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The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Annual Report and Accounts for 2010/2011 Year Ended 31 March 2011


© Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Copyright 2011 You may re-use this document/publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, please visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence. For further details about the re-use of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium information please write to The Administrator, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG or email: jcd@arm.ac.uk. This document/publication is also available on our websites at www.arm.ac.uk and www.armaghplanet.com. Any enquiries regarding this document/publication should be sent to us at Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG.


The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Annual Report and Accounts for Year Ended 31 March 2011
The Accounting Officers authorized these financial statements for issue on 22 August 2011

Laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure under clause 8 of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 as amended by Schedule 1, clause 6 of the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 26 October 2011


The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Annual Report and Accounts for 2010/2011, Year Ended 31 March 2011
Pages Management Commentary Remuneration Reports Statement of the Responsibilities of the Governors and Accounting Officers Statement of Disclosure of Information to the Auditors Statement on Internal Control ­ Armagh Observatory Statement on Internal Control ­ Armagh Planetarium The Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to The Northern Ireland Assembly 1 ­ 26 27 ­ 28 29 29 30 31 32 ­ 33

ARMAGH OBSERVATORY Statement of financial activities Statement of recognised gains and losses Balance sheet Cash flow statement Notes to the financial statements 34 34 35 36 37 ­ 50

ARMAGH PLANETARIUM Statement of financial activities Statement of recognised gains and losses Balance sheet Cash flow statement Notes to the financial statements 51 51 52 53 54 ­ 65


Management Commentary
Background
The Armagh Observatory and the Armagh Planetarium are distinct institutions, part of a single statutory corporation and arms-length body (ALB) `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 Insolvency (Disqualification from Office: General) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 and a number of other amendments. The Armagh Observatory is also a recognized charity, having been granted charitable status for tax purposes by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) under Section 505 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988; the HMRC reference number is XN 46022. The principal function of the Observatory, founded in 1789 as part of Archbishop Richard Robinson's vision to see the creation of a university in the City of Armagh, is to undertake original research of a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related sciences. The Armagh Planetarium, which is also a recognized charity (HMRC reference number XN 48022), was founded by Dr Eric Mervyn Lindsay, the seventh director of the Armagh Observatory, and was officially opened on 1st May 1968. The Planetarium's primary function is to disseminate knowledge of a wide range of science and to promote public understanding of astronomy and science through its programme of educational services for schools and the wider public. The two sides of the corporation operate under two directors and receive core funding from the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). There is a total population of around 40 staff, approximately 30 in the Observatory and 10 in the Planetarium.

Aims and Objectives
The aim of the corporation 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.

Principal Activities
Armagh Observatory The principal function of the Armagh Observatory is to undertake original research of a world-class academic standard that broadens and expands our understanding of astronomy and related sciences. Secondary functions include the organization's responsibility to maintain the unique more than 215-year long meteorological record at Armagh and to preserve and expand the heritage of astronomy at Armagh. The Observatory also carries out a vibrant programme of Science in the Community and undertakes a wide range of community service in astronomy and related sciences, representing Northern Ireland on the national and international stage. Armagh Planetarium The principal function of the Armagh Planetarium is to disseminate knowledge of a wide range of science and to promote the public understanding of astronomy and science through its programme of educational services for schools and the wider public. Staff deliver interactive presentations using the latest projection and information technology to all age groups and abilities on a wide range of astronomical and scientific topics, including meteorite impacts, the planets, current astronomical phenomena and Earth sciences. The Planetarium, also through the large number of visitors coming through its doors, plays an important role in promoting and enhancing tourism within Armagh City and District. Research The Observatory carries out front-line astronomical research in three key areas of astrophysics, namely: Solar-System Science, Solar Physics, and Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics. These fields encompass the dynamical structure, evolution and origin of objects in the inner and outer solar system; comparative planetology and meteor physics; the use of spacecraft such as Swift, SoHO, TRACE and Hinode, to study fundamental questions such as how the Sun's outer atmosphere is heated, what drives the solar wind and the Sun's variable magnetic activity (and its effect on climate); and a very wide range of detailed investigations into the formation and evolution of stars, taking into account factors such as mass loss through stellar winds, stellar oscillations, stellar magnetic fields, extreme chemical abundances, and the impact of binarity (two stars orbiting closely around one another) on our understanding of the evolution of stars and galaxies. In particular, our multi-strand multi-wavelength approach to the discovery of ultra-compact binaries will provide crucial input for understanding the first detected gravitational wave events. These research themes illustrate the Observatory's primary long-term research function. The projects are often funded by external (i.e. non-DCAL) funding agencies with lead times of typically a year or two; they are normally led by an individual Research Astronomer and often require up to 3­5 years for completion. Meteorological Record In addition to this primary research role the Observatory maintains a unique more than 215-year long meteorological record and data-bank (http://climate.arm.ac.uk/), believed to be the longest daily climate series in the UK and Ireland from a single site. The climate station has been continuously maintained since 1795, with readings currently taken every day at 09:00 (GMT). Calibration of these data has enabled researchers and government agencies to use the Armagh series for reports and research into global warming. This is a subject of strategic importance for Northern Ireland as we move into an era of rapid climate change.

