Housed in an iconic Cork landmark dating back to 1582, a visit to Blackrock Castle Observatory includes entry to Journeys of Exploration.
Learn about the Universe, extreme life forms on Earth and life in outer space!
Plan your visit with an up to date list of the times of activities, tours and events at Blackrock Castle.
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5 days duration
Monday 2nd July 2018
Day 1- Kazakstan- Terra Firma, but not yet Baikonur On board flight Frankfurt- Astana 5.20am local I get poked in the arm, and awake suddenly. The lady seated beside me, points to the air stewardess standing in the aisle, who I can just about make out beneath a mounting pile of blankets she is clearly collecting. ‘Oh, sorry’, I say in a half-sleep, giving away my snuggly blanket. ‘We’re about to land’, she says and smiles. I’m still groggy from the short sleep I managed to get on the flight and take a long stretch. My feet are swollen as I squeeze into my hiking boots while looking out the window. Below me are miles and miles of flat dry landscape. Its the Steppe desert, and I instantly recall our Geography class all those years ago with Mr Byrne telling us about the Steppe ecoregions and the special type of grasses and savannas that grow there, capable of surviving months of drought. I’m loving it. And I love that I’m actually here, now, in this remote part of the world, finally seeing it for myself. I can’t wait to land to check it all out. I’m disturbed by another gentle poke from the lady beside me. She hasn’t spoken throughout the flight, and I had noticed earlier on that she had seemed nervous. She looks around Mam’s age, somewhere in her 70’s. She’s someone who lives in a world similar to my home town- suburban, safe, secure. I was at […]
Niamh is sharing with us her recent trip to Baikonur for ESA’s Alexander Gerst’s launch to the International Space Station which took place on June 6th. Here’s her first instalment. June 2nd Frankfurt Airport Terminal 2 – 6.30pm. Frankfurt to Astana departing 7.40pm This kid has completely captivated me. I think he (or maybe she) is about 14 or 15 months old. He has a gorgeous moon face with big bright smiling eyes. He looks Kazak, and he’s carelessly wobbling around the waiting area. His mother seems distracted, she’s been consistently on the phone since we got here, and seems to be travelling solo with him. He’s wandering around where I’m sitting, looking around at everyone with this big friendly grin on him. I want him to see me smiling back at him and he does. He beams back, and from then on I cant keep my eyes off him. I’m already knackered. I’ve been hanging around Frankfurt airport all day. I got an early flight from Dublin, but this little fella is giving me oodles of energy. He’s one of those kids who is fearless, walking up to everyone to say hello. He’s cracking me up. I’m keeping an eye on him too, so his Mum can have her phone chat in peace. But I should probably head back over to the group because I see that our final fifth member has arrived. I really would prefer to sit here, but I daren’t. What would my travel companions think of […]
In a hugely significant development, organic compounds have been found on the red planet. But what does this mean in terms of the search for life beyond Earth?
Sky Matters: A guide to the night sky - June 2018
