stdClass Object ( [id] => 263 [title] => What's Up? June 2023 [alias] => what-s-up-june-2023 [introtext] =>

Astronomer and Science Communicator, Ishbel Wright, gives us some hints of tips of what we can expect to see in the skies this June!

[fulltext] =>

What's Up? June 2023

The Sun

Mostly, the Sun. This month marks the start of Summer and end of astronomical darkness. For astronomical darkness to occur the sun must dip below the horizon by 18 degrees. Throughout June is barely gets to 12 degrees before it starts coming back up again. On June 21^st the Summer solstice occurs, which is the longest day of the year. The Sun will be present in the sky for 17 hours and 35 minutes. Whilst being the longest day of the year, it is not actually the earliest sunrise and latest sunset. The earliest the Sun will rise is at 04:26 on the 17^th of June and the latest the sun will set is 22:02 on the 25^th of June.

Due to the brightness of the sky it will be pretty difficult to spot anything but the brightest objects. Luckily for us Venus, the Brightest planet due to its reflective atmosphere, is reaching its greatest evening elongation on June 4^th. This means that it is as far from the sun as it can get before we start to see it orbit back towards the Sun, so it will be really easy to view as it follows the Sun across the Sky and when the Sun sets it will be impossible to miss. Venus is a great telescope target as it has an interesting property. Since it is an interior planet to us it actually has phases just like the moon since we only see it partially illuminated at times. Throughout this month it will be going from a half phase, so a D shape to a crescent. This could even be picked up by a pair of strong binoculars this month.

Just above Venus there is another Planet. Mars is also in the sky, though a lot dimmer. If you keep tracking up from Venus, sitting in the constellation of Gemini. Mars appears as small red dot brighter than its surrounding stars of the constellation of Cancer, which is a very dim constellation.

If you do want to go constellation hunting then I suggest you stick to right above head, see if you can find Draco snaking around the Plough!

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Astronomer and Science Communicator, Ishbel Wright, gives us some hints of tips of what we can expect to see in the skies this June!

)

Education Lead, Adam Shore, reflects on Kielder Observatory's educational outreach programmes and what the future holds

stdClass Object ( [id] => 262 [title] => Every Child Deserves Stars [alias] => every-child-deserves-stars [introtext] =>

Education Lead, Adam Shore, reflects on Kielder Observatory's educational outreach programmes and what the future holds

[fulltext] =>

Every Child Deserves Stars

Over the past few years, Kielder Observatory has proudly embarked on several educational projects, aiming to inspire and engage young minds across the North East. As we look back on the previous years, we are delighted to see how far we have come and excited about the journey ahead.

20221208 155935

Two notable projects, both concluding in March 2023, include a partnership with schools across the North of Tyne Combined Authority and our innovative "From STEM to Stars" programme, funded by The Reece Foundation. Despite the inevitable adaptations required due to the pandemic, our commitment to engaging pupils with STEM remained steadfast. As a result, we've accomplished over 43,000 pupil engagements from around 180 schools through a combination of online sessions, in-person workshops, and interactive sessions in our inflatable planetarium under the North of Tyne contract.

Running concurrently over the last year, the second phase of our From STEM to Stars project, initiated in Spring 2022, successfully introduced astronomy, engineering, and other STEM fields to over 7,000 students from 44 different schools. Through a unique blend of studying the Carrington Event, a historical solar superstorm, we provided students with a tangible context for STEM subjects. Additionally, we established 41 Star Groups, after-school astronomy clubs that provided safe, inclusive spaces where over 900 students continued their education and exploring the cosmos.

20221202 123600

As we venture into the next phase of our educational journey, we are currently delivering a pilot of our new initiative, "Bold Futures", funded by Association of Science and Discovery Centres, Museums Association and Liminal Space. This programme is specifically designed for children who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education. We seek to harness the awe-inspiring power of astronomy to ignite their interest in STEM and unlock the life opportunities that come with studying these subjects.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by these children, we are committed to developing a programme tailored to their needs. In partnership with Jackie Edwards, a creative practitioner based in the North East, our ambition is to build a comprehensive, scalable programme that not only inspires excluded children but also contributes to reducing future exclusions.

At Kielder Observatory, we firmly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to look up at the night sky and feel a connection to the cosmos. Our mission is to ensure that no child falls by the wayside due to circumstances beyond their control. Our ongoing projects represent steps towards ensuring a more inclusive and accessible future - a future where every child, regardless of their background or challenges, can dream about the stars and witness a universe of possibilities unfolding before them.

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Education Lead, Adam Shore, reflects on Kielder Observatory's educational outreach programmes and what the future holds

)

Kielder Observatory recognises the value of Government Culture Recovery Fund

stdClass Object ( [id] => 261 [title] => Culture Recovery Fund Evaluation Report Published By DCMS [alias] => culture-recovery-fund-evaluation-report-published-by-dcms [introtext] =>

Kielder Observatory recognises the value of Government Culture Recovery Fund

[fulltext] =>

Culture Recovery Fund Evaluation Report Published By DCMS

Milkyway 1

Culture creates jobs, supports livelihoods, and brings joy to everyone. The UK leads the world in the creative industries and we can all feel pride in that.

As one of the recipients of the Government's Culture Recovery Fund, we are happy to see that a new, independent report has revealed that the Government's unprecedented £1.57 billion package of emergency cultural funding during the pandemic was delivered efficiently, helping support nearly 220,000 jobs and 5,000 organisations.

This groundbreaking funding not only allowed cultural organisations to reopen after coronavirus, but also empowered them to come back stronger. The evaluation found that once organisations were able to reopen as normal, they often did so with a new and improved offering thanks to the support they received from the Culture Recovery Fund, which was delivered in partnership with Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.

For Kielder Observatory it:

Allowed us to invest in the maintenance and upkeep of the Observatory buildings with significant improvements being made to the Gillian Dickinson Astro-Imaging Academy.
Allowed us to safely reopen the Observatory with refreshed safety signage and markers, sanitation supplies and PPR for staff.
Allowed us to invest time in digital outputs, particularly putting staff time into our podcast and AR app which is now published.
Allowed us to complete refresher training events, and health and safety before we opened as the staff had been away from their usual roles for several months.
Allowed us to take advantage of some publicity opportunities that we would not have been able to without the grant.
Allowed us to maintain regular payments to service providers.

#HereForCulture is a movement that unites the public, government and cultural organisations in support of our fantastic cinemas, theatres music venues, museums, galleries and heritage.

By being #HereForCulture, we aren't just supporting the people in the industry, we're also supporting communities across the country.

You can read more about the report here: Culture Recovery Fund evaluation report

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Kielder Observatory recognises the value of Government Culture Recovery Fund

)

Calling all young Northumberland artists

stdClass Object ( [id] => 256 [title] => Frank's Fellowship Round Two Opens [alias] => frank-s-fellowship-round-two-opens [introtext] =>

Calling all young Northumberland artists

[fulltext] =>

Applications now open for Frank's Fellowship

Calling all young Northumberland artists!

We are delighted to announce applications are now open for round two of our arts bursary scheme Frank’s Fellowship.

Frank’s Fellowship will support young artists in Northumberland aged 14-18 to develop work inspired by Kielder Observatory. Each artist will receive a bursary of £250 plus access to Kielder Observatory to help with their work. We would encourage anyone eligible to apply and are keen to see the diversity of young artists the region has to offer. There are no restrictions on your artform, you do not need to be formally studying your preferred artform, and we’d actively encourage everyone from visual artists to musicians, dancers to digital artists and all those in between to apply!

It is established in memory of Frank Fortescue, who loved nothing more than being in the forest and loved the night sky.

Applicants must be aged between 14 and 18 and resident in any part of Northumberland. It is not required that they are studying art or design at school or college. The bursary can be used to cover materials, travel to Kielder and other expenses.

No outcome is necessarily expected - while the creation of work is welcomed, this is a development opportunity for young people to experience new inspiration for their artistic practice.

To see a summary of round one recipients and their work achieved, take a look here: https://kielderobservatory.org/news/latest-news/246-frank-s-fellowship-supports-artists-night-sky-inspiration

Sarah, one of the 2022 cohort, said: “I was so grateful to receive the fellowship. It allowed me to buy new art materials and explore new approaches to being creative. I really enjoyed visiting the observatory and exploring its interrelationship with the landscape and the sky, which inspired my mixed media painting.”

