On a recent visit to Knighton, we paid a visit to The Spaceguard Centre just outside the town. We had booked a tour (£10, 1½ - 2 hours) in the knowledge that the weather forecast was wet and blustery for that day (Sunday 29th September 2024). Fortunately the rain held off but being on a hill, the wind was buffeting (according to Jay Tate, a mere breeze!).
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| Photo 1: Two of the Three Observatory Domes |
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| Photo 2: Third Observatory Dome |
This is not your run-of-the-mill space observatory though it can still do some of that. As the name Space Guard suggests, this is the UK's contribution towards a rather important international endeavour - the detection and monitoring of asteroids and comets that are on a collision course with Earth. This could be rather catastrophic - just ask the dinosaurs!
Jay and Anne Tate, who live onsite, run this enterprise on a shoestring with no funding from the government's science budget (an absolute disgrace). They rely on tour fees and donations from visitors, including schools, revenue from a small but well-stocked gift shop, local businesses and a band of hardy and dedicated volunteers. Even then, the income only covers the running costs for the Centre - Jay & Anne are also volunteers.
The green dome (Photo 1) was built by Jay and the volunteers and will house a telescope from Cambridge University's Observatory that is surplus to their requirements. The new facility will enable The Space Guard Centre to search for Near Earth Objects (NEOs) in addition to their existing capabilities for only tracking known comets & asteroids identified by other observatories.
Please support Jay & Anne in their endeavours. Pay for a tour. Buy something from the gift shop. Make a donation. Volunteer. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for your foresight.
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