Peter T. Gallagher facts for kids

Peter Thomas Gallagher is an Irish astrophysicist and the director of Dunsink Observatory. He studies the Sun, especially powerful events called solar storms. He looks at how these storms can affect Earth.

Professor Gallagher is also a Senior Professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. He leads the Astronomy and Astrophysics section there. He is also in charge of a big radio telescope project called I-LOFAR, located at Birr Castle. Many people in science know his work, and he often shares his knowledge with the media.

Early Life and Education

Peter T. Gallagher grew up in Clontarf, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. He went to Belgrove Primary School and then O'Connell School. As a teenager, he enjoyed working on mechanical and electrical things with his dad. He also played Gaelic football and rugby. He even played lead guitar in a band!

He was the first in his family to go to college. He studied at University College Dublin. After reading a book called A Brief History of Time, he became very interested in physics and astronomy. He earned his degree in Physics and Maths in 1995. Later, he got a Master's degree in Optoelectronics and Image Processing from Queen's University Belfast in 1996. He then continued his studies at Queen's, earning a PhD in Astrophysics in 2000. His PhD research focused on observing the Sun's atmosphere.

Career in Space Science

After finishing his studies, Professor Gallagher worked as a researcher in the United States. He worked at places like the Owens Valley Solar Array and the Big Bear Solar Observatory in California. He also worked at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center near Washington, D.C. During this time, he used data from NASA's SOHO spacecraft to study the Sun.

In 2005, he decided to move back to Ireland with his wife. He started teaching Space Science at University College Dublin. Soon after, in 2006, he began leading the Solar Physics & Space Weather Research Group at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). His work there involved observing the Sun and understanding "space weather." Space weather includes solar storms, which are powerful bursts of energy from the Sun. These storms can sometimes affect technology on Earth.

Studying Solar Storms

When he returned to Ireland, Professor Gallagher helped with two NASA solar observation flights in the US. These flights aimed to study why the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona, is much hotter than its surface. His experience in coordinating observations and developing software was very helpful.

In 2009, his team worked with the Royal Observatory of Belgium on a satellite project called PROBA-2. This satellite was designed to study solar storms. His team wrote software for parts of the satellite. The satellite launched successfully, helping scientists learn more about the Sun.

In 2015, he led a project to build a network of magnetometers. These devices can detect solar storm activity. This network was built by TCD and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. Professor Gallagher's group also worked with companies like Lockheed-Martin and Eirgrid to understand how solar storms might affect power grids.

In 2018, Professor Gallagher became a Senior Professor and Head of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS). He also became the Director of the historic Dunsink Observatory near Dublin. He hopes to make the observatory more open to the public, adding a coffee shop and welcoming more visitors.

Building Radio Telescopes in Ireland

Professor Gallagher was looking for a good place in Ireland to build a radio telescope. He visited Birr Castle, which was once home to the world's largest telescope, the Leviathan of Parsonstown. He made an agreement with the Earl of Rosse to build a solar observatory there. Birr was a great spot because it's quiet, with little radio interference.

He then proposed a much bigger project: to build an Irish site for the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope. LOFAR is a huge network of telescopes that stretches across Europe. Adding an Irish site would make the network even more powerful. He secured funding from different sources, including private donors and Science Foundation Ireland. Many universities also joined the project.

The main parts of the I-LOFAR telescope arrived from the Netherlands in 2016. The Irish Astronomical Association praised Professor Gallagher for his huge effort in making I-LOFAR happen. They said it's now the only astronomical facility in Ireland producing top-level research. The Irish LOFAR site officially opened in July 2017. It has 3,000 antennae and 55 kilometers of cables. It helps scientists study solar activity, light from the early universe, and even look for signals from intelligent life in space.

Sharing Science with Everyone

Professor Gallagher loves to share science with the public, especially with students. He helped create an exhibit called In the Heliosphere for the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. This exhibit let visitors feel what it might be like when solar flares happen. He is still part of the Science Gallery's advisory group.

He has also appeared on radio and TV shows to talk about space. In 2017, he co-presented a TV program called "13 Billion Miles from Birr" on RTE TV. This show celebrated the launch of the I-LOFAR telescope and explained its work.

Academic and Professional Groups

Professor Gallagher is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the Institute of Physics. He has also been involved with important committees, like the Astronomical Sciences Group of Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy's Astronomy and Space Research Committee.

He was also chosen to be part of the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Solar System Working Group. This group helps evaluate future space missions.

Awards and Recognition

In 2017, Professor Gallagher received a special award from France called the Chevalier in the Ordre des Palmes académiques. This award, which means "Knight of the Academic Palms," is one of France's oldest civilian honors. He received it for his important scientific work. His wife also received the same award at the ceremony for her work in genetics.

Publications

Professor Gallagher has written many scientific articles. His work is often cited by other scientists. One of his most well-known papers is "An observational overview of solar flares," published in Space Science Reviews in 2011.

Personal Life

Peter Gallagher met his wife, Emma Teeling, when they were both studying at University College Dublin. They lived in the US for a while before moving back to Ireland. They have two sons. His sons even created a Minecraft version of the LOFAR environment, which was mentioned by the LOFAR groups! Professor Gallagher also coaches youth rugby teams at Clontarf FC.