To enter the 2023 round, all you have to do to apply is submit up to 300 words or a 2-minute video describing what this opportunity would mean to you. Application form here: https://forms.gle/NEFynQES8kxpxZGRA, application deadline is Sunday 30th April. Successful applicants will be able to attend a Fellowship day at the Observatory, have access to Observatory events for themselves and a legal guardian (subject to ticket availability) and be connected to the Observatory's professional artist network.

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Calling all young Northumberland artists

)

Bold Futures Grants awarded to seven Science and Discovery Centres across the UK- and we're one of them!

stdClass Object ( [id] => 253 [title] => Bold Futures Grants Announcement [alias] => bold-futures-grants-announcement [introtext] =>

Bold Futures Grants awarded to seven Science and Discovery Centres across the UK- and we're one of them!

[fulltext] =>

The Association for Science and Discovery Centres, the Museums Association and The Liminal Space have collaborated on a new national STEM engagement programme: Bold Futures. This project builds on the Inspiring Science Fund and the Science and Discovery Centre Futures report by The Liminal Space, commissioned by Wellcome as ISF legacy.

Bold Futures brings together a science centre cohort of activity champions for community representation and public engagement. The programme aims to undertake values-led work that involved underrepresented audiences and explores how this can affect future purpose and financial sustainability.

bold futures 2

As part of Bold Futures, ASDC is facilitating capacity building grants of £10,000-£25,000 across the science and discovery centre network. We are delighted to announce that seven organisations from across the UK have been awarded grants to deliver thier own Bold Futures programme, starting January 2023.

"At an ongoing time of uncertainty and challenge for science centres and museums, our purpose-driven members are steadfast in their vision for a more equitable and sustainable future for science and science engagement in the UK. Through this programme, we are both humbled and delighted to be able to support these seven members along their journey." - Shaaron Leverment- Chief Executive, ASDC.

The seven selected organisations are:

Armargh Observatory and Planetarium, Northern Ireland
Cambridge Science Centre
Centre for Alternative Technology, Wales
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
Kielder Observatory
Science Oxford
Wonderseekers, Winchester Science Centre

The successful projects represent a diverse mix of public engagement, involving and collaborating with specific chosen community partners to increase their opportunities to engage with STEM. These include collaborating with local underrepresented audiences such as SEN groups, excluded children, and children and families from socio-economically deprived areas. Each programme contains a strong element of co-creation with the chosen community group, with the aim to develop programmes that meet the needs and interests of these groups, leading to broader audiences overall and longer term sustainability and resilience for the organisations.

"We at Wellcome are thrilled that the Inspiring Science Fund was able to offer these legacy grants through the Bold Futures scheme, to enable more of the UK's amazing science and discovery centres to develop their engagement offers and relationships with lcoal communities and underserved audiences.

There was a fantastic range of applications for these grants which made the decisions on which programmes to fund very difficult, but we believe that these seven centres will make lasting impact by enabling positive changes for the future for their organisations and audiences alike.

Congratulations to all the awardees; I look forward to seeing how your ideas progress." - Sarah Dellar- Culture & Society Manager at Wellcome.

For more information on each of the Bold Futures programme please visit the ASDC website

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Bold Futures Grants awarded to seven Science and Discovery Centres across the UK- and we're one of them!

)

Kielder Observatory celebrates success from the WIN Awards 2022!

stdClass Object ( [id] => 250 [title] => The Women of Kielder Observatory lead the way [alias] => the-women-of-kielder-observatory-lead-the-way [introtext] =>

Kielder Observatory celebrates success from the WIN Awards 2022!

[fulltext] =>

Lessons in Leadership

We had a great night at the recent WIN Awards - winning the Women in STEM Award and being highly commended for the Leadership Award. Our CEO writes some lessons in leadership and culture in this blog. In essence, leaders don't suddenly emerge fully-formed, it's the work of a lifetime and anyone can be a great leader.

WIN Awards 2022

1. Study

Immerse yourself in stories of leadership as much as you can, books, podcasts, conference talks, and so much more. You don't have to learn everything from scratch.

2. Be you

Except, of course, that you do have to learn everything from scratch because you can only be the leader that you can be. Self-awareness, understanding what impact you have on others is critical. Being comfortable with who you are, while striving to always do better, allows everyone else to do the same.

3. Set the example

We're all human and we have good days and bad days. But overall, be clear on the culture, values and behaviours you expect in the organisation, and be a good example of them.

4. Don't expect steady state

Ever. Everyday, you'll be managing change, sometimes major, often minor. Your antennae should always be working - what does the team need, what does the organisation need? Develop those instincts, reflect on your development.

5. Leave a good wake

Try and leave a good wake behind you. I'm driven by a belief that, if you have talent it should be put into service, in a way that positively affects others.

6. Collaborate

Create and nurture a supportive network and culture, it is instrumental to being a successful leader. It's about how we work together as best we can - that's my leadership style. I will make the final decision but it's a consensus-led organisation.

Last thought...

Contrary to popular belief, it is not lonely at the top. One of the team asked if I thought being a CEO was isolating and I said not in the least. But you must have people around whom you trust, not just to do their job, but to put the effort in with you to develop an open, collaborate culture.

You can see all of the WIN Awards 2022 winners here

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Kielder Observatory celebrates success from the WIN Awards 2022!

)

We are delighted to share the news that Kielder Observatory has been awarded a VisitEngland Welcome accolade.

stdClass Object ( [id] => 249 [title] => Welcome Accolade awarded to Kielder Observatory [alias] => welcome-accolade-awarded-to-kielder-observatory [introtext] =>

We are delighted to share the news that Kielder Observatory has been awarded a VisitEngland Welcome accolade.

[fulltext] =>

VisitEngland has announced the 2021-2022 winners of its Visitor Attraction Accolades highlighting the quality and diversity of visitor experiences on offer across the country... and we're one of them!

Kielder Observatory has been awarded a VisitEngland Welcome accolade as a testament to the high standards achieved, which the assessors felt were truly deserving of recognition.

Welcome 2021 22a

We are in excellent company with our Northumberland friends at Roman Army Museum, The Vindolanda Trust and The Alnwick Garden who have all received accolades.

The winning attractions have gained the accolades based on scores received following their annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments. Marks were allocated to the 97 attractions for the outstanding experiences they provide to visitors across categories including Welcome, Best Told Story, Quality Food and Drink, Hidden Gem and Gold for overall winners.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

"It's so exciting to see our brilliant attractions providing experiences for visitors and to recognise and showcase the variety and quality across the country.

England has unmissable visitor attractions and experiences that deliver world-class customer service. They also provide the warmest of welcomes and unforgettable storytelling that connects the whole experience, including retail and food and drink offers that exceed expectations."

Introduced in 2014, the accolades are available to VisitEngland's Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme participants across a wide range of tourism experiences in England from museums and galleries, farm attractions, historic houses and gardens to churches, cathedrals and country parks. Participating attractions are supported by a network of highly trained experienced assessors who advise them on improving and promoting the quality, accessibility and sustainability of their offer.

Wee the full list of attractions to recieve VisitEngland 2021-2022 Visitor Attraction Accolades here.

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We are delighted to share the news that Kielder Observatory has been awarded a VisitEngland Welcome accolade.

)

We’re putting our energy into this campaign...

stdClass Object ( [id] => 247 [title] => Crowdfunding campaign launched for new wind turbine [alias] => crowdfunding-campaign-launched-for-new-wind-turbine [introtext] =>

We’re putting our energy into this campaign...

[fulltext] =>

Kielder Observatory needs a new wind turbine!

As we reach our 15th year as an outreach observatory, our fantastic site has faced all the elements, and it's taken its toll on our wind turbine. We are completely off-grid with our energy supply, and we rely on a wind turbine to help keep the observatory running- it is invaluable to our organisation.

That's why we're crowdfunding to raise over £30,000 to buy a new one.

Our new wind turbine will help us deliver over 700 events every year, improve the work we do and engage more people with the dark skies and provide memorable moments. It will enable us to continue to provide the best experience for visitors, ensuring they get the opportunity to explore the Dark Skies above Northumberland, reaching new audiences to give them their own 'Kielder Moment'.

