{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='One man\u0026#39;s mission to track flying space objects and protect earth' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bd85d8eafeecae134c99' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54bd85d8eafeecae134c99' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nOne man\u0026#39;s mission to track flying space objects and protect earth\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eThe hazy Welsh countryside, where sheep lazily graze,  oblivious to the dangers that lurk in space.It's here at the Spaceguard Centre that asteroids and comets are being tracked daily. The data collected helps scientists around the world...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eThe hazy Welsh countryside, where sheep lazily graze,  oblivious to the dangers that lurk in space.\u003cbr/\u003eIt's here at the Spaceguard Centre that asteroids and comets are being tracked daily. \u003cbr/\u003eThe data collected helps scientists around the world predict if these so called, \"near earth objects\" are on a catastrophic, collision course with our planet.\u003cbr/\u003eDirector, Jay Tate, says : \"The aim of the game is to find these things years, hopefully decades ahead of time, to give us plenty of time to find out what its physical properties are and then develop a counter measure specifically for that object.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThe Spaceguard Centre is the only facility of its kind in the United Kingdom and it's perched on a hilltop near the town of Knighton in Mid Wales. \u003cbr/\u003eFor the last twelve years, Jay Tate has run the centre voluntarily, without pay. Living side by side with his telescopes, the ex army officer believes hunting potentially dangerous, space debris is common sense and not a pursuit fuelled by paranoia:  \"This is actually, the only major, natural hazard that you know of, that we can predict and prevent. And in the ultimate, it's the only natural hazard that we know of that puts the future of every individual and species at risk\"\u003cbr/\u003eA huge amount of space debris hits the earth every day without causing any problems, but when a meteorite injured over a thousand people in Russia earlier this year, the world was stunned. \u003cbr/\u003eJay wasn't, and he believes the event was a \"wake up call\" . \u003cbr/\u003eHe keeps an eye on \"near earth objects\" by tracking them down with his telescope, using co-ordinates and star charts to help locate them near to where they've been spotted previously.\u003cbr/\u003eTate says: \"Once we're there we can start taking photographs and the normal drill is to take a set of three, a few minutes apart, because then by comparing those images, we can see which of the star like objects is actually moving. If it's moving then the chances are it's an asteroid.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThese images were taken by Jay's telescope and the blinking star in the centre is an asteroid. \u003cbr/\u003eInformation about its changing position was sent to the Minor Planets Center in the USA, which is part of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts. \u003cbr/\u003eAstro-physicists rely on data provided by people like Jay to calculate the orbit of \"near earth objects\" and predict whether their path could be destructive or not, as Tate explains:  \"They are mainly in fairly stable orbits around the Sun. The asteroids for example between Mars and Jupiter, the comets much, much further out beyond the planets. But because they're so small their orbits can change, and if they change some of them come quite close in to the Sun and if they do that the planets can get in the way.\"\u003cbr/\u003eAs scanning the skies is harder in the summer with longer days and shorter nights, Jay spends time repairing vital equipment. Luckily, there is a small group of enthusiastic, amateur astronomers who are more than happy to give up their spare time to help mend the equiptment.\u003cbr/\u003eTrevor Hall belongs to the Marches Astronomy Group: \"We've developed so much technology now, that we're getting into a position now where we can actually start chasing these down and do something about it if a large lump of rock were to head this way\"\u003cbr/\u003eThis building site at the centre of the site will be home to a new telescope, which has been donated by Cambridge University.\u003cbr/\u003eIt will have a wider field of view, which means Jay will be able to search larger areas of the night sky and hopefully track down more \"near earth objects\". But what would be best way of stopping one if it did come dangerously close to earth and disaster was imminent?\u003cbr/\u003eTate says : \"Turn a direct hit into a near miss. If you can give the thing just a tiny, little nudge to deflect it from the course it's going to hit ,to one that isn't going to hit, job done.\"\u003cbr/\u003eThis may sound like the stuff of Hollywood movies, but Tate believes governments around the world should be investing more time, research and money in tracking down \"near earth objects\", and taking their threat more seriously.