Äîêóìåíò âçÿò èç êýøà ïîèñêîâîé ìàøèíû. Àäðåñ îðèãèíàëüíîãî äîêóìåíòà : http://star.arm.ac.uk/annrep/annrep2005/annrep2005.pdf Äàòà èçìåíåíèÿ: Thu Apr 13 14:49:10 2006 Äàòà èíäåêñèðîâàíèÿ: Tue Oct 2 05:53:09 2012 Êîäèðîâêà: Ïîèñêîâûå ñëîâà: http www.mccme.ru

The Armagh Observatory Annual Rep ort Calendar Year 2005 and Financial Year 2005/2006
Prepared by the Director and Staff M.E. Bailey

2006 April 12


Cover: The Dome of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). The Armagh Observatory, which is a member of the UK SALT Consortium, has a share in the observing time of this important new instrument. The 10-metre class telescope was officially unveiled on 2005 November 10 by the South African President, Thabo Mbeki. SALT is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, and provides a new window on the realms of planets around other stars, the origins of galaxies and many other branches of astrophysics. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Sutherland Observatory, in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Image courtesy of John Butler. i


Contents
0 Executive Summary 0.1 Ob jectives for 2006/2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Intro duction 1.1 Organizational Structure . . 1.2 Research Environment . . . 1.3 Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 New TSN Action Plan . . . 1.5 Key Performance Indicators 2 Review of Financial Year 2.1 Lack of Core Funding . 2.2 Performance . . . . . . . 2.3 Ob jectives for Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv iv 1 2 3 4 6 7 11 11 11 12 13 13 13 13 15 16 16 16 16 17 18 19 20 23 26 27 27 27 28 29 29 30 30 31 31 32 33 33 35 35 35 36 36 37 39 39 39 40 ii

2005/2006 ..................................... ..................................... Year 2006/2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 Research 3.1 Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1.1 Stellar Physics . . . . 3.1.2 Planetary Science . . . 3.1.3 Solar Physics . . . . . 3.1.4 Climate . . . . . . . . 3.1.5 Technical Equipment . 3.2 Technical Research Summaries 3.2.1 D.J. Asher . . . . . . 3.2.2 M.E. Bailey . . . . . . 3.2.3 C.J. Butler . . . . . . 3.2.4 A.A. Christou . . . . . 3.2.5 J.G. Doyle . . . . . . 3.2.6 C.S. Jeffery . . . . . . 3.2.7 M.D. Smith . . . . . .

4 Education and Public Outreach 4.1 Widening Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.1 Public Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.2 Web-Site and Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.3 Media Coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.4 Student Work Experience Programme . . . . . . 4.1.5 Tours and Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1.6 Principal Research and Other Visitors . . . . . . 4.2 Science in the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2.1 Ards Event: `Ob jects to Fire the Imagination' . 4.2.2 Collaboration with Schools and Universities . . . 4.2.3 Collaboration with Local Groups and Societies . 4.2.4 Pat Corvan Event and New Minor Planet Names 5 Buildings, Grounds, Library and Archives 5.1 Heritage Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Buildings, Telescopes and Telescope Domes Pro ject . 5.3 Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments 5.4 Phenology Garden, Astropark and Human Orrery . . 6 Summary and Conclusion

..... ..... Building .....

A Board of Governors and Management Committee 2005 A.1 Board of Governors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A.2 Management Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B Armagh Observatory Staff 2005


