[CraigS]

Backyard astronomer in Ireland finds supernova

An amateur astronomer working from his backyard shed in Ireland was the first in the world to spot a supernova explosion last month. The discovery is the biggest ever in amateur astronomy in Ireland.
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Mr Grennan is a software developer by day, but at night he spends as much time as the Irish weather permits in his home-made observatory, which is a converted garden shed with a retractable roof. Grennan said he had been stargazing since he was about five years old, and had always been fascinated by the stars. He bought his first telescope in 1991, and has continually upgraded his equipment. In 2005 he built his home observatory using standard DIY parts. The observatory is equipped with a 14 inch Cassegrain telescope.

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