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The Armagh Observatory's climate record provides a long historical baseline against which to judge how Northern Ireland's climate is responding to climate change world-wide. Museum, Library and Archives The Observatory also 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 220 years of continuous astronomical activity in Armagh. The main historic buildings of the Observatory have unique architectural features and house a valuable library, archives and museum collection that contains a growing collection of historic books and manuscripts and a wide range of astronomical images and photographic plates, scientific instruments, clocks and other artefacts concerning the development of astronomy at Armagh over more than two hundred years. The Observatory's heritage policy is to progressively restore the historic buildings and scientific instruments in its possession, placing the restored material where possible close to its original location in the main Grade A listed building. The objective is to maintain the integrity of the Library and Archives as a coherent collection for future generations in the City of Armagh and to preserve this historic material and improve the environment in which it is held. The Observatory also seeks to widen access to this material so that researchers or visitors to the Observatory's web-sites, and others who may use the Observatory's facilities, will be able to use the material for individual research projects and appreciate more clearly the context in which the historic material was first used. The Observatory's Library and Archives is a rich scientific, educational and cultural resource, reflecting the Observatory's position as Northern Ireland's oldest scientific institution. Science in the Community In addition to its core function to carry out an international level programme of scientific research in astronomy and related sciences, and to expand the heritage of astronomy at Armagh, the Armagh Observatory also carries out a vibrant programme of Science in the Community. There are several strands to this programme, which includes education and learning for all as well as public lectures and guided tours of the Observatory and the Grounds, Astropark and Human Orrery. In addition, there are more formal education and training programmes, for example those associated with the Observatory's programmes of work experience, student training and engagement with the local community, all of which draw on the specific expertise of research astronomers at Armagh. In the past, projects have included construction of the Human Orrery (the first such exhibit in the world to be laid out with precision) and the creation of the first International Phenology Garden in Northern Ireland, which is closely linked to European and CrossBorder phenology projects and to the Observatory's own unique climate record. The Observatory also presents a biennial public `Robinson Lecture' in honour of Archbishop Richard Robinson, the Observatory's founder; and in alternate years has worked with the Centre for Cross Border Studies to provide a biennial Cross-Border Schools Science Conference, held using the facilities of the Observatory and those of the Royal School Armagh and the Armagh Planetarium. A highlight of the Observatory's outreach activities during 2010 has been the work of its Outreach PDRA, Miruna Popescu, who worked creatively with the Armagh Rhymers to develop a new outreach programme aimed at young children. This programme, keying into international EUNAWE activities, was called OASES: `Over us All is the SElfsame Sky'. Other significant achievements of the Observatory's programme of Science in the Community during 2010 included (1) discoveries made by school work-experience and summer-programme students under supervision of Observatory staff using data obtained from the Faulkes Telescopes (operated by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network); (2) the provision of schools and generalpublic lectures, including the 2010 Robinson Lecture and making a significant contribution to the 2010 AVEC-organized Armagh Heritage Day; (3) general-public tours and group visits around the Observatory, Grounds and Astropark, including contributions to wider open-day programmes (e.g. European Heritage Open Days) and to lifelong learning (e.g. visits both by undergraduates and evening-class students); (4) the delivery by staff of invited public lectures to schools, amateur astronomy groups and the general public; and (5) working with the Armagh City and District Council to improve the City of Armagh's built heritage and attractiveness to visitors by assisting with the programme of Public Art. Public Benefit The various strands of the Observatory's programme of Science in the Community highlight the contribution of the Observatory's astronomical heritage to Northern Ireland and to the City of Armagh. They help to explain to a wide audience the results of modern astronomy and the benefits of carrying out international-level astronomy, particularly for education, learning and training in the so-called `STEM' subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) of such importance for our knowledge-led economy. The Observatory makes a major contribution to the international profile of Northern Ireland; helps to develop science and science-based skills in the community; and provides an active programme of public lectures, guided tours, and work-experience activities which together contribute to wider UK and Northern Ireland Government initiatives aimed at deepening scientific knowledge and improving scientific literacy across the whole community. The Observatory also plays a leadership role in the Armagh Visitor Education Committee arrangements for the annual Armagh Heritage Day, usually held in May of each year, and the proceedings of the first two such heritage days, namely `Border Heritage: Tracing the Monaghan County'. This was first published in 2008 by TSO (The Stationery Office; see obtain funding for a reprint of the book with minor updates to facilities' information were helps to promote the shared cultural heritage of Northern Ireland and the City of Armagh, astronomy as one of Northern Ireland's international research strengths. (AVEC), particularly in assisting in editing and publishing a book based on Heritage of the City of Armagh and http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/), and efforts to successful during 2010/2011. The book as well as the important role played by