C Refereed Journal Publications 2005 D Presentations by Armagh Observatory Staff 2005 E Armagh Observatory Seminars 2005 F Identified Media Mentions 2005 G New TSN Action Plan 2006 H President Thab o Mb eki's Sp eech at the SALT Inauguration H.1 Presidential Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 43 46 47 56 59 59

iii


0

Executive Summary

This report provides information about the Armagh Observatory, its staff and organization, and reviews the principal achievements during Calendar Year 2005. All financial matters refer to the financial year running from 1 April to 31 March. At the time of writing, figures for the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 are unaudited and therefore may differ slightly from those published in the final audited accounts. 1. The Armagh Observatory has achieved considerable success during the past year. Staff have produced a record 46 publications in refereed scientific journals during the year, and both the number of identified media citations (348) and the number of Distinct e-Visitors to the Observatory web-sites (http://star.arm.ac.uk/, http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ and http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/spm/), namely 1,012,000, are also record figures. The number of refereed scientific journal publications represents just a fraction of the Observatory's total scientific output. 2. Staff at the Observatory have also obtained external grants and other income totalling approximately ¸221,000 during the period (¸207,947 in external grant receipts), maintaining the current high levels of external, non-DCAL support for astronomy at Armagh. These have averaged in excess of ¸250,000 per year over the past decade, nearly 40% of the present level (¸666,500) of total DCAL core funding to the Observatory. The associated high level of astronomical activity at Armagh demonstrates an extremely good return per unit of core DCAL funding. 3. In the same period, Armagh Observatory staff have delivered 82 talks and other scientific contributions at meetings both locally and abroad, slightly less than the number (93) in 2004, and have expanded its currently very active programme of formal seminars and internal colloquia at the Observatory (30 such talks, more than in previous years). 4. A notable milestone was the inauguration of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), on 10 November 2005. The management and staff of the SALT pro ject, and also those at the South African Astronomical Observatory, are to be congratulated for their achievement in bringing such a complex astronomical pro ject to fruition just five years after the ground-breaking ceremony in September 2000. 5. In addition to pursuing front-line astronomical research, the Observatory continues to present a strong, positive image of Armagh and Northern Ireland on the national and world stage. Members of staff edit academic international journals and serve on various national and international committees for bodies such as the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, the Royal Astronomical Society, the Royal Irish Academy etc. The Observatory's three principal web-sites, namely http://star.arm.ac.uk/, http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ and http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/spm/, have attracted growing interest by members of the general public, evidenced by the record number of recorded `hits' and Distinct e-Visitors (DEVs), and by the growing amount of data transferred from the web-site to external users. During 2005 these key indicators of web-site activity were recorded as 12.6 million hits, 1.012 million DEVs, and 1.84 TB data exported (1 TB = 1,000 GB). Table 1 shows the yearly trend of various performance indicators. Staff at the Armagh Observatory have produced a high level of scientific and other output during the year and maintained an exceptionally high public profile at regional, national and international level. These activities reflect not just the strength of public interest in astronomy and space science, but also the wide range of research interests of Observatory staff and the activities of its core funding agency, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), presenting all in a very positive light. The Armagh Observatory makes a unique contribution to pro jecting a positive image of Armagh City and District -- and of Northern Ireland -- on the world stage.

0.1

Ob jectives for 2006/2007

The Armagh Observatory is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage, the oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland. Its principal function is to carry out front-line scientific research in astronomy and related sciences; an important secondary activity is to pursue a high-profile and high value-for-money programme of education and public outreach. The Observatory's principal ob jectives during 2006 and the coming Financial Year 2006/2007 are to: · maintain existing high-quality research programmes; · obtain grants and additional external funding to support new research pro jects; iv


