Tag: DIAS

Irish research group DIAS involved in world first lunar-Earth flyby

A team of three researchers from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) will play a key role in the first ever spacecraft attempt to fly past the Moon, and then past Earth.  The flyby is set to take place over tomorrow and Tuesday (19-20 August).

The manoeuvre is part of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission. As well as conducting detailed observations of Jupiter and its moons, the mission will be investigating Jupiter’s moons as possible habitats for life.

The lunar-Earth flyby will be an opportunity for the DIAS team to test their ideas about the spacecraft’s behaviour in the environment of a moon, in preparation for the actual flybys of Jupiter’s moons.

Senior Professor Caitriona Jackman, Dr. Mika Holmberg and Dr. Hans Huybrighs are all members of the DIAS Planetary Magnetospheres Group, which is the only Irish research group involved in the mission.

Commenting on DIAS’s role in the flyby, Prof. Caitriona Jackman, Associated Scientist and Head of the Planetary Magnetospheres Research Group at DIAS, said “We will be monitoring the flyby with trepidation as it’s an extremely challenging undertaking – the slightest mistake could take Juice off course and spell the end of the mission.

“This is the first step in Juice’s journey through the solar system on its way to Jupiter. The spacecraft will use the gravity of the Moon and then Earth to bend its path through space and redirect it on course for a flyby of Venus in August 2025. This will help to ensure it arrives at Jupiter with the right speed and direction. It’s a journey that requires perfect accuracy and in-depth planning.”

“Having this opportunity to test our ideas about the spacecraft’s behaviour in the environment of a moon is truly exciting and will be a huge boost in confidence for our research once Juice arrives at Jupiter. The encounter of Earth’s moon is a practice-run for when we get to Jupiter, where we will study moons with underground oceans that might support life. I’m extremely proud of the work carried out by our research group so far, and that we can be part of such an important mission.”

DIAS expertise

DIAS’s work on this mission will explore how the spacecraft itself affects the measurement of particles, and will use an advanced computer model to investigate this. Commenting on her involvement in this mission, Dr. Mika Holmberg, Research Fellow at DIAS and Co-Investigator on the Radio and Plasma Wave Investigation Instrument, said “The measurements from the lunar-Earth flyby could have a significant impact on our research going forward. The effects of the interaction between the spacecraft and its environment influences our interpretation of the measurements. For example, it might change our understanding of where the moon particles that we are trying to detect come from, or how many there are.

“The computer simulations account for the environment of the spacecraft and models how the moon particles will be affected, so that we can correct potential misleading effects for later in the mission. When Juice flies by the Moon we have the first opportunity to test our correction techniques during an actual moon encounter, which is exciting. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to calibrate our instruments and smooth out any remaining issues, and who knows what it could lead to!”

Dr Hans Huybrighs, Research Fellow at DIAS and Associated Scientist of the Particle Environment Package instrument explains that the main objectives of the mission are to study the abilities of Jupiter’s moons to host life, which requires accurate and detailed measurements. “Jupiter’s moons slowly release particles from their surface. In some cases, this release could happen through water eruptions that produce 100-kilometre-tall plumes. By detecting these particles, we can learn more about the moons’ potential to support life. Investigating how Juice can best detect these plumes is one of the topics we are working on at DIAS.”

DIAS as a leader in space research

Commenting on DIAS’s role in space research, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS said, “It’s fascinating to follow the spacecraft’s journey through the solar system with incredibly complex manoeuvres. Scientists around the world have been carefully planning this route over the last 20 years and it’s a huge honour that DIAS is playing a role in this mission. This flyby is hugely important as it’s one of the few opportunities to make certain measurements and adjustments during Juice’s eight-year journey to Jupiter.

“DIAS has a long history in being at the forefront of Ireland’s involvement in cutting-edge space research with the James Webb Space Telescope, and now our contribution to the Juice mission. We have been following Juice’s progress closely since its launch in April 2023. We are very proud of the work of our researchers, and we are looking forward to updates on the progress of the flyby.”

The Juice mission is being led by the European Space Agency, of which Ireland is a member state. 18 different research institutes, 23 countries, 83 different companies and more than 2000 people have contributed to the mission.

DIAS’ work on this mission is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and a European Space Agency fellowship held by Dr. Mika Holmberg. Further Information about DIAS’ involvement in the Juice mission can be found here: https://www.dias.ie/cosmicphysics/astrophysics/astro-Juice/

Can Taylor Swift fans trigger seismic activity at her Dublin shows?