In summary, the Armagh Observatory provides a strong, positive image of Northern Ireland on the international stage. Members of staff play a full role in the international astronomical community, for example assessing grant and research proposals on behalf of Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Annual Report and Accounts for 2010/2011 2


external funding agencies; reviewing scientific papers; editing international academic journals; and serving on the committees of bodies such as the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Irish Academy. During 2010, staff at the Armagh Observatory maintained an active programme of Science in the Community by providing guided tours of the Observatory and Astropark, holding special public lectures and exhibitions, delivering an outreach programme to schools, and supervising school children and undergraduates on a variety of work-experience programmes and summer research projects. The Observatory Grounds, Astropark and Human Orrery are continuously developed as an education and lifelong learning facility to enrich the lives of visitors to Armagh and residents alike. Partly as a result of this activity, the number of visitors to the Astropark increased significantly during 2010: the counter at the entrance to the `Solar System' part of the Astropark registered approximately 75,000 visitors, some 20,000 more than the 2009 figure of around 55,000.

Equal Opportunities Policy
The corporation is an equal opportunities employer, committed to ensuring that the talents and resources of all members of the corporation are utilised to the full. The corporation does not discriminate directly or indirectly on the grounds of religious belief, political opinion, trade union membership, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, colour or ethnic origin, against any member of staff, full-time or part-time, or job applicant, actual or potential, in any aspect of the corporation's activities, including matters of recruitment, training, promotion, appointment, nomination or selection for any position, job transfer or redundancy.

Policy on Payment of Suppliers
The corporation is committed to the payment of all invoices not in dispute within agreed contractual terms. The corporation also recognizes the importance of paying invoices received as soon as possible and does everything practically possible to meet the 10-day prompt payment target in the Accounting Officer guidance DAO 12/08 issued by the Department of Finance and Personnel. In the year to 31 March 2011 the average time to pay invoices, including those in dispute, was 12.1 days for the corporation.

