The European Southern Observatory
ABOUT
TIMETOJOIN is a volunteer-driven campaign to encourage the Irish Government to join The European Southeren Observatory. The ESO has been in existence since 1962, and it is one of the largest centres of advanced astronomy in the world. Member states have unparalleled access to its array of telescopes across the globe. As the cost of joining is based on GDP, and as Ireland’s GDP is rising rapidly, Ireland’s cost of entry is about to increase. We have a small window of opportunity.
Ireland’s excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), access to research, and our chance to search the cosmos will all benefit from joining ESO.
WHY JOIN THE ESO

I-LOFAR

The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is an international network of state-of-the-art telescopes used to observe the Universe in unprecedented detail at low radio frequencies. LOFAR is one of the largest astrophysics projects in Europe, consisting of 11 international stations spread across Germany, Poland, France, UK, and Sweden, with additional stations and a central hub in The Netherlands, operated by the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). The network uses state-of-the-art data processing and storage systems as well as sophisticated computing techniques to combine the entire network into a telescope with the effective size of the European continent.
I-LOFAR will be the Irish addition to this network and the 12th international station to be built in Europe. It will allow Irish astrophysical research to be integrated into one of the most sophisticated telescopes on the planet. The location of this Irish station will be in the centre of the country on the grounds of Birr Castle, Co. Offaly.
GALLERY
Some of the images taken using ESO’s Telescopes
TIMETOJOIN is a volunteer-driven campaign to encourage the Irish Government to join the ESO. The ESO has been in existence since 1962, and it is one of the largest centres of advanced astronomy in the world.
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www.timetojoineso.com
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info@timetojoineso.com
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If you want to lend your support please join below and well keep you up to date on whats happening.
CASE STUDIES
NUI Maynooth input to design of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)
The main focus of this research study conducted by NUI Maynooth’s astrophysics department was the examination of optics in the far-infrared/THz band.
Over the last few years NUI Maynooth’s astrophysics department have been part of the team of scientists involved with the European Space Agency missions Planck and Herschel, also being part of many other working groups in relation to proposed missions.
NUI Maynooth’s researchers also take part, quite extensively, in on the ground cosmic microwave projects.
Researchers in Maynooth also were key members of the team of scientists, associated with the SRON (Space Research Organisation of the Netherlands), that worked on the design of one of the ESO’s most productive projects ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) band 9 receivers.
Source:NUI Maynooth input to design of the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA) http://www.iopireland.org/publications/iopi/file_63462.pdf

TCD studies of cold molecules using ALMA
- The research group at Trinity College Dublin have had a programme involving the study of cold molecules in space accepted and will you use ALMA in order to conduct this detailed study.
- They will also focus on the presence of faint dust emission near the star Betelgeuse.
- This is an important study in the field of stellar astrophysics and could potentially answer one of sciences unanswered questions.
- It is an important study into the link between molecules and dust formation, which could unearth a range of knowledge on the creation of stars and also potentially planetary systems.
- The research group will couple data taken form ALMA with data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
Source: TCD studies of cold molecules using ALMA http://www.iopireland.org/publications/iopi/file_63462.pdf

NUI Galway and Adaptive Optics Research
A research group in the field of applied optics at NUIG are global leaders in adaptive optics technology.
This technology is a very important element in modern day observing facilities.
with such expertise on hand NUIG would be uniquely placed to make strong bids for E-ELT contracts.
Pulsars, which are the result of supernova explosions could be investigated using instruments such as the SFI-funded Galway Astronomical Stokes Polarimeter (GASP).
Joining the ESO could potentially enable the GASP to be put onto one of the VLT telescopes and further increase scientific returns from this instrument.
Home to the Irish Centre for High End Computing, NUIG is in an ideal position to compete for Big Data and Virtual Observatory contracts currently up for grabs by ESO.
Source: NUI Galway and Adaptive Optics Research http://www.iopireland.org/publications/iopi/file_63462.pdf

NUI Galway and Adaptive Optics Research
A research group in the field of applied optics at NUIG are global leaders in adaptive optics technology.
This technology is a very important element in modern day observing facilities.
With such expertise on hand NUIG would be uniquely placed to make strong bids for E-ELT contracts.
Pulsars, which are the result of supernova explosions could be investigated using instruments such as the SFI-funded Galway Astronomical Stokes Polarimeter (GASP).
Joining the ESO could potentially enable the GASP to be put onto one of the VLT telescopes and further increase scientific returns from this instrument.
Home to the Irish Centre for High End Computing, NUIG is in an ideal position to compete for Big Data and Virtual Observatory contracts currently up for grabs by ESO.
Source: NUI Galway and Adaptive Optics Research http://www.iopireland.org/publications/iopi/file_63462.pdf

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – How did the Sun and planets form?
Star Formation Group based at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) has been involved in the study of the birth of stars such as the Sun over the last few years.
Remarkably up until a decade ago scientists knew more about the first 3 minutes of the Universe than about the first 3 million years in the life of our own Solar System.
However, with the development of new space observing facilities, and in particular developments in infrared and longer wavelengths, we can now penetrate the thick cloud of gas and dust that surrounds newborn stars.
This group is also involved with the development of software for GRAVITY, the next generation interferometer for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and is also a member of a consortium which built the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) through Ireland’s membership of ESA.
This means that it will receive guaranteed time on the JWST when launched in 2018.
ESO membership will allow the group to be involved in the construction of cutting-edge instruments for the largest telescopes in the world.
This could in turn provide excellent training opportunities for postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
It also has the potential to connect with detector development and build up long-term and lasting collaborations with national institutions such as the Tyndall Institute and CRANN in Trinity College Dublin.
Source: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – How did the Sun and planets form? http://www.iopireland.org/publications/iopi/file_63462.pdf