· strengthen the Observatory's research capability in solar system and stellar astrophysics in readiness for the next Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008; census date 31 October 2007); · enhance the Observatory's use of research infrastructure such as CosmoGrid, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), and the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN); · promote use of the Armagh Observatory Grounds and Astropark, and widen access to astronomy at Armagh by continuing to develop the Observatory's Education and Public Outreach (EPO) programme; and · progress plans for a new Library, Archives and Historic Scientific Instruments Building. Targets for these ob jectives, which together span the Observatory's principal areas of activity (research, education and public outreach, and heritage), are indicated in Table 1. The key task for the year is to obtain a sustainable level of core funding and to identify additional funding to increase the number of senior research staff. This is to maintain the heritage of front-line astronomy at Armagh, to lay a strong foundation for the forthcoming Research Assessment Exercise, and to ensure that the Observatory's ability to obtain external research grants is not undermined. Appended to this report for Calendar Year 2005 (Financial Year 2005/2006) are lists covering (A) Membership of the Management Committee and Board of Governors, (B) Staff Members, (C) Refereed Journal Publications, (D) Presentations by Observatory Staff, (E) Seminars held at the Armagh Observatory, and (F) Identified Media Citations. A further Appendix G summarizes the Armagh Observatory's New TSN Action Plan 2006, which can also be viewed at http://star.arm.ac.uk./TSN.html. The final Appendix H comprises a copy of the speech made by the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the formal inauguration of the SALT.

v


Calendar Year (¸000s) Additional Funding Total 457.3 445.0 425.6 468.5 480.0 11 14 47 4 473.2 443.0 458.5 538.5 713.5 200 200 200 30 30 30 100 100 200 275.0 195.0 293.0 212.0 221.3 42 43 32 31 32 66 80 134 174 318 109 147 238 235 302 35.0 58.0 172.0 264.0 13 22 19 45 14 4 Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Actual 0 0 22.5 0 0 7.5 0 0 80.0 240.0

DCAL Grant-in-Aid

External Grant Income (¸000s)

Refereed Scientific Journal Publications

Distinct e-Visitors (000s)

Identified Media Citations

RAE Grade

Days Absence Per Person Per Year

Core Resource

Core Capital

Target

1992

374.0

83.3

1993 1994 1995 1996

399.0 369.5 412.5 424.0

46.0 33.6 56.0 56.0

0.4

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

428.0 418.0 452.0 452.0 466.0

37.7 25.0 6.5 6.5 7.5

100 100 100

4

3.8 0.3 0.5 0.3 1.8

Table 1: Trends of key performance indicators (PIs) versus calendar year.

vi
110.0 776.5 200 40

2002 2003 2004 2005 1200

616.0 660.0 660.0 660.0

7.5 6.5 6.0 6.5

110.0 115.0 218.0 125.0

733.5 781.5 884.0 791.5

305.7 270.4 239.4 207.9

230 250 250 200

33 34 41 46

32 32 32 35

354 470 576 1012

350 370 500 400

267 226 284 348

200 200 200 200 200

0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4

13 12

2006

660.0

6.5

Notes to Table of Key Performance Indicators: 1. Financial figures refer to the corresponding financial year, so that Core Resource funding for 2005 refers to the core resource funding received in cash terms during 2005/2006 and so on. All other figures are per calendar year.

2. Total DCAL grant-in-aid received in cash terms during each financial year is broken down into Core Resource, Core Capital and Additional Funding (both Resource and Capital). The latter represents additional funding provided by the DCAL in response to competitive bids from the Observatory to support specific in-year pro jects and other activities.

3. At the request of the government, the Table includes a statement of the Sickness Record for Armagh Observatory staff, defined as the ratio S/N , where S is the total number of days lost due to staff sickness per calendar year, and N is the total number of staff in post at the end of the corresponding year. It is noteworthy that the results under this heading are many times better than the best recorded in any government department or higher education institution (these figures range between 3 and 17 days per person per year). The results reflect the strong motivation and commitment of Armagh Observatory staff to their work. For comparison, the DCAL sickness targets for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, which refer to the percentage of working days lost, are 5.8%, 5.3% and 5.0%. Assuming 220 working days in a year, the corresponding DCAL targets are respectively S/N = 12.8, 11.7 and 11.0.

4. Targets for calendar year 2006 (or financial year 2006/2007), including the Additional Funding (¸110,000) required from the DCAL, are expressed in round figures.