Auditors
Under the Audit and Accountability (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, responsibility for the audit of the accounts of the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium has been vested in the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland.

Employee Information and Consultation
The corporation takes every opportunity to inform and consult with all members of the organization on the corporation's activities and plans for the future through the dissemination of annual reports and operational plans, the provision of the latest information on research, educational and other activities through the web-sites, regular formal and informal briefing and discussion meetings, and consultations with staff representatives on employment-related and operational policies and procedures. Further information on the Observatory is available at http://star.arm.ac.uk/ and http://climate.arm.ac.uk/, and on the Planetarium at http://www.armaghplanet.com.

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Corporate Governance
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors comprises the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh (Chairman), the Dean and Chapter of the Church of Ireland Cathedral of Armagh (9 persons), 1 DCAL nominee, 1 Queen's University Belfast (QUB) nominee, and up to 3 additional members nominated by the Board of Governors. Nominees normally serve for an initial period of 5 years with the possibility of extension. Chairman: His Grace, The Most Reverend A.E.T. Harper, The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland The Dean: The Very Reverend Dean P.W. Rooke, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh The Precentor: The Reverend Canon T. Scott, also Rector of Magherafelt The Chancellor: The Reverend Canon C.F. Moore, also Rector of Newtownhamilton, Ballymoyer and Belleek The Treasurer: The Reverend Canon J.W. McKegney, also Rector of St. Mark's Parish, Armagh The Archdeacon: The Venerable R.G. Hoey, also Rector of Camlough and Mullaglass The Prebendary of Mullabrack: The Reverend Canon W.J.A. Dawson, also Bishop's Curate of Pomeroy The Prebendary of Ballymore: The Reverend Canon R.J.N. Porteus, also Rector of Derryloran Parish (Cookstown) The Prebendary of Loughgall: The Reverend Canon J.N.T. Campbell, also Rector of St. Mark's Parish, Portadown The Prebendary of Tynan: The Reverend Canon W.M. Adair, also Rector of St. Columba's Parish, Portadown Mr W.G. Berry QC (DCAL Nominee) 1 Professor A. Hibbert, Queens University Belfast (QUB Nominee) The Right Honourable the Lord Ballyedmond, Ballyedmond Castle, Rostrevor (Board of Governors Nominee) Professor R.D. Oudmaijer, University of Leeds (Board of Governors Nominee)

Management Committee
The Management Committee comprises the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh or his nominee (Chairman), 3 Nominees from the Board of Governors, 6 DCAL nominees, 1 QUB nominee, 1 Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) nominee, 1 Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) nominee, and currently 2 additional members co-opted by the Board of Governors. Nominees and those co-opted by the Governors normally serve for an initial period of 3­5 years with the possibility of extension. Chairman: His Grace, The Most Reverend A.E.T. Harper, The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Deputy Chairman: Dr F.N. Byrne (Co-opted, Board of Governors) Professor A. Hibbert, Queens University Belfast (Co-opted, Board of Governors) The Venerable Archdeacon R.G. Hoey, Camlough and Mullaglass (Board of Governors Nominee) Professor R.D. Oudmaijer, University of Leeds (Board of Governors Nominee) Mr E.P. Donnelly (DCAL Nominee) Dr M. McKay, European Space Agency, Darmstadt, Germany (DCAL Nominee) 2 Mr R.B. Hannam (DCAL Nominee) 3 Mr A. Peoples (DCAL Nominee) Mr J.I. (S.) Shields (DCAL Nominee) Mrs P.E. Wilson (DCAL Nominee) Professor P.L. Dufton, Queens University Belfast (QUB Nominee) Professor M.R. Merrifield, University of Nottingham (STFC Nominee) Professor T.P. Ray, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS Nominee)

Audit and Risk Management Committee
The Internal Audit Committee, a sub-committee of the Management Committee, comprises Dr F.N. Byrne (Chairman), Mr E. Donnelly, Professor P.L. Dufton, Professor A. Hibbert, and Mr A Peoples.

