (VLT). Led by Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Astronomer, Stefano Bagnulo, the team also comprises John Landstreet, who is Visiting Astronomer of the Armagh Observatory, as well as Professor Emeritus of the Department of Physics ..read more

The Chronicles Of Armagh Begins on Monday 19 February on BBC One Northern Ireland, 8pm (the entire series will be available on BBC iPlayer). Filmed over 12 months and narrated by Armagh-born actor Colin Morgan, The Chronicles Of Armagh follows a year in the less urban parts of an ancient city and its surrounding villages, where people’s lives are rooted in nature and the seasons that shape it. Each episode looks at one season, starting with spring.  Veronica Cunningham, Series Producer and Director, Waddell Media who made the series for BBC Northern Ireland, adds: “Reveali ..read more

DRY JANUARY, COOLER AND SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory reports that January 2024 was drier, cooler, and sunnier than average. There were four named storms this month, bringing the total number of such storms to have affected Northern Ireland to a greater or lesser extent this 2023/2024 storm season to 13. Total precipitation was 39.15 mm (1.54 inches) including 7 trace values, that is, 38.8 mm if trace values are ignored. This is slightly more than half the 183-year long-term (1838–2020) average January precipitation at Armagh (72.8 mm) and the most recent (1991– 2020) 30-year averag ..read more

Welcome to February, the shortest month of the year, but there is still plenty to see in the night sky. Over the last few weeks, the evenings have been getting a little brighter, which is nice for us, but it means that it takes a little more time to see the stars come out. So, for the best views it is a good idea to get out of town to avoid the light pollution. While some views are spectacular, it’s best to avoid phones, even if the pictures could go viral… It takes between 20 to 30 minutes for our eyes to adjust to the dark, so we don’t want to ruin the experience. We will be looking mo ..read more

The European Space Agency (ESA) have officially approved two space missions, LISA and EnVision, for launch in the 2030’s. LISA will search for gravitational waves whilst EnVision will study the interior and atmosphere of Venus. Both missions have contributions from NASA. The process of being formally `adopted’ by ESA can be a long drawn-out process. When I worked for UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory from the mid 1990’s, I was part (in a small way) of its LISA development team. LISA then went through various name and design changes (which were later abandoned) and was eventually approved ..read more

DECEMBER 2023 MUCH WARMER, WETTER AND DULLER THAN AVERAGE.  2O23 WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD AT ARMAGH, THIRD WETTEST YEAR ON RECORD, AND SLIGHTLY SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE Armagh Observatory reports that December 2023 was much warmer than average, wetter than average, and slightly duller than average.  Calendar year 2023 was the warmest year on record at Armagh, much wetter than average, and slightly sunnier than average. The mean temperature this December was approximately 7.3 C (45.2 F), making this the warmest December at Armagh for eight years, that is, since the very warm December 2015 ..read more