Being based in Kielder Forest, we want to minimise any environmental impact- our wind turbine allows us to do this. It means we use a renewable energy source as well as having minimal impact on the amazing wildlife and landscape we are surrounded by. Without it, we would need to install a power supply which would cause disruption to the area. This will keep our energy costs low and we can invest our money into engaging more people with astronomy.

We pride ourselves on offering visitors the best experience we can, and we hope that those who have made the trip to us in the past, will help us sustain our observatory for the future.

Any pledge towards our target is much appreciated and we know not everyone is able to donate at this time. You can donate as little as £2 via our project page, and if you're not able to do that but do wish to support our campaign, then you can share our page on social media and encourage your friends and family to do the same!

Thank you for your ongoing support, and fingers crossed we hit our target!

You can donate now via our Spacehive Project Page : https://www.spacehive.com/kielder-observatory-wind-turbine

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We’re putting our energy into this campaign...

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YOUNG artists inspired by the night sky have showcased their work after receiving bursaries from a special fellowship.

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YOUNG artists inspired by the night sky have showcased their work after receiving bursaries from a special fellowship.

[fulltext] =>

Four artists, aged between 14 and 18, were given £250 each and access to Kielder Observatory for inspiration thanks to Frank’s Fellowship, which was established following a generous legacy from the late Frank Fortescue. There were no restrictions on which artform could be the subject of a bursary and entrants did not need to be formally studying their chosen artform.

Ethan Jewitt, 15, Sarah Dickinson, 14, Jacob Harrison, 17 and Jemima Green, 17 all live in Northumberland, attended a ‘fellowship day’ where they showcased their finished work and met with each other to talk about their art, which took the form of acrylic paint, mixed media and textiles.

Sarah said: “I was so grateful to receive the fellowship. It allowed me to buy new art materials and explore new approaches to being creative. I really enjoyed visiting the observatory and exploring its interrelationship with the landscape and the sky, which inspired my mixed media painting.”

A statement from Frank’s family said: “Frank loved nothing more than being in the forest and loved the night sky so we’re sure he would be pleased that his money is helping to support the next generation as they too are inspired by the dark skies above them.”

Catherine Johns, CEO of Kielder Observatory, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the family of Frank Fortescue for allowing us to set up this fellowship in his name. It was lovely to see how the artists were inspired by visits to the observatory and the skies and landscape around us and how that translated into their wonderful work.”

The next round of Frank’s Fellowship will be open for applications in 2023.

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YOUNG artists inspired by the night sky have showcased their work after receiving bursaries from a special fellowship.

)

Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society launches its new strategy for 2022-2025

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Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society launches its new strategy for 2022-2025

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Kielder Observatory: A New Strategy

Catherine Johns

We're delighted to publish the strategy for Kielder Observatory: a strategy that will guide our development for the next two years. It is the result of listening to myriad voices- our partners and stakeholders, our visitors, our trustees and staff.

Early on in the process, it became clear that we were very clear on our mission: to create opportunities for people of all backgrounds and abilities to experience moments of inspiration, revelation, wonder and hope through observing the cosmos. However, we needed to articulate the outcomes more clearly to capture who we want to be as an organisation, what we want to contribute to place and how we want people to feel. If we deliver our mission, these are the outcomes we hope to achieve:

People: Everyone feels represented, welcomed, enriched and inspired, enabling equality of access to opportunities in science, whether as a one-off engagement, participation in study (formal or informal), and/or a career
Place: We consistently inspire more people of all backgrounds and abilities to reflect upon their place in the universe and the fragility of the Earth, and catalyse individual and collective action in response to the need to protect our dark skies, and wider natural heritage
Organisation: We welcome the uncertainty of fresh challenge and continuously improve our offer as opportunities emerge from new technologies, new audiences and evolving practice.

The strategy goes into more detail about how we will achieve that. At the heart of everything we do is inspiration. A clear sky at Kielder is truly special: the air is crisp, the silence is bewitching, the stars are mesmerising. It is a reminder of how lucky we are to be alive on this tiny little planet near one of the billions of stars in one of the billions of galaxies that exist in the known universe. That's the Kielder moment, and it can transform people's lives.

We are proud of what we have achieved to date, but it feels as though we are just getting started. We hope you'll join us as we develop new activities, projects and programmes that convey that very special "Kielder moment" to as many people as possible. C

Catherine Johns, CEO

Please visit our Vision page to access the full strategy and read more about our aims and priorities

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Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society launches its new strategy for 2022-2025

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Catherine Johns, Kielder Observatory CEO, recently presented at the Creative Fuse conference in the North East. Here she talks about creativity in crisis and how Kielder Observatory has, and is, weathering the storm.

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[fulltext] =>

Creativity In Crisis

I was asked to share my thoughts on the role of creative practitioners and spaces in a crisis at the Creative Fuse conference and I wanted to highlight three points.

Firstly, crisis and change are normal. We know this from our observations of the universe - stars are born and die all of the time. The universe is in a permanent state of change. What's important is our response and our resilience and this is where organisations like Kielder Observatory come in. Change and crisis can provide opportunities to learn and experiment and we provide space for that.

The pandemic, for example, taught us that what we do is not just important, it's essential. Looking up at a sky full of stars has been a human birthright for millennia and has inspired our greatest thinkers, artists, scientists and story-tellers. However, in the last few decades this birthright has become unavailable to 80% of the world's population because of light pollution. Dark sky places are therefore essential to our well being.

Secondly, what is our response? For us, and many like us, the pandemic was almost a crisis of identity. We exist to connect with and inspire people with an experience that is visceral, felt, seen, heard... and shared. If you take that away from us, as the pandemic did, who are we? How could we replicate the physical experience of being at the Observatory? Of course, we couldn't- but what we could do is stay connected in different ways: AR apps, lesson plans, arts programmes, and much more.

Thirdly, what is our role in these seemingly crisis-ridden times? The challenge of climate change is real and soon to be irreversible with devastating consequences for our species and many others. What can we do about this? The answer is what we have always done. Our role is not to be didactic, to tell people what to think, do or feel.

Our role, and our mission, is to provide space for reflection, connection, hope and inspiration. How we do that changes as new technologies become available to us to reach new audiences, but the mission doesn't. Because without that catalytic moment of inspiration, nothing changes.

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Kielder Observatory has been making some improvements!

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Kielder Observatory has been making some improvements!

[fulltext] =>

Keeping Up Appearances

Our beloved Observatory has been open for over 14 years, and since then we've made plenty of changes and upgrades to both the facility and how we operate. From extending our reach at Kielder into the schools in Northumberland, to opening the Gillian Dickinson Astro Imaging Academy building in 2018. Kielder Observatory continues to grow.

Most recently we've made and planned a few more changes to improve our hilltop facility in Kielder. A timber building that spends over a decade amongst forestry experiences wear and tear from the elements, so we're going to be giving our Observatory some well-deserved TLC- conducting various building repairs, making minor fixes and ensuring we protect our home from inevitable damp.

Jupiter Sign

Speaking of forestry, the fast growing commercial Spruce trees surrounding the Observatory have been removed which guarantees unobstructed views through our telescopes. it allows native trees such as Pine, Rowan, Willow and Birch to come through, increasing the biodiversity surrounding us. The Observatory team are currently enjoying the last views of the resident Swallows before they migrate for the Autumn.

We're also in the process of improving safety and accessibility. Recently we opened a new composting toilet, and soon there will be a ramp installed to make this accessible for all users. We're also looking into lighting solution; at the Observatory we use red lights to preserve dark adapted vision whilst stargazing. The red lights that guide visitors up and down the track will be replaces and improved, and we're also looking into installing red strip lighting around the facility to improve visitor experience and safety.

Finally, through collaboration with Forestry England we now have a scale model of the solar system on the track that leads to the Observatory! On your next visit look out for the signs that feature each planet in our solar system, starting with Neptune in the bottom car park and finishing with the Sun at the top of the hill. The signs give you some interesting facts and information about each body, and the distances have been carefully measured to give you a real sense of scale on your way up Black Fell.

So, the next time you visit us, you'll be visiting an improved Observatory, featuring some exciting new additions to look out for. We hope to see you very soon.

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Kielder Observatory has been making some improvements!

