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Terrible news just announced on the BBC website.
“All scientific observations at Jodrell are expected to cease on the 1 April 2028 unless alternative funding can be found.
The funding body, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency, is expected to make a statement shortly.”
Ridiculous. A cost saving of 2.8 millipercent of what we spend on debt interest a year. I’d contact the science minister but we don’t have one any more.
Scant detail in the UKRI announcement: https://www.ukri.org/news/stfc-details-outcomes-for-future-physics-projects/
Never mind the lack of a science minister Steve, where’s the King of the North?
Someone should be reminded that it was Jodrell Bank that tracked Sputnik one when no one else was able to. We need at this time to be training new engineers to keep abreast of every aspect of similar technology. One expensive missile that is being used so readily in the Middle east today would cover the cost of keeping Jodrell Bank open for a long time. We had perhaps think of contacting wealthy individual who has a connection to innovation for help. Historicaly Jodrell bank was saved from banksruptcy while still incomplete by a donation from such an individual. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The announcement also mentions that e-MERLIN – the network of radiotelescopes across England, which includes the Lovell telescope – will also stop.
More in the Grauniad.
That’s a cruel April First.
The BBC article says:
Scotland’s Astronomer Royal, Prof Catherine Heymans,…, described the decision by UKRI as “a real act of national self-harm”.
but it fails to mention that Prof Michelle Dougherty is the corresponding Astronomer Royal.
Will she be envisioned wielding a chainsaw in the manner of Elon Musk FRS?
Jodrell Bank needs a modern-day Lord Nuffield.
Alex.
One solution might be for UK universities to join forces and form a consortium to fund and operate these closures. Spread the risk and cost. That’s how many of the largest telescopes and facilities operate these days. One good example is the Hobby-Eberly telescope. Its Project Partners are The University of Texas at Austin, Pennsylvania State University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Operating Jodrell Bank would be spit in a bucket compared to the cost of Hobby-Eberly.
The astronomers in China must be laughing their 臀部 off. They didn’t have a problem building the world’s largest radio dish. Think of that cost compared to simply continuing to operate a relatively small radio dish. The UK government is clearly shortsighted.
Bart Fried
President and Founder, Antique Telescope Society
American Astronomical Society – Historical Astronomy Division
British Astronomical Association
Amateur Astronomers Association, Inc.
oldscope@gmail.com
1-646-267-4620and Jodrell Bank is just the exposed tip of a large iceberg
from the BBC
“The UK will no longer participate in research at the James Clark Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, which scientists are using to image supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies.
UKRI has also cut funding for the UK’s involvement in two instruments on the Extremely Large Telescope which is being built in Chile to search for signs of life on other Earth-like worlds.”
An earlier piece also mentioned cutting Vera Rubin involvement
I have sent the following letter to The Times:
Sir,
The announcement that Jodrell Bank Observatory faces closure because of the withdrawal of scientific funding is deeply concerning for the future of UK science.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Bernard Lovell’s pioneering radar meteor experiments at Jodrell Bank, work that laid the foundations of a world-leading centre for radio astronomy. Today, Jodrell Bank remains at the heart of the e-MERLIN network of radio telescopes. Its loss would seriously undermine the UK’s ability to undertake world-class astronomical research and diminish our international scientific standing.
As a volunteer at Jodrell Bank, I also see its wider value. Around 186,000 people visit the Discovery Centre each year, including thousands of schoolchildren. By engaging young people with science in the unique setting of a working observatory, Jodrell Bank inspires many to consider careers in science, engineering and technology.
I urge the Government and funding agencies to reconsider this decision. Protecting Jodrell Bank is an investment not only in scientific discovery, but in the skills, innovation and scientific workforce on which Britain’s future prosperity depends.
Yours faithfully,
…….
Trustee, The British Astronomical Association
We’ve been here before though. I was looking around for more information and started reading an article in the Times on it, everything was the same but some of the names were wrong. I then noticed the article was headed March 2008 !
The annual cost back then was £2.5m so I would say £2.8M today is pretty good cost control.
Call me a sceptic but I reckon it will suddenly be “saved” and the public will forget about it. meanwhile the arguably perhaps even more damaging cuts will be applied elsewhere in UK astronomy and particle physics. We can perhaps hope though that this might prompt a debate about Britain’s role in maintaining some credibility in science in the west given what is going on the the US
Cheers
RobinYep. My guess is that Jodrell will be “saved” due to its high profile, while La Palma, the JCMT and VR etc are thrown to the dogs.
Its almost as if the people who end up in politics lack a basic understanding of the fact a modern technological society needs scientists.
Its not as if jobs in UK science offer security, high pay, respect and glamour.
For context, the Barclays Bank bonus pot for the current year is running at £1.3B. Barclays could halve this years bonuses and still pay for Jodrell for 230 years.
Thank you to Jeremy for producing this excelent letter to the Press and locla MPs. The howls of protest must surely raise doubt in the wisdom of the proposals. Short sighted decision if ever there was one!
My letter appears in The Times today
Attachments:
More information from the local MP Tim Roca
Denis BuczynskiAttachments:
My MP has been responsive. We exchanged a couple of emails on Tuesday and she has written to the Secretary of State.
Attachments:
MP for Tatton
Attachments:
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