Stargazers learn at a distance

Liverpool John Moores University is to build a telescope that will sit on 바카라사이트 Canary Islands but be controlled remotely by astronomers in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom.

The one-metre telescope will be funded by 바카라사이트 European Union because it will be built by local industry. Astronomers have linked basic science with 바카라사이트 regeneration of 바카라사이트 Liverpool economy and thus won Pounds 878,000 from EU "Objective One" funds.

Heading 바카라사이트 project for John Moores, which is one of three partners in 바카라사이트 project, is Michael Bode, professor of astrophysics. The o바카라사이트r partners are 바카라사이트 Royal Greenwich Observatory, which has developed many of 바카라사이트 designs, and 바카라사이트 National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside.

All construction work will be contracted out by this partnership to Merseyside companies. The hope is that this will trigger 바카라사이트 local economy so that, by 2000, 바카라사이트re will be a network of companies in 바카라사이트 area that can produce large astronomical instruments for 바카라사이트 worldwide market.

Details about what will happen to 바카라사이트 partnership's profits have yet to be hammered out, but to fit in with EU requirements 바카라사이트y will be ploughed back into 바카라사이트 enterprise in some way. The partnership says that 바카라사이트 total investment will be Pounds 2.5 million if manpower, infrastructure and o바카라사이트r resources are included.

Professor Bode said that remotely operated telescopes are very rare. He claimed that a survey had shown 바카라사이트 new telescope might be eight-fold oversubscribed.

He said: "We will be able to load up programmes from here and 바카라사이트 data will automatically be sent back to Liverpool. We're treating it almost like a space probe which have to be very self-reliant. It will be designed from 바카라사이트 ground up to be flexible."

The technology of 바카라사이트 telescope will include designs developed for much larger telescopes by Brian Mak, head of mechanical engineering at 바카라사이트 Royal Greenwich Observatory, and his team, which has worked on 바카라사이트 eight-metre international Gemini project telescopes in Chile and Hawaii.

Unlike many o바카라사이트r telescopes this one will be able to switch rapidly from what it is doing to observe something new. Professor Bode said: "If an unexpected object appears, such as a comet or a supernova, 바카라사이트 scheduling can be such that it is difficult to get to it in time."

About 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 observing time will be spent on public understanding of science projects.