BCO will be closed from 17th February to 15th March for major refurbishment works to our facilities and exhibit. We apologise for any inconveniences this may cause, but we will come back better than ever. Thank you for your understanding. 
Let's Explore Exoplanets!
Date: Friday April 4th
Time: 5pm – 7.30pm
Cost: Free!
For Cork Lifelong Learning Festival 2025, we’re going to be exploring exoplanets – strange alien worlds beyond our solar system! Learn how we detect these planets without being able to see them, and the genius methods scientists can use to learn more about these planets’ atmospheres, size, orbits, and more!
Hear from BCO staff on how the observatory can detect exoplanets, and some of the cutting edge research being performed by other institutions.
We’ll also have a chance to take in the Moon thanks to our friends at Cork Astronomy Club! (*Weather permitting).
Finally, we have a very special exoplanet themed workshop. We have 12 spaces available for visitors to be the first to play-test the final version of MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory’s “Terrestrial” Board Game! Work with other players to find an Earth-like exoplanet before you’re stranded in Space.
The game first debuted during the Lifelong Learning Festival in 2024 so the project has finally come full circle. If you took part in the project last year you can see how your input has shaped the game! The board game is very easy to play, but we will also have expert facilitators on hand to guide you through the play-test. Please note, the recommended age for players is 12+.
This event is completely free. Participants simply need to answer survey questions before and after the game.
Pre-booking for the workshop is essential, and places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Booking will be available here soon.
Programme:
5pm -6.30pm – Free Access to MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory exhibit
5.30pm – 6.30pm – Session 1: Exoplanet workshop and talk (Capacity 12 people)
6.30pm – 7pm – Session 2: Exoplanet workshop and talk (Capacity 12 people)
7pm – 7.30pm – See the Moon with BCO telescopes (Weather permitting)
About Terrestrial
Terrestrial is a Game Based Learning project, funded by Science Foundation Ireland, that will teach the public about exoplanets and space exploration using a tabletop game. The project was created by MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory as a response to the Creating Our Future initiative, wherein the Irish public expressed an interest in learning more about exoplanets and space exploration.
The game will see players acting as astronauts stranded in a new solar system. They must race to find and inhabit an Earth-like exoplanet in the system before their oxygen supply runs out. Players will need to use every scientific tool at their disposal to establish whether a planet has breathable air, water, a protective magnetosphere and more! The first player to land on a habitable planet wins the game.
The game will see players completing puzzles based on real scientific analyses such as spectroscopy, photometry, and hydrology while also exposing players to information about real world space missions that use these very techniques.