Science Week @ Blackrock Castle Observatory

BCO-Cork

As part of Science Week 2007 Blackrock Castle Observatory are holding public lectures.On Thursday the 15th at 7 pm we have “Mars – A Cosmic Stepping Stone” by Kevin Nolan and Friday the 16th at 7 pm “The search for Alien Life” by Dr. Tom Mason. Admission is Free but booking is essential as space is limited. Call (021) 4357917.[/COLOR]

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I wasnt sure what this was so i had to look it up:

Useful links:
http://www.bco.ie/
http://www.scienceweek.ie/sw2007/index.asp

Blackrock Castle is a 16th century castle located about 2km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of the river Lee. The inspirational “Cosmos at the Castle” project see's the final redevelopment of the Castle as a centre for scientific research, outreach and communication. The project is a joint venture between Cork City Council, Cork Institute of Technology and a private benefactor. A unique feature of the facility is the manner in which children and adults are encouraged to interact with science.
Blackrock Castle houses Ireland’s first fully interactive astronomy center, developed by the award-winning multimedia company Martello Media. The theme of the exhibition is “The Search for Extreme Life in the Universe”. Highlights of the exhibition will include:
• A tour of the Universe using interactive floor-to-ceiling screens. Visitors can learn about the evolution of the universe, from the earliest moments to the present day and beyond, delving deeper into the interactive software if they wish, or taking a more leisurely tour where they can enjoy the experience as a spectator.
• Ireland’s first “social software” cinema designed by Martello Media, with the digital post production by the award winning Irish company The Farm, especially for visitors to Blackrock Castle. In our cinematic experience the audience directly influences the design of a space mission that may be needed to divert a comet from colliding with the Earth, using scientific principles to make critical decisions along the way.
• A radio telescope that can actually beam messages composed by school groups towards nearby stars, some with known planets in orbit around them. A simulator allows users to follow their signal as it travels in realtime out of the solar system and on towards its selected destination.
• An optical telescope that can continuously search for very short flashes of light (lasting mere billionths of a second) that may be evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence. This technique, known as an “Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence” (OSETI), uses state-of-the-art instruments built by companies in Cork, including Sensl, a Cork based photonics company which is fast becoming a leading market provider of Avalanche Photodiodes and Photon Counting solutions.
The castle houses a team of astronomical researchers from Cork Institute of Technology who have been working on the development of the exhibition and the construction of Ireland’s first robotic observatory. At the same time, the team are currently engaged in a number of exciting astronomy projects.
Why Astronomy?
Astronomy captivates and inspires us to question the world in which we live. This quality can be used to encourage students to develop an interest in science. The broad appeal of astronomy provides a unique medium through which key ideas in science can be communicated, and applications of engineering and technology can be simultaneously developed and demonstrated.