Directors and Secretary
Professor M.E. Bailey MBE MRIA -- Director, Armagh Observatory Dr T.R. Mason MBE -- Director, Armagh Planetarium Mr L.F. Young -- Secretary
1 2 3

From 2011 January 1 From 2011 January 1 From 2011 January 1

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The Armagh Observatory -- Operating Review 2010/2011
The following research results, performance indicators for 2010/2011, and objectives for 2011/2012 are extracted from the Armagh Observatory Annual Report for Calendar Year 2010 (Financial Year 2010/2011). This contains an extensive summary of the whole of the Observatory's principal research and other activities during 2010. The full report is available at http://star.arm.ac.uk/annrep/ or by contacting the Administrator at the Armagh Observatory, College Hill, Armagh, BT61 9DG, tel. +44-28-3752-2928; e-mail: info@arm.ac.uk. Shared Future Astronomy is part of world heritage and an important part of the shared future of people living on the island of Ireland. The Armagh Observatory is Northern Ireland's oldest scientific institution, and Northern Ireland government support for astronomy at Armagh is central to achieving the vision of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), namely "a confident, creative, informed and vibrant community", and its mission "to protect, nurture and grow Northern Ireland's Cultural Capital ...". In return, astronomers at Armagh make distinctive contributions to major strands of government policy and project a key part of Northern Ireland's cultural and scientific heritage to millions of people world-wide. There is a very significant public interest in astronomy and space science, and related fields. This interest is mirrored by the high frequency of media citations every year referring to the Armagh Observatory and its staff or their work, and is fed by the Observatory's high-quality academic focus and its multifaceted programme of Science in the Community. Astronomical research makes a fundamental contribution to knowledge and helps to attract people from all backgrounds, both young and old, into science and towards a more scientific way of thinking. Science, in Carl Sagan's phrase, "is a candle in the dark"; and astronomy -- foremost amongst the sciences -- helps people make sense of their place in the world and of Earth's place in the wider Universe. Performance Staff at the Armagh Observatory have maintained a high level of research activity and other outputs during the year, producing 45 publications in refereed scientific journals during 2010 as well as many other scientific papers and attracting a new record of approximately 503 identified mass-media citations to the Armagh Observatory, its staff and their work. During 2010, Armagh Observatory staff delivered approximately 74 technical and general public talks at meetings both locally and abroad, and maintained an active programme of in-house training including 28 internal seminars and colloquia, most of which were delivered by external visiting speakers. External Internet access to the Armagh Observatory has also remained at a very high level. During 2010 there were more than 981,000 Distinct e-Visitors (DEVs) to the Observatory's principal web-sites (http://star.arm.ac.uk/, http://climate.arm.ac.uk/ and http://arpc65.arm.ac.uk/~spm/), 17.1 million `hits', and a record 9.5 TB (1 TB = 1 million Megabytes) of data exported from the Armagh Observatory to users of astronomical information elsewhere. In addition, total external grant receipts and other income during 2010/2011 amounted to a record ё460.3k (cf. ё356.7k during 2009/2010), of which ё452.3k was attributable to external grant receipts (cf. ё346.7k for 2009/2010). We note that this figure is exceptionally high owing in part to the receipt shortly before the end of the financial year of funds for the new EUNAWE programme, to start in 2011/2012. Nevertheless, even if this were ignored, the total external grant income for the year would still have significantly exceeded the anticipated figure in the 2010/2011 Business Plan (ё341.8k). In short, Armagh Observatory staff have been extremely active in seeking, and often successfully obtaining, externally funded peer-reviewed research grants in an increasingly competitive financial environment. Research Environment The Observatory's computer facilities are used primarily for numerical analysis, computer modelling and data reduction. The computers and peripherals are largely funded by DCAL, but occasionally by external research grants, for example those funded by the STFC or PRTLI. Staff have access to a number of iMac workstations, approximately 40 Linux workstations and peripherals, a number of portable computers, and a computer cluster comprising 10 dual-processor work nodes and one master node, with a total of 20 GB of memory. In addition, the Observatory has 80 TB of on-line storage capacity obtained during 2010 with additional funding from DCAL. 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 100 Mbps link provided through the Observatory's participation in the Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN). The Armagh Observatory also has access to the Stokes Supercomputer at the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) as well as to occasional advanced training programmes. These computer facilities are used mainly for computationally intensive research projects in observational and theoretical astrophysics including data reduction and modelling, in areas such as solar physics, stellar atmospheres, stellar winds, radiation hydrodynamics, numerical magneto-hydrodynamics, and solar system dynamics. The Observatory's suite of technical equipment is complemented by a Library and Archives which represents one of the premier specialist collections of its kind in the UK and Ireland. The library, archives and museum collection contains a unique and growing collection of historic books and manuscripts, as well as images, photographic plates, scientific instruments, clocks and other artefacts concerning the development of astronomy at Armagh over more than two hundred years. The meteorological archive contains the longest continuous daily climate series from a single site in the UK and Ireland. The climate station has been continuously maintained since 1795, with readings currently taken every day at 09:00 (GMT). Calibration of these