\u003cbr/\u003eIn the meantime, these telescopes on a hill side in Wales continue to keep an eye on the skies above.   \u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eSpaceguard Centre, Knighton, Powys - 18th June 2013\u003cbr/\u003e1. Sheep grazing on hillside\u003cbr/\u003e2. Mid shot sheep eating grass\u003cbr/\u003e3. Wide shot Spaceguard centre\u003cbr/\u003e4. Telescope turning slowly\u003cbr/\u003e5. Close hatch in telescope \u003cbr/\u003e6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Tate, Director, The Spaceguard Centre: \u003cbr/\u003e\"The aim of the game is to find these things years, hopefully decades ahead of time, to give us plenty of time to find out what its physical properties are and then develop a counter measure specifically for that object.\"\u003cbr/\u003e7. Zoom in to Spaceguard Centre\u003cbr/\u003e8. Mid shot Jay Tate walking down steps of house towards telescope\u003cbr/\u003e9. Jay Tate walking towards telescope\u003cbr/\u003e10. Low angle Jay Tate opening door to telescope\u003cbr/\u003e11. Jay walking through door\u003cbr/\u003e12. Inside, Jay flicking button to open hatch of telescope\u003cbr/\u003e13. Close Jay flicking button to open hatch of telescope\u003cbr/\u003e14. Mid shot telescope with hatch opening\u003cbr/\u003e15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Tate, Director, The Spaceguard Centre: \u003cbr/\u003e\"This is actually, the only major, natural hazard that you know of, that we can predict and prevent. And in the ultimate, it's the only natural hazard that we know of that puts the future of every individual and species at risk\"\u003cbr/\u003e16. Pull focus of star chart\u003cbr/\u003e17. Jay at computer\u003cbr/\u003e18. Hand on mouse\u003cbr/\u003e19. Star chart\u003cbr/\u003e20. Jay at computer\u003cbr/\u003e21. Telescope control system\u003cbr/\u003e22. Wide telescope turning\u003cbr/\u003e23. Close telescope turning\u003cbr/\u003e24. Mid shot Jay at computer where he controls telescope\u003cbr/\u003e25. Jay's face\u003cbr/\u003e26. Close keyboard\u003cbr/\u003e27. Telescope moving  \u003cbr/\u003e28. Base of telescope moving \u003cbr/\u003e29. Close telescope moving\u003cbr/\u003e30. Wide shot telescope\u003cbr/\u003e31. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Tate, Director, The Spaceguard Centre: \u003cbr/\u003e\"Once we're there we can start taking photographs and the normal drill is to take a set of three, a few minutes apart, because then by comparing those images, we can see which of the star like objects is actually moving. If it's moving then the chances are it's an asteroid.\"\u003cbr/\u003e32. Close pictures taken by telescope\u003cbr/\u003e33. Close\"near earth object\" moving or \"blinking\" on screen\u003cbr/\u003e34. Wide telescope moving around\u003cbr/\u003e35. Close telescope moving\u003cbr/\u003e36. Close hatch of telescope moving\u003cbr/\u003e37. Wide shot telescope with rock in foreground\u003cbr/\u003e38. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Tate, Director, The Spaceguard Centre: \u003cbr/\u003e\"They are mainly in fairly stable orbits around the Sun. The asteroids for example between Mars and Jupiter, the comets much, much further out beyond the planets. But because they're so small their orbits can change, and if they change some of them come quite close in to the Sun and if they do that the planets can get in the way.\"\u003cbr/\u003e39. Wide Jay and two other men repairing telescope \u003cbr/\u003e40. Close man working in telescope hatch\u003cbr/\u003e41. Close Jay's face\u003cbr/\u003e42. Close Trevor Hall\u003cbr/\u003e43. Wide shot man working in telescope hatch\u003cbr/\u003e44. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Trevor Hall, Marches Astronomy Group:\u003cbr/\u003e\"We've developed so much technology now, that we're getting into a position now where we can actually start chasing these down and do something about it if a large lump of rock were to head this way\"\u003cbr/\u003e45. Wide shot building site with pan down of wooden frame\u003cbr/\u003e46. Pull focus from concrete foundation to bricks\u003cbr/\u003e47. Wide shot of blueprints with pan to building site\u003cbr/\u003e48. SOUNDBITE (English) Jay Tate, Director, The Spaceguard Centre:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Turn a direct hit into a near miss. If you can give the thing just a tiny, little nudge to deflect it from the course that it's going to hit ,to one that isn't going to hit, job done.\"\u003cbr/\u003e49. Mid shot telescope with tree in foreground\u003cbr/\u003e50. Low angle of Spaceguard Centre\u003cbr/\u003e51. Mid shot telescope\u003cbr/\u003e52. Wide shot telescope with metal sphere in foreground\u003cbr/\u003e53. Mid shot telescope with grass in foreground\u003cbr/\u003e54. Spaceguard Centre on top of hill\u003cbr/\u003eIn a remote part of Wales one man has made it his life long mission to track down flying space objects that might potentially threaten earth.\u003cbr/\u003eThe danger is a real one - earlier this year more than a thousand people were injured when a meteor exploded over southern Russia.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details 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