1

Intro duction

The Armagh Observatory (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/) is a modern astronomical research institute, the oldest scientific institution in Northern Ireland. Founded by Archbishop Richard Robinson in 1790 as part of his dream to see the creation of a university in the City of Armagh, the Observatory stands close to the centre of the City of Armagh together with the Armagh Planetarium in approximately 14 acres of attractive, landscaped grounds known as the Armagh Astropark. The Observatory Grounds and Astropark include scale models of the Solar System and the Universe, two sundials and two historic telescopes, as well as telescope domes and other outdoor exhibits (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/astropark/). A new public outreach facility, the Armagh Human Orrery (see http://star.arm.ac.uk/orrery/), is located close to the historic main building of the modern Observatory. The Observatory's Library and Archives, and its specialist collection of scientific instruments and artefacts associated with the development of modern astronomy over more than two hundred years, rank amongst the leading collections of their kind in the UK and Ireland. The principal function of the Armagh Observatory, which is a third-level institution funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), is to undertake original research of a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related sciences. In recent years key programmes have focused on Stellar Astrophysics, the Sun, Solar System astronomy, and Solar System ­ Earth relationships including the Sun's influence on climate and the impact of interplanetary dust, comets and asteroids on the Earth. The Observatory also maintains a unique 210-year long meteorological record and data-bank (http://climate.arm.ac.uk/), the longest in the UK and Ireland from a single site, and plays a key role together with the Armagh Planetarium in promoting the public understanding of astronomy and related sciences. Senior research staff at the Observatory are employed as Research Astronomers on a scale equivalent to the NICS Grade 7, which is roughly equivalent to the level of a university senior lecturer, reader or professor. Postgraduate students are registered at various UK and other European universities, but they are normally registered at the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), which has recognized the Observatory as an approved institution for the supervision of PhD and MPhil. students. There is currently a fluctuating population of around 20 research staff including students, who are supported by a pool of 2 technical (computer-related) staff, 1 librarian, 1 group secretary, 1 finance officer, and a senior administrator shared (50%) with the Armagh Planetarium. The 14 acres of landscaped grounds and the Armagh Astropark are maintained by a grounds/meteorological support officer, who is also responsible for taking the daily meteorological readings, and an assistant groundsman. Research interests of Observatory staff currently focus on (i) Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics (including brown dwarfs, hot stars, helium stars), (ii) the Sun (the dynamic solar atmosphere, chromosphere and corona), and (iii) Solar System Astronomy (including celestial mechanics, planetary science, the interrelationships between comets, asteroids, meteoroids and interplanetary dust, and NEOs). In addition, Observatory staff participate in an active programme of education and public outreach via lectures, popular astronomy articles and interviews with the press, radio and television. Further details concerning the research interests of the Observatory staff may be obtained from the Observatory web-site at: http://star.arm.ac.uk/. The Armagh Observatory participates in the UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), held in 1992, 1996, and 2001. This gives external partners, such as UK charities and the research councils, information upon which to base their funding allocations. Staff at the Observatory achieved a Grade 4 in the Physics Unit of Assessment in each of the 1992, 1996, and 2001 RAEs, corresponding to "Quality that equates to attainable levels of national excellence in virtually all of the research activity submitted, showing some evidence of international excellence." The census date for the next RAE, called "RAE 2008", is 31 October 2007. In addition to the institution's primary research role, the Observatory has an important responsibility to maintain and preserve the fabric of the historic buildings, the library, historic books and archives, and the collection of scientific instruments and other artefacts built up over more than 215 years of continuous astronomical activity in Armagh. The main historic buildings of the Observatory have unique architectural features and together house some of the most valuable collections of scientific books, instruments and archives in Northern Ireland. The scientific and architectural heritage provided by astronomy at Armagh is a highly significant asset for the region, and the entire collection of artefacts, scientific instruments and historic telescopes spans virtually every aspect of modern astronomy. In many cases, the reasons for the particular developments of astronomy at a given time can be explained with reference to discoveries at Armagh, or to artefacts and other items held within the Library and Archives. This provides the astronomers at Armagh with 1


a unique opportunity to explain the development of astronomy and related sciences over more than two hundred years and the context in which modern research is carried out. In short, the Armagh Observatory is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage. It provides a high-quality research environment and diverse opportunities for education and public outreach. The Observatory is well placed to contribute to fundamental discoveries in astronomy on the national and international stage, and to a broader appreciation locally of the importance of scholarship and research in the past and future developments of the City of Armagh and the region.

