The Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork is hosting a major photography exhibition about leading astronomers, with the launch taking at the monthly open night “First Fridays at the Castle” on 2 July.
“Explorers of the Universe” is an exciting photography exhibition by acclaimed photographer Max Alexander. Through interpretive and character portraits, he introduces us to astronomers who have made huge contributions to our understanding of the universe.
Professor Dame Joyce Bell-Burnell, FRS - “Signals in the Sky” by Max Alexander
These include Stephen Hawking, Jocelyn Bell-Burnell – the scientist from Belfast who made one of the greatest astronomical discoveries of the 20th century, the first four pulsars – and Bernard Lovell, founder of the Jodrell Bank radio astronomy telescope.
The exhibition can be viewed daily with admission to “Cosmos at the Castle” at Blackrock Castle and freely at the courtyard Castle Bar and Trattoria or during one of three free open days every First Friday throughout the summer until 2 September.
Besides being a professional photographer, Max Alexander is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has had a lifelong interest in astronomy.
“Astronomy equally fascinates scientists and the public,” he says. “Ever since Galileo first looked up into the sky with his telescope 400 years ago, finding out more about our universe has captured our collective imagination.”
The exhibition is being shown in association with the European Space Education Resource Office, ESERO Ireland.
To complement the show’s launch on 2 July the observatory has several other events, including a lecture on Gamma-ray Astronomy and some family-friendly workshops.