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stdClass Object ( [id] => 236 [title] => Webb’s first images set the stage for a decade of discoveries [alias] => webb-s-first-images-set-the-stage-for-a-decade-of-discoveries [introtext] =>

[fulltext] =>

Webb’s first images set the stage for a decade of discoveries

Last night, 11th July 2022, the White House held a special event to preview one of the first science images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). President Biden was joined by Vice President Harris and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson to reveal the first “Webb Deep Field”: a stupendously beautiful image of a distant galaxy cluster showing thousands of previously unseen galaxies in the background. Today, more images are set to be revealed which will showcase the possibilities of the most powerful space telescope to change all areas of astronomy research. Just like the Hubble Space Telescope before it, JWST will bring us answers to questions which have not even been asked at launch.

KIEBlogNew2

After decades in development and months of launch delays, JWST (sometimes nicknamed “Webb”) finally lifted off on Christmas Day, 2021. If anything, it was the next few weeks which were the most fraught with terror for the astronomical community: with the Telescope launched, it was up to the automated systems to perform the delicate dance of unfolding the solar arrays and mirrors, before work on focusing could begin.

The first focused image from the primary mirror was released on 11th March 2022. A star which has previously been seen as eighteen separate images (a result of the mirror being made of eighteen hexagonal segments) was brought into brilliant focus, with a trove of faint galaxies visible in the background. Now the commissioning phase is over, JWST’s instruments are performing at or beyond their mission specification and the team have announced that there is enough fuel on board to last potentially twelve or more years.

The biggest difference between JWST and the Hubble Space Telescope is that the new telescope is designed to observe infrared light. Infrared (meaning ‘below red’) radiation is similar to the light our eyes can detect, only longer in wavelength and lower in energy. This is significant because, as our universe has expanded, light from the earliest stars and galaxies gets stretched from visible light into the infrared part of the spectrum, meaning JWST can literally see galaxies further back in the Universe than any telescope before it. Infrared radiation is also emitted by objects cooler than stars, such as galactic dust which glows in low energy infrared (known as “far infrared”, or FIR).

One reason it is so important to have a large infrared observatory in space is that infrared light does not travel well through the Earth’s atmosphere, so while observatories atop mountains and in arid locations such as the Atacama Desert have infrared capabilities, getting out of the atmosphere entirely is worth the hassle.

Perhaps the most incredible statistic about the preview image unveiled on Monday night is that the total exposure time was only around 12.5 hours, and yet the telescope was able to detect sources fainter than can be found in the Hubble Deep Field which were exposed for over a week.

Clearly visible in the foreground of the image are a number of stars. They are distinguishable by their six-pronged diffraction spikes, a by-product of the arms which hold the telescope’s secondary mirror in place. Every other source in the image is a galaxy, each containing billions of stars.

The cluster in the centre of the image, known as SMACS 0723, had been observed by the Hubble Space Telescope and was known to be a good example of an effect known as gravitational lensing. Each of the yellow-white blobs is a massive elliptical galaxy which has been created by the merging of several smaller galaxies, but there is yet more matter there in the form of Dark Matter. All this comes together to create a gravitational pull so strong that light from background galaxies is pulled in new directions on its way past. The arcs you see around the edge of the cluster are galaxies situated behind the cluster but whose light has been bent back towards us as it passed the foreground cluster.

Due to the tiny angles typically involved in gravitational lensing, it is only visible as an effect when looking at truly distant galaxies (SMACS 0723 is around 4 billion light years away). This is why JWST’s unparalleled resolving power and sensitivity will play such a vital part in understanding how dark matter is distributed throughout the Universe.

But it is not just pretty pictures which will come from this new observatory, it also houses two state of the art spectral instruments which will allow even more knowledge to be gleaned from objects far and near in the Universe.

KIEBlogNew3

The spectrum being released Tuesday is of the exoplanet WASP 96b. This world is twice the mass of Saturn and yet orbits its host star in just under four days. One of the science goals of JWST is to use the fact that light from a star will have to pass through the atmosphere if an exoplanet transiting in front of it, meaning the profile of absorption lines carved out of the star’s spectrum will be slightly different within and outwith transits. JWST’s infrared spectrometers are sensitive enough to pick out these differences, allowing us to study exoplanets in greater detail than ever before and hopefully find atmospheres around exoplanets which might be capable of hosting life.

KIEblogpostimage0101

Two more targets within our galaxy will be revealed by JWST’s imaging cameras during the press event: the Carina Nebula and the Southern Ring Nebula. The Carina Nebula is an enormous (over 200 light year wide) cloud of gas which is collapsing to form new stars, it also plays host to Eta Carina, an unstable pair of massive stars of which one which may be close to going supernova. The Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132) is a bubble of gas expelled by a medium sized star (more massive than our Sun but no more than about eight times its mass) at the end of its life. Such stars do not explode in a supernova but rather puff out the outermost layers of their atmospheres to reveal their central carbon core, known as a white dwarf star.

In visible light images of these nebulae, we see glowing gas illuminated by the energetic ultraviolet and x-ray light from the white dwarf or from bright, young stars. In a star-forming nebula such as the Carina Nebula, we know that it is in the coldest areas where gravity can begin pulling the slow-moving gas together to create new stars. JWST’s cameras will allow us to pull back what had previously been an obscuring curtain of opaque, cold dust and probe the regions around newly forming stars in greater detail. We will also be able to better understand how quickly the Universe came to be filled with heavy elements (to astronomers, ‘heavy’ elements means any atom larger than helium).

The final target on the list for JWST’s press day is called Stephen’s Quintet. This group of interacting galaxies is unique in this list in that they are in the northern celestial hemisphere, making them observable from here at Kielder, though only with our camera-equipped telescopes. This group of spiral and irregular galaxies is locked in a billions of years long dance towards merging into a giant elliptical galaxy. While we can observe the light from the stars in the galaxies, we can extract more information about the nature of these galaxies’ interactions by studying the darker dust. When galaxies merge, the stars do not generally collide with each other as the distance between them is too vast. However the larger dust clouds, with matter more evenly spread through space, do collide and this can lead to bursts of star formation in recently merged galaxies. JWST will be able to measure which of the large clumps of gas within these galaxies have begun to warm up as the result of new stars forming deep within them.

We are only at the beginning of the JWST era, which will see some of the greatest leaps forward in our understanding of the Universe. Each result is a testament to the diligence and dedication thousands of astronomers and engineers, from around the world, who painstakingly designed, refined, built, tested, modelled, rebuilt, launched and commissioned this telescope into its current, science-ready state. The debate over whether James Webb, who oversaw two US Government organisations throughout a period where it was routine for Government employees to lose their jobs for even being suspected of being homosexual, is an appropriate figure to name such an historic observatory after will continue among the astronomical community.

The wait for JWST science operations has been long, and at times it may have felt like we might not reach this moment, but if the results we have seen so far are anything to go by then it will absolutely have been worth the wait.

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)

Photographer brings Kielder dark skies down to earth

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Photographer brings Kielder dark skies down to earth

[fulltext] =>

Photographer brings Kielder dark skies down to earth

A photographic exhibition is giving visitors the chance to explore the darkness of a winter Kielder night throughout the summer months.

Created by photographic artist Helen McGhie, and located on the Skyspace walking trail, the exhibition explores a night of winter stargazing at Kielder through portraits suspended between the trees. The portraits show stargazers, astronomy equipment and the environment.

Helen is Senior Lecturer in Photography at the University of Sunderland. The exhibition ‘Another Dimension’ is part of her PhD research, exploring how photographic art can create new ways to experience dark skies in northern England. The work is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s National Productivity Investment Fund.

Helen said: “My photographs aim to bring a sense of the winter dark sky experience to the summer. I’m interested in those moments when our eyes adapt to night vision, which can feel a bit unsettling at first. I remember the first time I visited Kielder – I got out of my car, stretched out my arm and couldn’t see my hand!

“Through this work I have tried to capture the imaginative experience of stargazing. I like to look up at the sky and imagine distant worlds, I sometimes wonder if there are others looking back at me from elsewhere in the universe. It’s fun to imagine that Earth might be a curious ‘other world’ that another planet may wish to discover.”

Catherine Johns, CEO Kielder Observatory, said: “Kielder Observatory has worked in partnership with Helen for several years and her uniquely creative art helps bring new audiences and new experiences to our dark skies and explores how they inspire us. We’re delighted to have a new exhibition on the walk to the observatory.”

