
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
2| ARMAGH OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUM
»ERNST ÖPIK AND AOP
In the 20th century, Ernst Öpik, grandfather of former Liberal
Democrat MP Lembit Öpik, made several far-reaching discoveries in
Armagh, including the prediction of a cloud of comets orbiting the
Sun, alongside the first accurate measurement of the distance to
Andromeda, our neighbouring galaxy.
Many visitors retain strong memories
of their first visit to the planetarium as
a child and come to bring their own
children decades on.
An esteemed setting
Both of our buildings are sited within
14 acres of landscaped gardens known
as the Armagh Astropark, where scale
models of the solar system and the
universe are laid out. These convey a
sense of scale of the cosmos as one
walks along them.
Continuing through the Astropark, up
the Hill of Infinity, we have a modern
version of the stone circle – humanity’s
first attempts at comprehending the
cosmos, recreated through the placing
of the stones.
Beyond the park is the heritage landscape
of Armagh itself, including its two
cathedrals. These hark back to the era of
Christian foundation in Ireland some 15
centuries ago and are an integral cultural
element of the local area. We recognise
this at the observatory with our motto,
“TheHeavens Declare the Glory of God”,
as decreed by Archbishop Robinson.
It remains a sentiment we all can relate
to when it comes to the splendours of
the night sky and our sense of awe at
the majesty of nature.
Integrating the observatory
and planetarium
The observatory and planetarium
were brought together into a single
organisation in 2016. This integrated
what had been separate research and
outreach arms, facilitating a number of
working partnerships between the two
facilities. The immersive experience
of the planetarium allows stories
to be told of the cosmos which are
concurrently the subjects of research
carried out in the observatory.
Such a partnership has allowed us to
utilise not only the deep knowledge of
our astronomers but also the ideas and
enthusiasm of our graduate students. By
recognising these two areas and making
use of the communication skills of our
education team, we are well positioned
to develop innovative new programmes.
We use our research to inform our
outreach, allowing us to ensure that our
offerings remain fresh and relevant.
We are expanding beyond the primary
school audience that had been a prior
focus of the planetarium and look now
at instilling key scientific confidence
and research-based critical thinking
at all levels of society. We are also
strengthening our interactions with the
community, locally and regionally, to
make AOP a central part of Armagh life.
The next steps: bringing
together heritage, science
and education
We have a vision for our future that
includes aspirations for world-class
research, education and outreach set
against a rich backdrop of Armagh’s
heritage, all tied together by way of
modern leadership and governance.
We have a
vision for our
future that
includes
aspirations for
world-class
research,
education and
outreach set
against a rich
backdrop of
Armagh’s
heritage
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