9 minute read
The Eye of the Observer
Though hugely disruptive in many sectors, the pandemic has sparked a new public fascination with astronomy. 2020 saw a wonderful summer of clear nights, an abundance of free time for many and various exciting astronomical events (comets, planetary alignments and supermoons to name a few), and has brought our incredible night sky back into focus. Tom Cayford (LI 2011-16) tells us more.
When it comes to astronomy, Marlborough College is uniquely privileged to have one of the most comprehensive observatories in the country, which, having been recently refurbished, offers pupils the rare chance to learn about the stars first hand. Tom Cayford (LI 2011-16) tells us more. From the outside, the small and quite ordinary-looking observatory building goes unnoticed by most pupils as they hurry to and from sports fixtures. Stepping through the unassuming black door, however, one is met by the magnificent Barclay Equatorial 10-inch refracting telescope, a breathtaking instrument of brass and glass, 1.5 tonnes and 3.8 metres in length, perched atop a sturdy iron stump in the middle of the floor. The fact that one could easily pass the dome without knowing it was there is astonishing; it’s like hiding an elephant inside a cardboard box.
Originally commissioned in 1860 by Joseph Barclay (ancestor of our outgoing Head of Astronomy, Charles Barclay (CR 19972022)), the telescope spent 50 years at the Oxford Radcliffe Observatory researching comets, planets and double stars. The Barclay Equatorial telescope is credited with a number of impressive discoveries – it was the first telescope to measure the oblateness (the flattening at the poles) of Mars, and it recorded the longest ever light curve of a supernova (the data from which were used in the 1950s theory of nuclear synthesis). It was given to the school in 1935 when the Radcliffe moved to South Africa, and it was named after the then President of the Marlburian Club, Sir Basil Blackett KCB (B1 1895-1900). Once installed at the College, it inspired generations of pupils to take up careers in astronomy – most notably Donald Lynden-Bell (C3 1948-53), Director of the Cambridge Institute of Astronomy and President of the Royal Astronomical Society, who first proposed that supermassive black holes exist at the centre of every galaxy and whose theories NASA’s new $10bn James Webb Space Telescope is designed to test. After years of poor maintenance and abuse by unsupervised pupils, however, the Barclay telescope was worn out and tired. A comprehensive restoration effort was therefore undertaken by engineer Norman Walker from 1997 to 2002, and when the observatory reopened, complete with electronically motorised controls, it became the world’s oldest robotic telescope. Walker’s perfectionism led one Oxford professor to describe the work as one of the greatest restoration projects of the 20th century.
The renovations completed in 2021 have added a touch of comfort to the observatory. To provide the clearest images, telescopes are generally kept in unheated domes, and in winter this means facing brutally cold temperatures in the name of science. While the dome remains unheated, carpets now keep the worst of the chills away, and the room adjacent to the telescope has been kitted out with radiators for a speedy recovery after observation sessions. The whole observatory has had its 1930s wiring replaced, and deep red LED lights have been installed all over to illuminate the room, as regular white lighting ruins the human eye’s ability to see in the dark.
Aside from a general spruce on the inside, the observatory has also received some exciting new technical upgrades. A fish-eye all-sky cam on the roof constantly monitors the night sky, in case of any interesting astronomical events – just recently it detected the re-entry of a rocket body that had carried a Russian military satellite to orbit. And in an effort to combat the unreliable weather of the British Isles, a new radio telescope has been installed outside, monitoring the sky day and night for meteor impacts. ‘It’s great because it gives pupils something tangible to interact with on cloudy days and provides real world data taken from the College,’ says Lucas Farley (PR 2018-22), winner of a Royal Astronomical Society prize for his poster on the subject. A live feed of the meteor impact telescope and daily time lapses from the all-sky cam are available to view on the Blackett Observatory website (www.blackettobservatory.org). One aim going forward for the observatory is to expand its use in real world data collection. As such, the observatory has recently acquired a spectrometer that splits starlight into its constituent parts. From this information, observers can measure the temperature of stars and, with a bit of maths, calculate their approximate distance from Earth. This tool could therefore make a fantastic contribution to the observatory’s use in the Extended Project Qualification, allowing pupils to continue observing beyond GCSE level.