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data has enabled researchers and government agencies to use the Armagh series for reports and research into global warming. This is a subject of strategic importance for Northern Ireland as we move into an era of rapid climate change. The Armagh Observatory's climate record provides a long historical baseline against which to judge how Northern Ireland's climate is responding to climate change world-wide. Armagh Observatory staff also have access to world-class international facilities that are provided through STFC and UK Government subscriptions or bilateral agreements and collaborations involving individual research staff. Observatory staff regularly obtain telescope time on national and international facilities such as the ESO Very Large Telescope (http://www.eso.org/outreach/ut1fl/) and various spacecraft missions (such as Swift, SoHO, TRACE, Hinode, XMM-Newton, and the Hubble Space Telescope). They obtain research grants from a wide range of grant awarding bodies (e.g. the STFC, the Royal Society, the Leverhulme Trust, British Council etc.), and through the Observatory's membership of the UK SALT Consortium (UKSC) have access to the 11-metre diameter Southern African Large Telescope (SALT; see http://star.arm.ac.uk/SALT/), located at the Sutherland Observatory, South Africa. Complementing these international facilities, restoration of the Observatory's historic telescopes has brought opportunities to reintroduce some visual observing from Armagh, while new computer and camera technology has enabled a variety of new automatic observational programmes to be introduced from Armagh, recording data autonomously whenever the sky is clear. Principal Achievements During 2010 and 2010/2011 Photometric Follow-up of Transiting Exoplanets PhD student Tobias Hinse and John Southworth (University of Keele, UK) obtained 27 nights on the 1.02 m Zeiss Telescope at the Vainu Bappu Observatory (Kavalur, India; operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics [IAA], Bangalore) to carry out photometric follow-up of transiting extrasolar planets. The observations were carried out in collaboration with C. Muthumariappan and J. Jayakumar (IAA). Towards Detecting Life on Other Worlds During 2010, Stefano Bagnulo travelled to the European Southern Observatory in Chile to participate in a series of observations with the long-term goal of detecting life on other worlds. The Director General of the European Southern Observatory had granted permission for Michael Sterzik (ESO) and Stefano Bagnulo to use the EFOSC2 instrument, normally attached to one of the telescopes at the La Silla Observatory, for laboratory experiments. Instead of observing celestial objects, they performed laboratory spectropolarimetric measurements on a variety of organic samples, including leaves of different plants (e.g. phylodendrum and ficus) and cyano-bacteria collected in the desert of Atacama, in Chile, one of the driest places on