Derby's Starring Role In Live BBC Broadcast
11 January 2013
Professor Brian Cox and Dara O' Briain who presented BBC TV's Stargazing Live 2013 series in January, which featured the University of Derby.
This is a very exciting and high profile project for the University of Derby to be involved in.
”The re-built Hershel telescope and Stargazing TV crew
Around 300 astronomy enthusiasts enjoyed a unique glimpse into the night sky through an ancient telescope as they joined an outside broadcast of BBC TV's Stargazing Live at the University of Derby's Markeaton Street site.
The University was featured on the popular live TV series on January 9 and 10 as one of the world's most famous telescopes, Herschels 20ft long rotating telescope, was recreated on its site in a ground breaking project by the BBC.
Sir Frederick William Herschel (1738-1822) is considered one of the greats of astronomical history for, among other achievements, his discovery of the planet Uranus and its moons, and for significantly advancing the design of the modern reflecting telescope.
The project to rebuild the telescope was a collaboration between BBC Learning, Stargazing Live and the Open University. The telescope is a working model of Herschel's and is now a permanent fixture at the University site; home to its Faculty of Arts, Design and Technology (ADT).
The Herschellian design uses just one primary mirror at the base of the tube and an eyepiece located at the top. Herschel used the telescope design in the late 18th Century to catalogue the night sky and was responsible for discovering an astonishing 2,500 stars and galaxies.
The University of Derby has supported the telescope's construction - part funding the base which will hold the telescope - and students from its School of Technology were involved with the project along with consultants from University College London.
Karen Gregory, Executive Producer for BBC Learning, said: "Legacy and learning are at the heart of this ambitious project. We want as many people as possible to get involved with stargazing during the live programme, but also continue in their enthusiasm for astronomy and the universe afterwards."
Derby and District Astronomical Society members and Alveston Park Friends were also on board - entertaining the families who had gathered at Markeaton Street to watch the live broadcast with science experiments.
Local schoolchildren from Markeaton Primary School, who were also involved in the project were invited to watch as a mural they had painted around the structure was broadcast to an audience of millions.
Professor Huw Davies, Dean of the University's Faculty of ADT, added: "This is a very exciting and high profile project for the University of Derby to be involved in.
"Engineering has a strong presence in Derby city and at the University, and I'm sure our students got a real buzz out of something like this happening right on their doorstep. It was also good to see the way educational institutions, the community and business come together to recreate Herschel's innovative telescope."
To accompany the series BBC Learning has produced a number of free resources including a Star Guide and a special Star Party pack, so that people can get involved by planning their own star party at home. They are available to download at www.bbc.co.uk/stargazing
You can watch the programme again on BBC TV iplayer (Derby features from 36 minutes into the programme)
You can watch the January 9 episode here.
For a gallery of photos from the evening visit The Bigger Picture