Are Irish swifties ‘ready for it’? A researcher at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) is investigating the potential for seismic activity at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts in Dublin this weekend.

Seismic activity is a vibration generated by an earthquake, explosion, or similar energetic source that travels within the Earth or along its surface. Seismometers will be placed outside the Aviva Stadium to measure seismic activity generated by Swifties during the Eras Tour concerts. The seismic data measured will be used to work out what songs are fan favourites and what is happening inside the stadium.

A seismometer is a very sensitive instrument which measures ground vibrations and can be used to detect earthquakes. When a seismometer detects seismic activity, it records this information digitally so that it can be analysed later.

Thanks to local residents and businesses allowing the seismometers to be placed on their property in recent weeks, lead researcher, Eleanor Dunn, has installed three different types of seismometers around the Aviva: Raspberry Shakes, ‘SmartSolos’ and ‘le-3Dlites’. The variety of seismometers will be used to measure different strengths of ground vibrations.

Speaking about her research, Eleanor Dunn, PhD candidate at DIAS, said “Through my research I hope to make more people aware of seismicity, that it’s more than just an earthquake and that seismicity is being created every day in Ireland through activities like transport, construction and concerts. Irish earthquakes are usually such a small magnitude that we don’t tend to feel them, but they do occur here. However, it is important to note the seismic activity generated at the concert will not lead to any kind of earthquake or danger to fans in or around the stadium!

“I would love for fans to get involved by sharing their videos of the concert with us on social media by using #swiftquakeDUBLIN. This will allow us to compare the seismic activity with moments in the concert and will hopefully inform us on what songs are fan favourites and which night had the most active fans. I’m also hoping that this will bring science to a new audience and encourage young people to be curious about the world around them.”

Further information about Swift Quake is available on social media at:

During Covid, researchers at DIAS conducted a similar type of study and measured a noticeable decrease in the noise generated by human activity in Ireland as a result of pandemic lockdown measures. The measurements were taken by the Geophysics section of DIAS.

Astrophotography competition goes mobile for 2024

‘Reach for the Stars’, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies’ (DIAS) astrophotography competition, has returned for the fourth year running and is calling on Ireland’s budding astro-photographers to submit their images.

This year the competition has added a new category, the ‘Night Sky in Your Hand’, a mobile phone category to encourage more people to get involved.

The competition, which opened for entries today (10.04.24), is seeking the best astro-photographs taken in Ireland over the period 28th April 2023 to 10th May 2024. It is calling for submissions under five distinct categories:

  1. Night Sky in Your Hand: Images taken with only a smartphone, and without telescopes, of an astronomical scene.
  2. Out of this World – Planetary: Images of the planets, sun and moon.
  3. Out of this World – Deep Sky: Images of celestial objects that exist outside our solar system such as nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.
  4. Back on Earth – Landscape: Images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements such as nature, land or water.
  5. Back on Earth – Landmark: Images that depict a feature of astronomical interest as a prominent feature and elements such as cityscapes, buildings, houses, historical structures or monuments.

Launching the competition today, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: “DIAS is delighted to launch the ‘Reach for the Stars’ competition for 2024. We are always trying to improve and grow the competition and have made a number of updates this year that we hope will bring the competition to a new level. We now have an additional category inviting entries taken on smartphones. Cameras on phones can now take such high-quality photos that we felt it would be a great opportunity to encourage more people to get involved.

“We’re also delighted that the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland (AOI) has come on board this year and is sponsoring a prize for our competition winners. The AOI is a strategic partnership between us at DIAS, Armagh Observatory & Planetarium and Birr Castle Heritage Foundation to protect the astronomical heritage, and promote astronomical research and knowledge across the island of Ireland, so it is fitting for the Observatories to support the competition.

“Reach for the Stars is open to everyone – whether you are a seasoned professional or amateur with a love for astronomy. All we ask is that you follow the competition guidelines carefully when making the submission to ensure your images are eligible.”

Also commenting, Professor Peter Gallagher, Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at DIAS and member of the judging panel, said: “With the addition of the new mobile phone category this year, I’m excited to see the range of entries we’ll get. This new element really opens the door for lots of amateur and budding astro-photographers who might not necessarily have the equipment but have an eye for a good shot to showcase their work.

“There are lots of astronomical events coming up in April alone – we’ve just had a solar eclipse, Lyrid’s meteor shower will take place later this month, along with a full moon before the closing date of the competition – so there are plenty of opportunities for people to get out there and capture some shots.

“The night sky can be enjoyed by everyone – we’ve had everything from glittering galaxies to incredible skyscapes entered over the past three years, and we’re looking forward to seeing what this year’s submissions have in store!”