Outreach and Engagement
In the years since the telescope’s restoration, the Blackett team have aimed to make it accessible to adults and children in the local area. It was the first major outreach project for the school, and in the first few years, as many as 2,000 visitors and an additional 50 primary school groups were invited to the observatory to spark their interest in astronomy.
Museum of the Moon
Part of the outreach programme involved the creation of a Friends of the Marlborough Telescope group for OMs and interested locals. The group meets for regular observations and lectures at the school, and membership over the years has cumulatively totalled over 350. The Friends have a distinguished pedigree of members, too. The first president of the group was astronomy’s national treasure Sir Patrick Moore, and now the title belongs to Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, former President of the Royal Astronomical Society, whose discovery of the first radio pulsar eventually led to her supervisor winning the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics. The current chairman of the Friends is Philip Wetton, whose generous donations to the observatory have contributed a great deal to the recent refurbishments.
The observatory team – Charles Barclay and Gavin James (Astronomy Assistant 2019-22, CR 2022-), with additional assistance from Jonathan Genton (CR 1987-) – work hard to maximise pupil engagement with the observatory. In addition to regular visits from Shell pupils, special events are held to promote astronomy. In February 2022, the second annual Messier Marathon was held, where participants aimed to observe all 110 objects (from the Messier catalogue of nebulae and star clusters) in one night. Working in shifts, the pupils this year were able to observe an incredible 91 Messier objects, with only seven objects unsuccessfully observed and 12 impossible to see because of their position in the sky. Also working to promote astronomy and the telescope within the pupil body is the recently reformed Radcliffe Society. Hosting a handful of dedicated observation sessions and talks on a wide range of astronomical topics each term, the group serves as a way for pupils to continue astronomy into the Sixth Form after completing the GCSE course. ‘[The telescope] is a great asset to the school, especially for those interested in physics and astronomy,’ say Radcliffe Society President Chicha Nimitpornsuko (NC U6) and Vice President Charlotte Greenham (MM U6). For Chicha, the telescope was a big motivator in her decision to join Marlborough, and for Charlotte it was definitely a contributing factor.
Lucas Farley the Astrophysics poster winner
Dark Skies Festival
In October 2021, the College and observatory participated in the first Marlborough Dark Skies Festival. Attracting over 1,500 people from all over the country to its 35 art and science events, the festival aimed to ‘inspire, amaze, and engage new audiences about the night sky’. Originally scheduled for the year before, the festival was the result of nearly two years’ work by Marlborough town councillor Claire Harris and her team.
Perhaps most spectacular of all the installations was the Museum of the Moon, a huge seven metre lunar replica suspended from the ceiling of the College chapel. Created by artist Luke Jerram, this touring artwork has displayed all over the world, from Toronto to Beijing, Reykjavik to the Gold Coast of Australia. Paired with surround sound compositions by BAFTA-winning musician Dan Jones, it is a 1:500,000 scale model of the Moon made using high resolution NASA imagery. Over 3,000 people visited the Moon in the chapel, and the Blackett team were on hand to answer questions from the public (the most common of which was, ‘Can you put it back in the sky once you’re finished with it?’). The Blackett Observatory was also a key part of the festival’s success, offering three public observing sessions over the weekend. ‘The observation events were packed out on all three occasions,’ says Mr Barclay. ‘For most people, it was their first time visiting the telescope, and the Friends received a dozen new members as a result of the festival.’
‘In the age of incredibly aesthetic astrophotography, we think the beauty of space is acknowledged by the public,’ say Chicha and Charlotte. ‘We have both been quizzed about the constellations by our friends. In cities where light pollution means the stars are almost invisible, people tend to focus on their own lives and stresses – only by finding a dark sky and looking up can we take a step back from our worries and appreciate how vast the universe is.’ Since its major refurbishment in 2002, the telescope has surely enjoyed a second wind in its already impressive lifetime. It has and continues to inspire new generations of pupils to pursue degrees and even careers in astrophysics, myself included. Looking to the future, the Blackett team hopes to continue its use in GCSE Astronomy coursework and Extended Projects, and in the promotion of astronomy in the local area, with Gavin James succeeding Charles Barclay as Director of the Observatory. While the telescope may no longer serve on the front lines of scientific discovery, its role as an educator and its incredible list of achievements make it a true asset to the College.
