The earth is constantly bombarded by high-energy radiation sources coming towards us from deep space. New satellites orbiting above us are now revealing these mysterious sources, an international meeting in Dublin has heard.
Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin yesterday opened a colloquium of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) at Dublin Castle. The five-day event is dedicated to understanding the high-energy sources of X-rays and gamma rays.
"Over the last six or seven years ESA [ European Space Agency], Nasa and Japan have launched a number of satellites that can see these high-energy sources," said UCD's Dr Brian McBreen, chairman of the colloquium's local organising committee. "The results from all these satellites are being discussed at the meeting."
Astronomers have identified individual sources including black holes, neutron stars and massive stellar explosions known as gamma ray bursts, Dr McBreen said.
The new satellites are specifically designed to locate these sources and entire populations of these objects have been identified, he said. "Now it is possible to get the overall picture."
The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies' Dunsink Observatory and UCD's school of physics jointly organised the meeting with support from the Department of Education and Science.
The meeting has attracted 140 astronomers from all over the world including Japan, the US, Australia, South America and Europe, he said. This is the first time since 1955 that a general assembly of the IAU has been held in Ireland.
"Your work in this symposium is part of the bigger picture of pushing forward the boundaries of our scientific understanding internationally and promoting interest and participation in the sciences among our younger people," the Minister told delegates during yesterday's opening ceremonies.
It was fitting the meeting was taking place here this year, given the ongoing celebrations during 2005, the bicentenary of the birth of William Rowan Hamilton, "one of Ireland's greatest scientists", she said.