Competition Details

Entrants may submit up to two images per category to the competition. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday, 10th May 2024.

 All entries to the competition will be screened by a shortlisting panel to ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. The shortlisted images in each category will then go forward for consideration by the judging panel and for an online public vote.

 Entries to the ‘Reach for the Stars’ competition will be judged by Brenda Fitzsimons, Picture Editor, The Irish Times; Michael McCreary, President, Irish Astronomical Society; Peter Gallagher, Senior Professor and Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at DIAS and Niamh Breathnach, Senior Director, Alice Public Relations.

Prize Package

The winning photographers in the ‘Out of this World’ and ‘Back on Earth’ categories, as selected by the judging panel, will receive a prize package that includes:

  • Publication of their images on the DIAS and Irish Times websites;
  • Passes to the three sites of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland – Dunsink Observatory (Race to Space Escape Room), Armagh Observatory and Birr Castle Demesne;
  • A €500 voucher for photographic / telescopic equipment; and
  • A 12-month digital subscription to The Irish Times.

The winner of the Public Choice category, as voted for by the public, and the winner of the ‘Night Sky in Your Hand’ category will receive a voucher to the value of €250 for photographic / telescopic equipment, along with passes to the three sites of the Astronomical Observatories of Ireland – Dunsink Observatory (Race to Space Escape Room), Armagh Observatory and Birr Castle Demesne.

It is DIAS’s intention that the winning and highly commended images will also be included in an exhibition at DIAS during 2024.  Furthermore, all shortlisted images will be included in an online exhibition – for the purposes of the public vote – on the competition website reachforthestars.ie.

DIAS’s ‘Reach for the Stars’ competition is being run in partnership with The Irish Times, and is sponsored by Alice Public Relations. The Astronomical Observatories of Ireland and The Irish Astronomical Society are initiative supporters.

Further information, including the competition guidelines and entry form, is available at www.reachforthestars.ie.

Irish scientists are part of groundbreaking discovery with James Webb Space Telescope

Irish astronomers, including two researchers from Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), are part of an international team that has detected radiation from a veiled neutron star in the Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The findings from the study were published today (22.02.2024) in the journal Science.

Commenting on the discovery, Tom Ray, Senior Professor and Director of Cosmic Physics at DIAS, said “When a massive star exploded back in 1987, and easily visible to the naked eye, it was the nearest such explosion to Earth in almost four hundred years. Supernovae, as these explosions are called, are thought to leave a collapsed remnant of their star behind but the search for the remnant proved very difficult and only indirect evidence was found. We are, of course, very excited that the Webb has shown us where the remnant is, verifying our understanding of such explosions.”

Using the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), astronomers were able to observe narrow emission lines from ionized argon and sulphur atoms located at the centre of a nebula around SN 1987A. The team concluded that the emission line strengths observed by the Webb Telescope must be triggered by radiation from the hot neutron star or from a pulsar wind nebula around the neutron star.

Professor Ray along with Dr Patrick Kavanagh, DIAS Research Associate and a faculty member of Maynooth University, and Jeroen Jespers, an Astronomy and Astrophysics PhD student at DIAS and Maynooth, played a significant role in the discovery.

Professor Ray is Co-Principal Investigator on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the Webb Telescope and has worked on its development for over two decades. Dr Kavanagh has also worked on the MIRI and is a member of the Supernova 1987A team that made the discovery of the long sought collapsed stellar remnant at the centre of the supernova. He is one of the main authors of the study and an SFI-IRC Pathway Fellow.

Commenting today, Dr. Eucharia Meehan, CEO and Registrar of DIAS, said: “This is an exciting day for us at DIAS which sees years of work coming to fruition and another mystery of the universe unveiled. Our scientists involved in the development of the Mid-Infrared Instrument and the SN 1987A team are at the forefront of ground-breaking research in space, helping us to unlock mysteries of the universe. After four centuries, it is finally possible to show conclusive evidence for the presence of a neutron star at the centre of SN 1987A. It is wonderful that Ireland played an important role in this discovery, recently announced by Dr Kavanagh in Denver at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.”

Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A) was the first supernova visible to the naked eye in four centuries and provided astronomers with a close-up view of a supernova explosion using modern observatories. SN 1987A is one of the most studied objects in our skies and the detection of neutrinos, unimaginably small sub-atomic particles produced in the supernova, indicated that a neutron star must have formed. However, whether or not the neutron star persisted or collapsed into a black hole has been one of the biggest puzzles regarding SN 1987A. Even after three and a half decades of intense monitoring with cutting-edge, world-class observatories, no conclusive evidence for the presence of a neutron star at the centre of SN 1987A has been found, until now.