Another Dimension outdoor photography exhibit

Alex MacLennan, Recreation, Public Affairs Manager Northumberland, Forestry England, said: “This project is another great example of how people engage with the dark skies of Northumberland International Dark Sky Park which was created in 2013.

“We are thrilled to be working with Helen and Sunderland University nine years on in a new way to engage and showcase Kielder and this project will be really popular with visitors walking or cycling up to Skyspace and onto Kielder Observatory.”

A series of walking tours will be scheduled as part of the exhibition. There are 11 banners installed on part of the Skyspace walking trail (starting from Skyspace car park) in Kielder Forest. Ticketed parking is available at Skyspace car park at all times, please note there is no vehicular access to the track except for those with a ticket for an observatory event in the evening (please follow traffice flow rules). The walking tour launches for the bank holiday weekend (2 June) and the work is on show until the 30 September.

Helen is keen to hear what people think of the exhibition and welcomes comments through social media: @visitkielder #kielderdarkskies or contact Helen at: helen.mcghie@sunderland.ac.uk.

You can also view a virtual part of Another Dimension hosted on our website, link here.

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Photographer brings Kielder dark skies down to earth

)

Kielder Observatory opens doors for new light nights festival

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Kielder Observatory opens doors for new light nights festival

[fulltext] =>

Kielder Observatory opens doors for new light nights festival

Late Nights Light Nights! Yes, we are famed for our dark skies at Kielder but we thought we'd have some fun with the lighter nights of summer so come to the Obsy for some comedy, a movie, and a light year academy for kids! 24th - 26th June, one weekend only - don't miss out!

The Late Nights, Light Nights Festival will kick off on Friday June 24 with a comedy night featuring comic group Felt Nowt, with comedians, Lauren Stone, Sean Turner and hosted by Elaine Robertson. After the show, there will be the opportunity for some star gazing, weather permitting, and a tour of the observatory.

Comedy host Elaine Robertson

On Saturday and Sunday (June 25-26), the Light Year Academy will see all the observatory’s Space Kid events combined into one stellar show. Children can learn about the solar system, our planet, have a tour of the observatory, help detect different types of invisible light, and look at the observatory’s space rock collection. It will be followed by a talk about space exploration and astronauts before children have the opportunity to make their own rockets.

Saturday evening features a screening of the classic sci-fi film starring Jodie Foster, Contact, followed by a presentation to explore the science behind the film by one of the astronomers and a tour of the observatory.

Catherine Johns, CEO of Kielder Observatory, said: “Kielder is famous for its dark skies, but we thought we would have a bit of fun with the lighter nights, demonstrating there is always something to see in the night sky. We hope this Late Nights, Light Nights Festival inspires and entertains our visitors just as much as our highly sought-after Late Nights Dark Skies events.”

For our full calendar of events at the observatory click here.

Pic cap: Elaine Robertson will be hosting the comedy night featuring Felt Nowt.

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Kielder Observatory opens doors for new light nights festival

)

Spectacular Jubilee beacon to crown 2,000 foot forest peak

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Spectacular Jubilee beacon to crown 2,000 foot forest peak

[fulltext] =>

The highest tribute! Steve Cram to light Jubilee beacon on 2,000 foot peak

-Update - tickets now sold out. Waiting list available through link below.-

One of the highest beacons in Northumberland is set to be lit in Kielder Water and Forest Park to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The lofty tribute by Forestry England and Kielder Observatory will be ignited by athletics legend Steve Cram CBE at 21.45 on Thursday 2 June.

Its spectacular location on top of 2,000 foot Deadwater Fell will mean it is visible for hundreds of square miles across the Borders between Scotland and England. Forming one of 1,500 so called “anchor beacons” being lit in the UK and Commonwealth this major initiative is being co-ordinated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Kielder Observatory has also linked up with forest chiefs to provide a spectacular public viewpoint of the occasion across the valley.

Alex MacLennan, Recreation and Public Affairs Manager in Northumberland for Forestry England, commented: “From the summit it’s claimed that you can see both the Solway Firth and the North Sea on a clear day so we could hardly have found a better place to light the beacon. It’s a real privilege for everyone at Kielder to be part of this special celebration and we are also thrilled to have Steve Cram doing the honours. It will be a fabulous sight and we’ve got fingers' crossed for good weather."

Catherine Johns, Chief Executive Officer of Kielder Observatory, added: “We’re excited to join in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Kielder Observatory will be such an inspirational place to witness the beacon being lit and be part of this historic event. We’ll also be livestreaming the beacon lighting from one of our telescopes, subject to the weather being clear, for those who are unable to attend.” Tickets for the event are free and can be booked here. Priority will be given to people who live in the Kielder and the North Tyne areas but anyone can register in case spaces become available. UPDATE - tickets now sold out, but waiting list is available by signing up using the above link.

Kielder Beacon Deadwater Fell Copy

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Spectacular Jubilee beacon to crown 2,000 foot forest peak

)

Lunar eclipses are fascinating, beautiful celestial events. Read more to find out how they happen and how to see them.

stdClass Object ( [id] => 231 [title] => What is a Lunar Eclipse [alias] => what-is-a-lunar-eclipse [introtext] =>

Lunar eclipses are fascinating, beautiful celestial events. Read more to find out how they happen and how to see them.

[fulltext] =>

What is a Lunar Eclipse

By Naz Jahanshahi

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth perfectly aligns itself between the Sun and the Moon, obstructing the light from the Sun and stopping it from lighting up the Moon’s surface. As the Moon begins to enter Earth’s shadow, its face begins to darken more and more until the Sun is completely hidden by the Earth. At this stage, the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra – the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow – and takes on a reddish hue. The red light reflecting on the Moon’s surface during the total eclipse phase is due to the light from the Sun passing through the Earth's atmosphere at the edges of our planet and being bent towards the Moon. This can be better understood if we think about it as if we are seeing the light from all of the sunrises and sunsets on Earth reflecting off the lunar surface.

So, what is a partial or a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?

A partial lunar eclipse or a penumbral lunar eclipse takes place when the Sun, Earth and Moon do not perfectly align. A partial lunar eclipse happens when the Moon only passes through a small part of the Earth’s umbra, therefore only a fraction of the Moon will appear red. However, a penumbral lunar eclipse is different. Sometimes, the Moon only passes into the Earth’s penumbra, the dimmer part of Earth’s shadow that exists around the umbra. Some parts of the Moon’s surface will appear darker, but penumbral lunar eclipses are far less apparent.

IMG 8976 2 Copy

What is the duration of a Lunar Eclipse?

The duration of a total lunar eclipse can be up to a couple of hours. Add on the time it takes for the Earth and the Moon to perfectly align, the whole event can go on for quite a while. Plenty of opportunity to set up cameras or telescopes, or to give the clouds a chance to shift!

When can I see a Lunar Eclipse?

Being able to see a lunar eclipse depends on your location and where the moon is in the sky at that location when it is occurring. If your location is on the daytime side of the planet when the event is taking place, then it will not be possible to see it. This means we can see some lunar eclipses from the UK, but not all. Visit timeanddate.com/eclipse/ and enter your location to see a list of all of the visible lunar and solar eclipses from where you are. The next lunar eclipse that will be visible from the UK will happen in the very early morning hours of May 16th. It begins at around 2:30am (may differ by a few minutes for different parts of the UK) when the Moon will begin to enter the Earth’s penumbra. The moon will begin to enter the umbra and start to look red around 3:30am. A total lunar eclipse will take place at 4:30am, when the Moon will look completely red. The Moon will be very close to the southwestern horizon when this happens, so an unobstructed view in this direction is essential. Finding a hill or a high point in your area is recommended. As the total lunar eclipse phase begins, the Moon may quickly become too faint to see at all, but the darkening of the moon before this happens is still a spectacular sight.

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Lunar eclipses are fascinating, beautiful celestial events. Read more to find out how they happen and how to see them.

)

Kielder Observatory - Hundreds of youngsters to benefit from STEM to Stars project

A project to inspire school children across the North East to reach for the stars and pursue careers in STEM has received funding to reach even more youngsters.

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A project to inspire school children across the North East to reach for the stars and pursue careers in STEM has received funding to reach even more youngsters.

