Today we celebrate all things Irish, and today I present 10 facts about Ireland’s national symbol, the harp.

Happy St Patrick's Day to those who celebrate.

https://topicaltens.blogspot.com/2025/03/17-march-harps.html

In case you do not remember how the #night #sky was before all the #StarLink / #SpaceX #satellites, here is one of the #timelapse I did 5 years ago from the #ESO #LaSilla #observatory, in #Chile

The #video lasts 1 minute but it corresponds to 10 hours.

The big dish is a decommissioned radio #telescope. In the background there is the 3.6-m telescope with its #exoplanet-hunting instrument #HARPS

#Astronomy #Astrophotography #space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJVKKSiIjlo

credits: A. Santerne / ESO

The first night of my run with #HARPS spectrograph at #LaSilla Observatory in Chile is tonight ! I have been there for a few days and had new year’s eve at the observatory . I will observe seven nights for different programs that search and characterize #exoplanets with radial velocity. Everything is so beautiful and calm there.
Thank you @AlexSanterne for this amazing opportunity

"The kora is a 21-string bridge-harp used extensively in West Africa. It is a harp built from a large calabash cut in half and covered with cow skin to make a resonator with a long hardwood neck."

Hear it in the song 'Marriyamba' by Mamadou Dramé.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK2ea69Iy2s