Vision
The Vision of the Armagh Observatory is: "To maintain and build on its position as a thriving astronomical research institute, and to continue to expand our understanding of the Universe and of humanity's place in it." The Mission is: "To advance the knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences through the execution, promotion and dissemination of astronomical research nationally and internationally in order to enrich the intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of the community."

1.1

Organizational Structure

The Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium are distinctive organizations, part of a single corporate entity "The Governors of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium" described in the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (Northern Ireland) Order 1995. This superseded the original 1791 Act of the Irish Parliament entitled "An Act for Settling and Preserving a Public Observatory and Museum in the City of Armagh For Ever", and an Amendment of 1938 ("The University and Collegiate and Scientific Institutions Act [Northern Ireland], 1938"). The Northern Ireland Order 1995 has since been amended by the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003. The Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium operate under two separate directors and receive core funding from the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. The total staff complement is approximately 40: roughly 30 in the Observatory and 10 in the Planetarium. The Observatory Director has periodic meetings with the DCAL and reports to a Management Committee which usually meets twice a year, and (annually) to the Board of Governors. The Management Committee (15 members) and Board of Governors (15 members) together comprise representatives from a wide range of parties, including the Church of Ireland, the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB), the UK astronomical community (e.g. members of UK universities and the Astronomer Royal for England), the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), the DCAL, and other bodies. Core funding is provided by grant-in-aid from the DCAL, while variable amounts of additional funding are obtained from bodies such as the PPARC, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the British Council, the Leverhulme Trust, the European Union (EU), and other grant awarding organizations. Members of the Management Committee and the Board of Governors are listed in Appendix A, while the approximately 30 staff members of the Observatory at 31 December 2005 are listed in Appendix B. Armagh Planetarium Full details concerning the Armagh Planetarium are available from its website (see http://www.armaghplanet.com/). The Planetarium is a multifaceted organization dedicated to astronomy education from nursery-age to retirement. Founded in 1968 by the seventh director of the Armagh Observatory, Dr Eric Mervyn Lindsay, to complement the research work of Armagh Observatory, its principal function is to disseminate knowledge and understanding of astronomy and related sciences to people of all backgrounds and all ages. Since its inception the Planetarium has operated as an independent institution, the first and perhaps the best known director being the writer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore. The present Director of the Planetarium is Dr Tom Mason. Whereas the Armagh Observatory is primarily an astronomical research institute, with an organization geared to maintaining its position as an internationally recognized centre of research excellence, the Armagh Planetarium is a leading educational establishment, seeking to attract visitors to Armagh and to educate and inform people of all age groups. The Planetarium plays an important role both in public understanding of science and as a visitor attraction to promote and enhance tourism within Armagh City 2


and District. It helps to make Armagh one of the best known tourist destinations in Northern Ireland and presents astronomy in Armagh as an important part of the City of Armagh's heritage. Senior responsibility for both branches of the organization, namely the Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium, rests with the Management Committee and ultimately the Board of Governors. The two organizations share a joint administrator.

