Irish Supernova
Discovery In The Media
Grennan appears on the
front page of the Irish Independent with his wife, Carol, at his observatory in
North Dublin. This is where he made the discovery of the stellar explosion! He
was interviewed by Ryan Tubridy and Ray D'Arcy in morning,
and featured on various news pieces throughout the day, including RTE. On
television, Grennan appeared on The Daily Show and the RTE
News.
A supernova is a
massive star that has reached the end of its life. When the star runs out of
nuclear fuel, it can't hold itself together, and it explodes and flares often
brighter than entire galaxies! The vast majority of elements in the Universe are
created by supernova events. Therefore, the carbon we are made of and the oxygen
and nitrogen we breathe were all created by a massive explosion in space
billions of years ago! The supernova was discovered using a Celestron C14
telescope that Grennan bought from the Astronomy Ireland Shop, which he has housed
in a personal observatory in North
Dublin.
Supernova
Celebration and Public
Lecture
Grennan will give a
special speech next Monday, October 11th, in Trinity College Dublin after our
public lecture "The Hunt for
Alien Life". The lecture will be given by international speaker Dr Lewis
Dartnell. Following this, there will be a celebration in the Lombard Inn where
you can enjoy some food and chat with other
members!
Evening
Classes
If you want to learn
more about the Universe, and the births, lives, and deaths of stars, Astronomy
Ireland's Evening Classes are commencing in Dublin and Cork this week (Thursday,
October 7th), and in Letterkenny and Athlone next week (Thursday, October 14th).
We are still taking enrolments for the classes so be sure to sign up now HERE!
Not only will you learn
about the stars and supernovae like David Grennan's discovery, but you will
learn about planets, galaxies, telescopes, life in the Universe, and much more!
There is no maths involved in the classes, and they are aimed for the absolute
beginner in astronomy. Before you know it, you'll know the answers to life, the
Universe, and
everything!