Observatory to let public use telescope

Blackrock Castle Observatory (BCO) in Cork is to allow people use its telescope to take pictures of objects in space.

The observatory in the 16th-century castle on the banks of the River Lee is due to get a new dome for its telescope from Britain.

“The new dome is 4m in diameter. Previously it was 3.2m, which might not sound like a big difference, but it represents an increase of 50% in the floor area and will be sited on top of the main tower,” said BCO spokeswoman Dee Geaney.