Armagh Planetarium
A "must see" destination for local, national and international visitors.
Find out more
Latest News
A Bite Out of the Sun: Experience the Partial Solar Eclipse from Armagh
On Wednesday 12 August 2026, we will have the chance to witness one of nature…
Weather Round Up: May 2026
MAY 2026 WARMER, DRIER, AND SLIGHTLY SUNNIER THAN AVERAGE. FOURTH WARMEST SPRING…
Out of this world volunteers shine brightly at AOP
Cosmic commitment helps institution flourish As Volunteer Week approaches in Jun…
Visit Us
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is Ireland’s leading centre for astronomical research and education, and one of the top attractions in the City of Armagh.
Our grounds, spanning around 20 acres of green space, are open 24/7 and provide many opportunities to get closer to both nature and space as well as some lovely views of Armagh.
The Observatory – featuring a number of historic telescopes – is both a beautiful Georgian building and an active research facility, so it can be admired from the outside, but it is only open to the public on scheduled tours.
Alternatively, a tailored group tour, Gold Tour, or Diamond Tour can be arranged for you; contact us for more details.
Let's get Social
🔬The Stellar Science Show🔭
📅 7-17 July & 18-28 Aug
🕑 Multiple Sessions a day
📣 Fun for everyone!
🔗Link in Bio (Our Summer Events)
What does it take to make a star? At AOP labs, Professor Lux and their assistant Ray want to find out. With help from the AOP supercomputer Stellar, join them as they try the impossible. From simple demos that you can try at home to explosive experiments for only the bravest budding scientists, Lux and Ray will expand their minds and bring the fun in the first ever Live Science Show that`s written, directed, and performed by the AOP Team.
Ready to inspire the GCSE students attending the careers event at @qubelfast today!
#sciencecommunication #geography #inspiringothers
𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐞 ☀🌕
📣FREE COMMUNITY EVENT
🕑2:30pm-4:30pm
📍Armagh Planetarium
🎨Fun activities for kids
Join us at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium as we look ahead to this summer’s eclipse. Discover what we can expect to see in the sky, how eclipses occur, and the safest ways to observe them. We`ll have solar themed arts & crafts, eclipse badge making and more!
𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗜𝗜 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘀
👨🚀Randy Bresnik, commander (NASA)
👨🚀Luca Parmitano, pilot (ESA)
👨🚀Andre Douglas, mission specialist (NASA)
👨🚀Frank Rubio, mission specialist (NASA)
The Artemis III mission will be different to the Artemis II mission. The mission will undertake a series of challenging tests in Earth orbit in 2027, essential for Artemis IV, the first planned crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
📣𝐖𝐞`𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠📣
Do you work in finance and are looking for something different? Something a little more `out-of-this-world`? We have 2 new opportunities available at AOP!
🔵Head of Finance (Grade 7)
🟢Staff Officer Accountant
❗Closing date: 30th June
🔗Link in Bio
No two days are the same at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium. A cosmic adventure awaits! Apply through the link above NOW!
🔭𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐬 & 𝐉𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧🔭
Both Venus and Jupiter are fantastic to see in the night sky. They`re super bright and easy to spot. But do you know what`s even better? When they`re in conjunction with one another!
If you look low on the horizon towards the north west this evening after sunset (after 10:00pm), you`ll spot the two bright planets very close together! Take this opportunity to snap a picture of them and post your view in the comments!
Image credit: Stellarium/Rok Nezic
🌟 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐎𝐏!🌟
Over the past week, we have had the pleasure of celebrating some of the amazing people who generously give their time, enthusiasm, and skills to support us here at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium.
Our volunteers play a hugely important role in everything we do. We are so grateful for the passion, commitment, and community spirit they bring to AOP every single day. We hope you have enjoyed getting to know some of our fantastic volunteers through our daily features this week. Their stories truly show the positive impact volunteering can have, not only for AOP, but for the volunteers themselves and the wider community.
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮!
Please contact Kelly for volunteering opportunities!
#VolunteersWeek
We were delighted to invite our wonderful volunteers to join us in celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2026 here at AOP. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the event so special.
Our celebration took place on Wednesday 3 June 2026 in the Planetarium and included presentations, refreshments, and a fantastic dome show. It was a relaxed and enjoyable gathering where we had the opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the incredible contribution our volunteers make to AOP.
From supporting events and engaging visitors to sharing knowledge and inspiring curiosity, our volunteers make a real difference every day. This event was a small way for us to show our appreciation and say a heartfelt thank you.
We are incredibly grateful to have such an inspiring volunteer team as part of the AOP community. 💙✨
📸 Enjoy some of the photos from the afternoon!
#VolunteersWeek #VolunteersWeek2026 #ThankYouVolunteers #AOPVolunteers #CommunitySpirit #ArmaghObservatory #ArmaghPlanetarium #STEMAmbassador
