Excitement building as £1.2m Dark Sky Observatory set to reach for the stars
A SHORT time from now, in a galaxy close, close to home... a new window to the stars is about to be thrown open.
From Friday, April 3, Northern Ireland’s star-gazers will be able to scan the night skies when a £1.25m Dark Sky Observatory and Visitor Centre opens at Davagh Forest, near Cookstown.
The secluded forest, already home to popular nature and cycling trails, is renowned for its “dark sky” where a lack of light pollution allows an unrivalled view of the heavens.
And that earmarked the forest as the perfect location to house the new centre, which has been in development for several years and which promises to bring the universe to extraordinary life.
Since work started on the construction of the observatory just over a year ago the excitement has been building in the astronomy world, and Co Derry astronomer Michael McKenna said the facility will provide a wonderful experience for anyone hoping to get a closer look at the stars.
“This is going to give Mid-Ulster and Northern Ireland something to be proud of,” said Draperstown man Martin, an amateur astronomer, storm chaser and photographer who runs his nightskyhunter.com website.
“The thought that has been put in to the development is fantastic and it will give the perfect opportunity for experienced and amateur astronomers and anyone else who would like to get a closer look at the stars, to do just that thanks to a very hi-tech, very expensive piece of kit.”
The facility will house an exhibition, observatory and telescope to showcase the uniquely dark sky at the ancient site in the Sperrins, giving visitors an opportunity to experience the night sky as it is rarely viewed — and as it would have been seen centuries ago by our ancestors.
Combining the latest tech, from holographic installations to virtual reality headsets with colourful, accessible interpretation panels and hands-on activities, visitors to the centre will be able to explore our solar system from our sun and moon to our stars and the planets.
Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Martin Kearney, a driving force behind the development, said he’s delighted to see the out of this world project finally come to fruition.
“We are entering an exciting stage in the project as we start the internal exhibition fit out, when the experience really starts to take shape,” he said.
“Davagh will be the only Dark Sky Park in Northern Ireland, and the new observatory, together with further planned developments, will serve as key drivers for rural tourism in Mid Ulster.”
The centrepiece of the space will be a star-gazing telescope, opening up the opportunities to view the night sky without light pollution and establishing Davagh as the only official ‘dark sky’ park in Northern Ireland.
There are only 77 international dark sky parks in the world, and Davagh will be the 78th.
The ‘14-inch LX600 Meade’ telescope will allow stunning images of objects in the night sky to be captured, from the sharp detail of our moon’s surface to planets as distant as Mars.
The sophisticated telescope will be used to observe the night skies via a retractable roof, and to transmit images on to large screens around the centre.
And learning about the stars in daylight is also part of the outdoor experience for children through a ‘play planetarium’. The dome-shaped piece of play equipment allows sunlight to shine through star-shaped holes in the roof to create stellar patterns on the ceiling for kids to enjoy while climbing nets, ladders and walls.