Hatfield student sets up sky camera
THE death throes of a mighty star could soon be captured on film, thanks to the efforts of one graduate from the University of Hertfordshire.
Astrophysicist David Campbell hopes the sky camera he set up at the university’s Bayfordbury Observatory will ultimately be able to photograph a supernova.
The camera, which was installed in October 2009, was the first in the UK capable of continuously monitoring the night sky.
One of its main aims is to detect clouds above the observatory so that researchers can gauge the best time to scan the sky.
Further cameras have been set up in Hemel Hempstead and on the Isle of Wight and another is currently being set up in Norfolk.
This will mean that, very soon, astronomers will be able to track incoming meteors, making it easier to recover meteorites.
David said: “The cameras give us a complete record of the sky, not just a compressed picture.
Most Read
- 1 LIVE: Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield A-level results 2022
- 2 Hunt for stolen labrador puppy from Welwyn Garden City
- 3 Overgrown country lane 'is danger' to users, says mother
- 4 Disney's Encanto, The Greatest Showman and Spider-Man movie set for free outdoor cinema in Welwyn Garden City town centre
- 5 Which Thameslink trains are running during the RMT strike?
- 6 5 things to do on a rainy day in Hertfordshire
- 7 Campaigners hit out at Spectator’s ‘the folly of garden cities’ piece
- 8 A-level results 2022: What should my next steps be?
- 9 Police 'concerned for welfare' of missing Hertfordshire teenager
- 10 Red panda Tilly gives birth to ‘miracle’ cub at Paradise Wildlife Park one month after passing of partner Nam Pang
“We could be filming a supernova before we know it.”
He added: “No one has surveyed the night sky over the UK like this before.”