[fulltext] =>

STEM to Stars project supported by the Reece Foundation

Kielder Observatory, set in Kielder Water and Forest Park, in Northumberland, has secured a further grant from the Reece Foundation to send its astronomers into 45 more schools across the North East.

The children are formed into Kielder Star Groups and carry out science and engineering learning activities. The students are part of an observing group where they have an astronomer on call, remote tuition and mentoring.

Students who contribute the most to the groups have the opportunity to become Kielder Observatory Ambassadors where they receive extra tuition and work placements at Kielder. Further placements are then identified for some ambassadors at cutting edge companies or universities.

Catherine Johns, CEO of Kielder Observatory, said: “We’re delighted that once again the Reece Foundation has supported our STEM to Stars project, enabling even more young people to be inspired. We want children to make the direct link between STEM subjects at school and STEM career opportunities.

“We’re also looking forward to seeing participants become part of Kielder Constellations, an ongoing network of students, academics and business people who are, or who have been, part of the project.”

Zoe Carr, CEO, of WISE Academies, which will be taking part in the project said the schools were delighted to have been part of the pilot and were looking forward to students benefitting further.

STEM1

She said: “Our young people thoroughly enjoyed working with the astronomers and their visit to the Kielder Observatory. In our end of project survey, around 60 per cent of students expressed they would be interested in pursuing a STEM related career. It’s fantastic that our primary aged pupils are becoming increasingly aware of the possibilities they have ahead of them through projects like this one.”

As part of the learning activities, the project will explore the Carrington Event and look at the innovation and engineering needed to build a more resilient world. The 1859 Carrington event, named after Richard Carrington, an observer at Durham University, was the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history which knocked out the fledgling telegraph system.

Added Catherine: “If something similar happened today it could be catastrophic, with satellites and power knocked out, bringing our world to a standstill. Exploring the effect of another Carrington allows us to use astronomy as a way to think about climate change, data science and engineering.”

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A project to inspire school children across the North East to reach for the stars and pursue careers in STEM has received funding to reach even more youngsters.

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Frank's Fellowship bursary now open for applications

Applications have now opened for Frank's Fellowship bursary for young artists in Northumberland to be inspired by Kielder Observatory

stdClass Object ( [id] => 229 [title] => Frank's Fellowship [alias] => frank-s-fellowship [introtext] =>

Applications have now opened for Frank's Fellowship bursary for young artists in Northumberland to be inspired by Kielder Observatory

[fulltext] =>

Applications now open for Frank's Fellowship

It is established in memory of Frank Fortescue, who loved nothing more than being in the forest and loved the night sky.

Applicants must be between 14 and 18 and resident in any part of Northumberland. It is not required that they are studying art or design at school or college. The bursary can be used to cover materials, travel to Kielder and other expenses.

No outcome is necessarily expected - while the creation of work is welcomed, this is a development opportunity for young people to experience new inspiration for their artistic practice.

There will be two rounds for applicants, one in 2022 and one in 2023. To enter, all you have to do to apply is submit up to 300 words or a 2-minute video describing what this opportunity would mean to you. Successful applicants will be able to attend a Fellowship day at the Observatory, have access to Observatory events for themselves and a legal guardian (subject to ticket availability) and be connected to the Observatory's professional artist network.

To apply please complete our online form here. If you are under 18 years old a parent or guardian will need to sign the form too before submission. Applications close on Monday 25th April 2022.

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Applications have now opened for Frank's Fellowship bursary for young artists in Northumberland to be inspired by Kielder Observatory

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Hannah Matterson has joined the team at Kielder Observatory as the new operations and marketing director.

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Hannah Matterson has joined the team at Kielder Observatory as the new operations and marketing director.

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Kielder Observatory appoints new operations and marketing director

Hannah Matterson has joined the team Kielder Observatory.

Hannah has worked in a variety of roles over the last ten years, including as CEO of music talent development agency generator, Innovation Partnerships Developer with Manchester Metropolitan University and as a fundraiser and development manager for a number of cultural organisations across the North East. Her career to date has been focused around building cross-sector partnerships, developing businesses and promoting greater access to the arts for many communities. She will continue to pursue those avenues with regard to STEM activity and support the whole team at Kielder Observatory.

Catherine Johns, CEO, of Kielder Observatory, said: “We’re delighted that someone with Hannah’s skills and experience has joined the team as we drive the development strategy forward. Hannah will be a valuable support to the charity as we continue to expand and reach out to more communities so they can experience the wonder of Kielder no matter where they are in the country.”

Hannah added: “I’m thrilled to have joined the team at Kielder Observatory. Astronomy is such a fascinating subject, one which I’m learning more about each day, and I can’t wait to put my knowledge and experience to good use to help the observatory further develop its offer to those across the North East and beyond.”

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Hannah Matterson has joined the team at Kielder Observatory as the new operations and marketing director.

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North East astro-tourism boosted by Forestry England partnership

Kielder Observatory and Forestry England have signed a partnership agreement which will increase opportunities for more dark sky tourism within the nation’s forests in Northumberland.

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Kielder Observatory and Forestry England have signed a partnership agreement which will increase opportunities for more dark sky tourism within the nation’s forests in Northumberland.

[fulltext] =>

North East astro-tourism boosted by Forestry England partnership

Kielder Observatory and Forestry England have signed a partnership agreement which will increase opportunities for more dark sky tourism within the nation’s forests in Northumberland.

The two organisations will develop a joint inclusion strategy to open up astro-tourism to more diverse communities and create additional stargazing opportunities around Kielder Castle and the wider Kielder location. It will build on the current dark skies tourism offering which is worth more than £25m per year to Northumberland, generating around 450 jobs.

Staff at Forestry England recently helped clear the track to Kielder after a number of trees blocked entry to the site following the chaos caused by Storm Arwen. The observatory, which is set in the beautiful Kielder Water and Forest Park, in Northumberland, has seen its events sell out fast following the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Catherine Johns, CEO, of Kielder Observatory, said: “Kielder has always been a hub for stargazers and the observatory has become a beacon location for that and has attracted a huge amount of visitors with sell out events consistently.

“Forests can provide excellent locations for public access to stargazing with minimal pollution from artificial light. The partnership with Forestry England will create a great opportunity to develop more stargazing events in Northumberland which will mean more visitors and more jobs.”

Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission, responsible for managing and promoting the nation’s forests in England.

Kevin May, forestry management director, North Forest District said: “The nation’s forests provide some of the darkest skies in England and offer great opportunities for stargazing. This formalising of our partnership with Kielder Observatory will provide even greater opportunities to connect more people with the nation’s forests, through an inclusive and diverse outreach offer, providing fantastic experiences and educational opportunities.

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Kielder Observatory and Forestry England have signed a partnership agreement which will increase opportunities for more dark sky tourism within the nation’s forests in Northumberland.

)

New radio telescope at Kielder Observatory

A large 5 metre radio telescope has been added to the equipment at Kielder Observatory, thanks to the Tanlaw Foundation and Northumberland County Council.

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A large 5 metre radio telescope has been added to the equipment at Kielder Observatory, thanks to the Tanlaw Foundation and Northumberland County Council.

[fulltext] =>

A VISITOR attraction under some of the finest dark skies in Europe has taken delivery of a new telescope which will boost space tourism in the North and make distance learning about the Universe possible.

The five-metre diameter Spider 500 radio telescope has been installed at Kielder Observatory, which is set in the beautiful Kielder Forest, in Northumberland.

Radio astronomy was responsible for the discovery of the Big Bang theory and, as it detects radio waves coming from space, it is weatherproof, which means observers are not reliant on clear skies.

Catherine Johns, CEO of Kielder Observatory, said the move into radio astronomy would allow Kielder to contribute to worldwide scientific research and attract university research into Northumberland as well as developing its remote outreach activities. It could also boost tourism in and around Northumberland by approximately £150,000 per year.

She said: “This investment will make a dramatic difference in our offering as it means people will be able to access the observatory remotely. A school child in Sunderland or Darlington, for example, will be able to experience Kielder without stepping foot here.

“We can use it for citizen science projects and engage a wide variety of audiences in STEM, inspiring and illuminating career pathways and providing student placements and apprenticeship opportunities. It’s an exciting time in the history of Kielder.”

The acquisition and installation of the telescopes was mostly funded by The Tanlaw Foundation and Northumberland County Council. The Tanlaw Foundation will use the telescope to reach a wider, hitherto excluded audience to observe the universe and create distance learning in astronomy, data science and astrobiology.

