UCD's contributions to astrophysics are recognised globally. Our researchers have been pioneering in the development of ground-based high-energy gamma-ray astronomy for more than 60 years. They are playing key roles in international collaborations and leading research on a wide range of topics using the world's most advanced telescopes and satellites, and implementing machine learning and AI techniques to extract scientific results from huge datasets to support the growth of big data in space research.
Watch InterviewThomas Preston was a UCD Professor of Natural Philosophy 1891 to 1900, his pioneering work foresaw the discovery of electron spin
UCD C-Space contributed to national space policy development to ratify the Outer Space Treaty and authorise EIRSAT-1
The UCD MSc Space Science & Technology was established in 2013 to train a new generation of space researchers and professionals
C-Space is a first-of-its-kind national space research centre for Ireland
UCD has been a world leader in the development of space technology for high-energy physics research for many decades. Prof Neil Porter is remembered for establishing gamma ray astronomy in Ireland and inspiring generations - his seminal work is referenced in Stephen Hawking's A Short History of Time. His students at UCD brought enormous credit to the country; Dr Trevor Weekes as the architect of the VERITAS telescope array; Prof George Miley as pioneer of LOFAR and for his leadership role with the Hubble Space Telescope; and Prof George Miley as director of Leiden Observatory, 1996-2003. This excellence is continued today through C-Space's internationally significant research in Astrophysics, Earth Observation, Gamma-Ray Detectors, Space Structure Dynamics & Control, Space Materials, Nanosatellites and Payloads.
The BOOTES Network is a global network of robotic telescopes on five continents that studies gamma-ray bursts. UCD researchers Dr Antonio Martin-Carrillo and Professor Lorraine Hanlon, UCD School of Physics, built and have operated the Watcher robotic telescope at Boyden Observatory in South Africa since 2006 (the first Irish research telescope at a high-quality astronomical site) in collaboration with the University of the Free State (UFS). Building on the long-term collaboration, in 2019, UCD, UFS and the State Agency Spanish Research Council (CSIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a BOOTES telescope at the Boyden site. The new BOOTES-6 telescope is now located at the site alongside Watcher.
Ireland is a member of ESA and many Irish companies and researchers are now involved in major international space missions. UCD established the MSc in Space Science and Technology in 2013 to enable graduates of Physics, Engineering and related disciplines to transfer and develop their expertise, cultivating their skills to meet the needs of the fast-growing global space sector. Students have had the opportunity to complete internships and build networks at the European Astronaut Centre, ESA, NASA Ames, Cosine, ENBIO, InnaLabs, Skytek, Eblana Photonics and Réaltra, with many going on to take up roles in such organisations. Over the last decade, the programme has played a pivotal role in training a new generation of highly skilled space professionals and researchers in Ireland.
Michael Perryman, Adjunct Professor, UCD School of Physics received the 2022 Shaw Prize in Astronomy for his lifetime contributions to space astrometry, and in particular for his role in the conception and design of the ESA’s Hipparcos and Gaia missions. Launched in August 1989, the Hipparcos space astrometry mission was a pioneering European project which pinpointed the positions of more than 1000 stars with high precision, and more than 1 million stars with lesser precision. Gaia is an ambitious mission to chart a three-dimensional map of our galaxy, the Milky Way, in the process revealing the composition, formation and evolution of the galaxy.
Co-founded by Prof Lorraine Hanlon, UCD School of Physics, and artist Emer O Boyle in 2012, UCD Parity Studios is the university wide artists in residence programme. Before its launch, there was no formal mechanism in Ireland to facilitate exchanges between visual artists, academics and researchers. The residencies support artists to explore research through a new lens and have become a powerful means of communication to widen understanding of science amongst the public and artistic community, and the modus operandi of scientists. Based in UCD School of Physics, the initiative has supported 28 artists and many collaborations, building engagement locally, nationally and internationally. Recently, Emer created the artwork for the space poem 'All Ways Home', which has been laser-etched into the base plate of EIRSAT-1 and will travel to space (pictured here).
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