ESA Director comes to Ireland in “landmark” visit for space research community

Director of Science at the European Space Agency, Prof. Carole Mundell and her senior executive team attended an event, hosted by Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), at DIAS Dunsink Observatory as part of a national visit last week.

The European Space Agency (ESA) group has been conducting a tour of all ESA member states. Ireland joined the ESA as a founding member in 1975 and has contributed to space missions along with the 21 other member states.  Commenting on the event, Dr. Padraig Doolan, Irish Delegate to the ESA within Enterprise Ireland said, “The recent visit by the Director of the Science Programme of the ESA, Prof. Carole Mundell, was a landmark event for the Irish space research community. While Ireland’s success on the industry side of space is reasonably well-known, this occasion provided a platform to recognise and celebrate the substantial breadth of expertise and talent that exists among the academic community in Ireland.

“During her time here, Prof. Mundell met with multiple research groups, stakeholders and seven universities from across Ireland at the event, hosted by DIAS Dunsink Observatory. She also engaged with several Irish-based senior scientists specialising in the areas of fundamental physics, galaxies and cosmology, heliophysics, planetary science, star formation and exoplanets, and stars and stellar evolution, as well as hearing first-hand from the team behind the successful development and launch of Ireland’s first satellite, EIRSAT-1.”

Host of the event Prof. Caitriona Jackman (Senior Professor and head of the DIAS Planetary Group), noted that “the day provided an opportunity to showcase some of the highlights of Irish space science and astronomy. Irish-based scientists engage with ESA on many levels, ranging from our formal positions as named investigators on missions like Solar Orbiter and JUICE, to our service on ESA working groups and mission selection panels. Our group of senior scientists laid out our ambition for increased engagement with the future portfolio of ESA missions from technology development to science exploitation.”

DIAS involvement

As part of the event hosted at DIAS Dunsink Observatory, DIAS scientists including Prof. Caitriona Jackman, Dr. Hans Huybrighs and Dr. Charles Bowers from the DIAS Planetary Group presented examples of their work on the magnetic environments of Mercury and Jupiter. Prof. Peter Gallagher, Dr. Shane Maloney and Dr. Sophie Murray highlighted Ireland’s formal involvement in the Solar Orbiter mission STIX instrument, and their leading Space Weather forecasting work. Prof. Tom Ray, co-primary investigator on the mid-infrared instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope, provided updates on DIAS activity on the development of detectors for space, as well as looking to future missions like Ariel.

The event was attended by representatives from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE), and Enterprise Ireland (EI), including the Irish Delegation to ESA.

New programme encourages people to get involved in monitoring earthquakes in Ireland and across the globe

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) and Geological Survey Ireland are encouraging the next wave of ‘citizen seismologists’ through a new programme – Quake Shake – which was launched today (05.11.23).

Seismology is the study of earthquakes and seismic waves that move through and around the Earth. This new outreach programme is calling on people of all ages across Ireland to get involved in observing and studying local and global earthquakes – helping them to develop a better understanding of what lies beneath the Earth’s surface.

Quake Shake uses devices known as a Raspberry Shake seismometer. These devices are connected to the internet, allowing real-time monitoring of earthquakes. Raspberry Shakes can detect low magnitude local Irish earthquakes as well as large magnitude earthquakes originating from around the globe. Quake Shake will use additional seismic data from the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN) to develop teaching resources and to provide engagement with current seismological research in Ireland.

Commenting on the launch of Quake Shake, Professor Chris Bean, Head of Geophysics at DIAS, said, “Quake Shake represents a significant stride towards inclusive ways of engaging with how the Earth works. With DIAS and Geological Survey Ireland’s joint funding, we are empowering communities to actively achieve a greater appreciation of the dynamism of our planet.”

Koen Verbruggen, Director of Geological Survey Ireland, added, “This initiative aligns with Geological Survey Ireland’s commitment to promoting the understanding and application of geology in Ireland. Quake Shake holds the promise of not just educating but inspiring the next generation of scientists.”

The newly launched Quake Shake website features information about recent earthquakes, tailored exercises for teachers and students and an interactive quiz reinforcing key concepts in seismology. Quake Shake aims to spark interest in physics, mathematics, and geoscience at all levels, as well as nurturing curiosity in higher-level Earth Sciences.

More information on how to become a citizen seismologist and how to join the Quake Shake community is available by emailing info@quakeshake.ie.