The observatory, which attracts thousands of visitors per year, has a team of astronomers, guest speakers and volunteers who discuss and make observations about the Universe through a series of public events.

Radio2space team shot at Kielder Observatory

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A large 5 metre radio telescope has been added to the equipment at Kielder Observatory, thanks to the Tanlaw Foundation and Northumberland County Council.

)

Robby Graham, an award-winning Choreographer and Artistic Director of North East based dance theatre company Southpaw, will lead the creative team.

Plans are underway to create a large-scale arts spectacular in Northumberland with professional performers cast alongside people from the local community.

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Plans are underway to create a large-scale arts spectacular in Northumberland with professional performers cast alongside people from the local community.

[fulltext] =>

Huge Outdoor Arts Spectacular Planned for Kielder

Plans are underway to create a large-scale arts spectacular in Northumberland with professional performers cast alongside people from the local community.

Arts Council England has awarded research and development funding for the exciting project which will take advantage of the beautiful dark skies at Kielder Water and Forest Park.

The idea has already attracted two of the UK’s artistic leading lights, who will create a production which will bring to life the stories and histories of the communities in and near Kielder.

Robby Graham, an award-winning Choreographer and Artistic Director of North East based dance theatre company Southpaw, will lead the creative team. Robby specialises in creating large scale productions involving casts of hundreds and choreographed shows such as the acclaimed Angels in America at the National Theatre and Pericles, the National Theatre’s first public arts performance incorporating over 200 cast members.

Will Todd Credit Andy Holdsworth 500px

Critically acclaimed composer, Will Todd, will join Robby and provide input around musical direction. Will’s recent work includes an oratorio for The Bach Choir written with former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen and operas for the Welsh National Opera and Opera North. His work is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.

The event will explore what the dark skies of Kielder mean to the people living in the North Tyne area create a digital legacy, with augmented reality experiences linked to the art and architecture installations around the Kielder Water and Forest Park.

The eight-strong artistic team will be carrying out research and development workshops in Kielder this winter, alongside technical investigative work, before looking to raise the tens of thousands of pounds needed to put on the spectacular next summer.

Spinning Sky 500px

The project is the brainchild of Catherine Johns, CEO, of Kielder Observatory who said the concept originated from the observatory’s desire to work more closely with the communities in and around Kielder.

She said: “The act of sitting under the stars and telling stories and creating art has been part of human experience for as long as we know. With 85 per cent of the world’s population now living under light polluted skies, our dark skies are so precious and are such a cultural asset.

“We’ll be bringing participatory arts to Kielder in a way that is new and fresh. We want to explore what dark skies mean in a cultural sense and how to create a meaningful dark sky narrative around the landmarks of the Kielder Art and Architecture programme.”

It is believed the event will build on the current dark skies tourism offering which is worth more than £25m per year to Northumberland, generating around 450 jobs.

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Plans are underway to create a large-scale arts spectacular in Northumberland with professional performers cast alongside people from the local community.

)

Kielder Observatory receives funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund

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Kielder Observatory receives funding from the National Lottery Heritage Cultural Recovery Fund

We were delighted to be awarded £23,300 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund Cultural Recovery Fund. This was a welcome investment in maintaining our core team, upgrading our observatory buildings and keeping them COVID-secure for visitors. We were one of over 470 organisations to receive funding, which came from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and was designed to support heritage recover from the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) and it built on more than £146m delivered to the sector in the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund, which included funding for revenue and capital works. For more details, see the news story on NLHF's website https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/over-470-heritage-organisations-receive-culture-recovery-fund-lifeline

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)

A Pale Blue Dot taken by the Voyager space probe in 1990

Can you name or own a star? Ellie, one of our Astronomers, discusses websites which offer the opportunity to buy or name a star. Can you buy a star? Who can name a star? Why don’t Kielder Observatory offer this service?

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[fulltext] =>

A Star by Any Other Name: Can you name or own a star?

By Ellie Macdonald

A quick search on the internet of “Buy a star” will turn up dozens of websites that offer you the chance to name or even buy a star. At Kielder Observatory we frequently receive emails asking about these services and enquiring if we offer similar. We have never and nor will we ever offer a service like this because of one simple reason: you cannot own a star and we do not have the authority to name one.

The signing of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty

(The signing of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Credit: United Nations)

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty was introduced in light of the “Space Race” between the US and the USSR and it aimed to set out some base rules for space. Article II of the treaty states:

“Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.”

The treaty also says that that governments are responsible for public and private organisations that operate within their country, so that they too have to act according to the treaty. The treaty was an attempt to find a compromise between the USSR, who wanted space to be the preserve of governments, and the US, who wanted the private sector to have the same access. In other words - there is a ratified UN treaty that prevents you from owning a star, or any other celestial body.

A star by any other name

So, you cannot own a star, but what about naming? Many of the services offer you the chance to name a star in memory of a loved one or as a gift, and have it placed into a registry or catalogue. The official naming of stars is the domain of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU support the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) which is an international group of astronomers who research and catalogue star names drawing on cultural and historical traditions. You can read more about how exactly they determine proper names here. A proper name is a name you would use to recognise a star like you would a place or person, such as Sirius “the scorcher” or Alphard “the solitary one” rather than a scientific designation. No one outside of the IAU have the authority to give a “proper” name to a star.

Stars which have not received a “proper” name from the WGSN are typically referred to by one or many of their catalogue numbers. Star catalogues are lists of stars which assign a designation to each observed star and log certain characteristics such as magnitude, spectral class, distance, amongst others. There are well over 100 star catalogues and establishing one is not particularly difficult. Some of the star catalogues most used by astronomers are the Hipparcos (HIP), Tycho-2 (TYC), Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), and Henry Draper (HD) catalogues.

Companies which offer the opportunity to name a star can do so by simply starting their own star catalogue (by just listing stars) and then selling off stars. The stars named through these services are named only on this one specific catalogue. Some of them assign stars at random, so there is no guarantee that the star you pay to name on their catalogue is visible. The star in question may never rise above the horizon from your locality, or it may be too faint to observe from most telescopes on the planet.

Can you name a star as a gift?

Down to earth

The urge to name a star after someone is not new. The Henry Draper star catalogue was named after him as his wife Mary Anna funded the creation of it. On a personal note - I know what it is to love and lose someone close to me. I know the urge to render a finite life and an infinite love into something that will outlive everyone. I understand why this is appealing, but at the same time I want to make it absolutely clear what it is that you are purchasing when you go to these sites.

At the end of the day what you are buying is a certificate (and sometimes assorted accompaniments). If this is what you want - all power to you. This said, the star you name will not be recognised by that name by anyone other than you. The star you name may not even be observable under the best conditions at the most ideal location.

This may seem all very negative at this point - you cannot name nor can you own a star. What can you do then? The saying “we’re made of star stuff” is as true now as ever and you can keep this in mind. You don’t need to name a star because all that is you was once a star. Energy, therefore matter in a sense, cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system such as the universe, we are stuck in this cosmic recycling plant. This is the first law of thermodynamics. Each one of us has always been “here” in some form, and always will be. You and your loved ones are older than all those stars in the sky anyway.

A gift from space

If you are looking for a space-themed gift for a loved one then meteorites make great tangible presents. Meteorites are rocks that originate from a source in outer space and that have fallen to the Earth’s surface. Some of these meteorites are older than Earth itself and you can hold them, smell them, lick them (if you are a geologist). Take care to look for authentication when sourcing meteorites though, look for sellers that are reputable and try to get verification prior to acquisition, particularly for larger samples. We often stock some meteorites which we sell during our events at the observatory.

We love the stars here at Kielder Observatory, but part of their beauty is their universality. They don’t really belong to us small stargazers on this pale blue dot, and that is the way it should stay.

The pale blue dot revisited

(The pale blue dot revisited. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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In 2020 three missions launched with the same destination in mind - Mars. About half of all Mars missions have failed, but with Hope and Tianwen-1 already in orbit and working well, 2021 could well be shaping up to be a year of historic success. No pressure Perseverance.

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Perseverance, Hope, and Questions to Heaven

By Eleanor Macdonald, Astronomer

In 2020 the planets aligned, quite literally, and 3 missions launched with the same destination in mind- Mars. About half of all Mars missions have failed, but with Hope and Tianwen-1 already in orbit and working well, 2021 could well be shaping up to be a year of historic success. No pressure Perseverance.

