Using space and astronomy to drive educational, economic and social discussions

Interview with Dr Niall Smith, who will be keynoting at the Cape Clear Dark Skies event on  Friday 24th of May to Sunday 26th of May on Cape Clear Island. Tickets are available here.  Niall is Head of Research at CIT and Head of CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory.

1 min pitch for what you are doing now?

My job is divided between supporting research in CIT and amongst the companies and communities with whom we work, and using the themes of space and astronomy to drive educational, economic and social discussions. We live in an era when space will be ever-more important in our lives – things like space-based internet will transform the lives of over half the world’s population, or indeed rural broadband in Ireland. And we also live in an era where we’re making fundamental discoveries about the origins and fate of our universe, and on our place in it.

How was the last year, what worked well, what didn’t move as quickly as you would have liked?

Two years ago we hosted the International Space University and one of the things that came from that was the decision by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to establish a Steering Group to advise on a National Space Strategy for Enterprise. That work concluded earlier this year and I was the representative from the Higher education sector. Last year, Blackrock Castle Observatory had its busiest year since we opened in 2007 and Space Week 2018 was ranked number 3 globally for the number of events and participants across the country – not bad for a nation the size of Ireland!

What are your plans for the future?

To continue to develop Blackrock Castle Observatory as the leading facility for using space as a catalyst for societal good. The Space industry is developing at such an enormous rate and it will be even more critical in our lives than it is today, so we need to take advantage of that. And at the same time, new developments in technology mean we can peer ever-more-closely at the universe and (try to) understand its secrets. I’d like to be part of that, even in some small way. And I’d like to play a role in helping others to feel the excitement of discovery and of contextualizing our place in the cosmos.

What will you be talking about at this event? 

I will attempt to bring the magic of the skies above, as seen only through our eyes, to the attention of those who participate. I want to capture that sense of “see the skies as your ancestors did”, devoid of light pollution and without telescopes or binoculars. But I want to layer our current understanding of the stars and planets we see and the universe in which they live – one of the greatest stories that one could ever tell, and it’s not finished by a long way!  I’ll be using a planetarium to help explain and discuss some of this story, before we head out to hopefully clear skies.

What inspired you to attend it?

The opportunity to talk with people about the fascinating universe which supports our existence, and to explore ideas around its origins and future, and our origins and future

Which influencers and websites do you follow to keep up to date with the latest developments?

I’m a massive fan of Carl Sagan! I read spacenews.com and space.com every day and I usually buy Sky & Telescope magazine (something I have been doing since I was a kid).

How can people find out more about what you are working on?

Go to bco.ie and it will give them a flavour. I also write a monthly column in the Examiner called “skymatters” which in may is all about sustainability of space.

Anything else you’d like to add / we should have asked?

I’m soooo looking forward to the dark sky weekend on Cape Clear!

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie or on Twitter: @SimonCocking