Massive telescopes in Hawaii and Australia are now at the disposal of school students in Ireland thanks to an innovative programme that encourages students to become interested in the sciences.
The computerised 2m telescopes can be directed remotely over the internet and the resultant pictures returned to the students who took them.
Students in Britain and Northern Ireland have had access to the Faulkes telescopes for some time, but now the Republic's students can also join in this exciting venture.
Details of the Faulkes Telescopes Project were announced yesterday in Dublin as part of the Science Week Ireland programme organised by Discover Science & Engineering.
"We are hoping to get a lot of schools involved in the project," said NUI Galway astronomer Prof Mike Redfern. "We can give them access to the telescopes immediately."
The telescopes at Mount Haleakala, Maui, and at Siding Spring, New South Wales, were built by cosmology graduate and computer entrepreneur Dr Martin "Dill" Faulkes. He invested €15 million in the project in the hope it might increase student interest in the sciences.
The scheme as operated in Ireland will have a slightly different approach from that in the UK, Prof Redfern said. "What we are trying to do is get student groups and the universities together to do joint research projects."
This would bring secondary school students into real research being conducted in the universities. The students would perform observations and assist in the analysis and publication of the results.
"It involves them in real research and shows them how wonderful research is," Prof Redfern said. "It will also get students in touch with scientists. This is really going to encourage students to consider doing science."
Many of the university researchers who get involved will be graduates and postgrads and therefore only a few years older than the students themselves, Prof Redfern said. They will become role models for the students, who will get a chance to see what research is all about.
Those attending the launch at the National Concert Hall were treated to a practical demonstration of what the Faulkes could do, with the participation of students from Loreto College, St Stephen's Green, and from Terenure College, Dublin.
Those wishing to learn more about the telescopes or sign up for the project can visit www.faulkes-telescopes.com
Schools that want to join university research groups can e-mail ray.butler@nuigalway.ie
"If they want to join we will try to get the schools and the researchers together," Prof Redfern said.