The United Arab Emirates’ Hope probe was the first of this batch of missions to reach the red planet. After 7 months and having travelled 494 million kilometres it entered Mars orbit on Tuesday evening. A few days later, Hope sent back its first picture of Mars:

marsbyhope

[Caption: The image captured daylight breaking on Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system. Credit: UAESA]

The Hope probe will spend the next 2 years orbiting Mars and collecting data to provide the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere. The team at the Emirates Mars Mission want to understand climate dynamics on Mars, and also to answer key questions about the rate at which Mars loses hydrogen and oxygen gases to space.

The day after Hope, Tianwen-1 also established orbit around Mars. Tianwen roughly translates to “Questions to Heaven”. It is the first successful interplanetary mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and consists of an orbiter, deployable camera, lander, and rover. Tainwen-1 will spend the next few months orbiting Mars before attempting to land the rover. In that time, it will be scanning the surface of Mars to refine the target landing zone for the rover in Utopia Planitia. Should the CNSA be successful in landing their rover they would be only the second space agency to do so, after NASA. The objectives for the mission include studying surface soil characteristics, the distribution of water ice, and Mars’s magnetic field.

Finally, on the 18th of February the third mission that was launched during the 2020 launch window will reach Mars. The Perseverance rover is the centrepiece of the $2.5 billion Mars 2020 mission from NASA. It is about the same size as a small car and weighs in at just over 1000kg. The design of the Perseverance rover, affectionately nicknamed “Percy”, is based on that of the Curiosity rover but there are plenty of new additions.

percyscientific
[Caption: A diagram of the Perseverance rover which labels its scientific instruments. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]

Perhaps the most exciting new feature being sent to Mars with Perseverance is the Ingenuity helicopter. The entire purpose of Ingenuity is to be a technology demonstration. It will reach Mars attached to the belly of Perseverance and after a few months it will be placed on the Martian surface and attempt- for the first time- powered flight on another planet.

ginny

[Caption: An artist’s impression of the Ingenuity helicopter and the Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]

Mars’s atmosphere is thin, only 1% as thick as Earth’s, and this makes generating the lift necessary for flight difficult. In order to make it possible Ingenuity has been made as light as possible at only 1.8kg. If the technology can be successfully demonstrated it will pave the way for future helicopter missions to Mars. The hope is that helicopters could be useful on Mars by allowing us a birds-eye view of geological features and to set sight on regions traditionally off-limit to rovers due to steep or slippery terrain.

3 Ellipse Map v3 PartialAnnotation

[Caption: The Jezero crater and planned landing site for the Perseverance rover. To the left of the landing site you can see a water inlet and an ancient river delta. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]

Perseverance will be aiming to land in the Jezero crater. This site has been selected due to the likelihood that it used to contain water. In images it appears to have both in inlet and outlet as well as an ancient river delta. River deltas are landforms created by the deposition of sediment from rivers as they run into slow-moving or stagnant water sources, such as lakes. The hope is that the river deltas on Mars will, like Earth, contain a large amount of organic matter. This is important because Percy’s raison d’être is to finally answer the question we’ve been asking for years: Is there life on Mars?

Well, almost. Perseverance doesn’t aim to investigate if there is currently life on Mars, rather it is looking to find evidence of past life. This is something that has been investigated to some extent by most surface Mars missions, but Perseverance has the best chance yet of getting us a definitive answer.

Previous rovers have searched for signs of life by pulverising rock into a fine dust and heating it to essentially see if it smells of dead stuff. Perseverance won’t be crushing rock; it will be drilling into it in order to obtain a core sample which will then be packed safely away. The goal is to collect around 0.5kg of rock which will, for the first time ever, be sent back to Earth.

Once the rock samples are back on Earth, scientists will finally have the opportunity to examine it with a full suite of laboratory instruments. The rock which will be collected will be selected based on the probability it holds evidence of ancient life. The rock collection mechanism will also provide an opportunity to test our ability to get things off Mars and could be vitally important for developing strategies for possible future crewed missions. We will have to be patient, however, as NASA has no plans to collect these samples soon, it will be 10 years at least.

Furthermore, Perseverance has MOXIE. The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment, that is. This is a technology demonstration that will produce oxygen from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Mars’s atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide so, if successful, MOXIE will open a number of new possibilities for mission planners trying to figure out how to support humans on Mars.

At approximately 8:55pm GMT Perseverance will land. Its Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) profile is identical to Curiosity’s, with one difference – Terrain-Relative Navigation (TRN). TRN is a new EDL technology which uses a special camera to quickly map the terrain. This is compared with an onboard map and if Perseverance determines that it is heading into hazardous terrain, it corrects course.

edlprofile

[Caption: The Entry, Descent, and Landing profile for the Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech]

It is likely to be a tense couple of minutes, the team have already taken to calling it the “Seven Minutes of Terror”, and you too can participate in it! The entry, descent, and landing of Perseverance will be broadcast live by NASA on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, amongst other channels starting at 7:15pm GMT. More information can be found on the NASA website.

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The restoration of an historical telescope will form the centrepiece of a project to inspire thousands of school children to reach for the stars and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

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Kielder Observatory, set in the beautiful Kielder Water and Forest Park, in Northumberland, has secured a grant from the Reece Foundation to help restore an original Herschel telescope at Newcastle University to full working order. It will use the restoration to inspire thousands of school children, with an initial pilot of its programme, From STEM to Stars, at schools across Northumberland and Sunderland in the WISE Academies Trust.

The telescope will be at the centre of a project to create Kielder Observatory Star Groups – groups of school children who will study the restoration of the telescope to learn about the science and engineering skills involved while learning more about the night sky from the observatory’s team of professional astronomers.

The team will be visiting schools for activities and children will also be visiting the site, which sits under the finest dark skies in Europe. Star group members will have the opportunity to become Kielder Observatory Ambassadors and have work placements at space companies in the North East.

Catherine Johns, CEO of Kielder Observatory, said: “Herschel is a familiar name in the North East. Both William and Caroline Herschel were hugely influential in the study of astronomy and to be able to restore a telescope that William Herschel himself perhaps used is very exciting. This project is part of our developing strategy to reach beyond the observatory site and connect with people in innovative ways to convey that special moment of Kielder inspiration.

“The project will enable children to work with expert businesspeople and academics in the North East, helping them make a direct link between STEM subjects at school and STEM career opportunities in the North East.”

Zoe Carr, OBE, CEO of the WISE Academies Trust said: “We’re delighted to be the first schools to be involved in this exciting project. It’s important for our pupils to learn about their rich, scientific heritage and the great innovation that has been achieved here in the North-East. This project not only looks to the past but will also inspire pupils to see the possibilities that lay before them through the exploration of careers in engineering and STEM subjects.”

Anne Reece, chairwoman of the Reece Foundation said: “The Reece Foundation is delighted to support this project which brings the Kielder Observatory facilities to schools and children in the region – and links this to one story from the region’s rich history of innovation and scientific discovery.

“The opportunity to see the stars and planets alongside the chance to restore such a historically significant object as the Herschel telescope is one not to be missed. We are sure this will be both inspiring to the new generation of engineers and scientists that the region and the world so desperately need – and also a lot of fun.”

Dr Angela Dyson, director of physics at Newcastle University, said: “We’re really excited to be part of this project. Alexander Herschel was the founding professor of physics at Newcastle in 1871. His father John, grandfather William and great aunt Caroline were all eminent astronomers. Restoring the telescope has been an ambition of ours for quite some time. This project provides a unique platform to inspire and enthuse the next generation of engineers, physicists and astronomers.”

The new project comes as Kielder has recently received planning permission to site a new five metre diameter Spider 500 radio telescope, known as the Tanlaw telescope, which will allow it to contribute to worldwide scientific research, attract university research into Northumberland and develop its remote outreach activities, particularly in schools.

The observatory has already announced the development of an augmented reality Kielder Observatory, allowing people to view a virtual nighttime sky, and is developing an online Kielder learning resource, with many more initiatives on the horizon.

The observatory, which attracts around 20,000 visitors per year, has a team of astronomers, guest speakers and volunteers who discuss and make observations about the Universe through a series of public events.

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