1.2

Research Environment

Technical equipment at Armagh, which is used primarily for numerical analysis, computer modelling and data reduction, is funded by the PPARC, PRTLI, and the DCAL. Facilities presently comprise several iMac workstations, approximately 40 Linux workstations and peripherals, and a computer cluster comprising 25 dual-processor work nodes and one master node with a total of 50 GB memory. These are used mainly for computationally intensive research pro jects in areas such as solar physics, stellar atmospheres, numerical magneto-hydrodynamics, and solar system dynamics. The internal network is a 1 Gbps backbone ethernet linked with switched hubs. The external network is connected to the Joint Academic Network (JANET) through a 10 Mbps link provided through the Observatory's participation in the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN). The increase in the Observatory's network capacity together with a continuing programme of equipment upgrades will enable the Observatory to participate in important new developments such as the Virtual Observatory, the UK AstroGRID, the European Grid of Solar Observatories, the ESA SpaceGRID, and GRID Ireland. Access to Grid technology is currently provided via CosmoGrid (http://www.cosmogrid.ie/). This will provide access to three high-performance supercomputer clusters, each comprising 128â1 GHz PCs, one in Galway and two in Dublin (DIAS and UCD). Armagh Observatory staff regularly receive awards of telescope time on national and international facilities, and research grants from various grant awarding bodies. The Observatory is also a member of the UK SALT Consortium (UKSC), providing access to the 10-metre class SALT telescope (the Southern African Large Telescope, see http://star.arm.ac.uk/SALT/), located at the Sutherland Observatory, South Africa. Restoration of the Observatory's historic telescopes has brought opportunities to reintroduce professional observing from Armagh, both for research and student training, and particularly through the use of the 18-inch Calver reflector equipped with a new CCD camera and by the establishment of a new video system systematically to record meteors. The Southern African Large Telescop e The SALT pro ject is an international collaboration between the following parties: · The National Research Council of South Africa; · The Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences; · The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) Founding Institutions (The University of Texas at Austin, The Pennsylvania State University; Stanford University; The Ludwig-Maximilians-Universit¨ Munchen; at ¨ and The Georg-August-Universit¨ G¨ at ottingen); · Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, USA; · The Georg-August-Universit¨ G¨ at ottingen, Germany; · The University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA; · The Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh, USA; · The University of Canterbury, New Zealand; · The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA; · Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA; and · The UK SALT Consortium (The Armagh Observatory, The University of Central Lancashire; The University of Keele; The University of Nottingham; The Open University; and The University of Southampton). The SALT was inaugurated on 2005 November 10, just five years after the ground-breaking ceremony. It is expected to come into full scientific operations during 2006. 3


Figure 1: Members of Armagh Observatory staff and visitors, July 2005. From left to right are: Shane Kelly, ChiaHsien Lin, Miruna Popescu, David Asher, Lidong Xia, John McFarland, Babulakshmanan Ramachandran, Alex Rosen, Michael Smith, Anthony Moraghan, Gerry Doyle, Simon Jeffery, Bernard Toner, Antoaneta Antonova, Natalie Behara, Apostolos Christou, Lawrence Young, Barry O'Connell, Eoghan O'Shea, Amir Ahmad, Jonathan McAuliffe, John Butler, Youra Taroyan, Mark Bailey, Aileen McKee, Geoff Coxhead, Alison Neve, Timur Sahin, ¸ Ana Maria Garc´ Su´ ia arez, Elizabeth Skogvoll, and Martin Murphy. Among those missing from this image are: Bebe Ishak and Christopher Winter.

1.3

Staff

The staff position at the Armagh Observatory on 31 December 2005 is shown in Appendix B. Individuals are identified by their 3-letter (sometimes 2 or 4) `Starlink' computer username (full e-mail address: xxx@arm.ac.uk), together with a brief job-title and an indication of their position and principal role in the Observatory. It is noteworthy that a very high proportion of Observatory staff are involved in core research and support activities, the entire operation being supported by just three administrative staff (ambn, asn, lfy), one of whom (lfy) is shared equally both in time and cost with the Planetarium. Figure 1 shows members of staff and visitors present for the staff photograph in July 2005, while Table 2 shows the number of Observatory staff present in various categories at the end of each calendar year. Staff Movements and Other Notes 1. Bernard Toner (Assistant Groundsman) continued to work with Shane Kelly (Grounds