Large scope on an island for sale ......

[John]

Shall we have a whip round for this one ?:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/World-Class-Observatory-For-Sale-173116981.html

We need to keep it under UK ownership I think

I'll chip in a tenner to get things started ......

[Black Knight]

I hope something can be done to save it. It would be a great shame if it were to go ...

[FarSide]

For the piece of hardware 1.24 million really isn't that expensive; not that i can afford it but a group of investors and scientists surely could?

[John]

I hope something can be done to save it. It would be a great shame if it were to go ...

Agreed.

Another classic avatar, by the way

[John]

For the piece of hardware 1.24 million really isn't that expensive; not that i can afford it but a group of investors and scientists surely could?

Richard Branson ? - he seems to be interested in space / astronomy.

[Black Knight]

Agreed.

Another classic avatar, by the way

Hehehe, thanks! All I need now is the vicar and the verger, and I have the full set!

(Actually I have them already ... they're up next! )

[Black Knight]

Richard Branson ? - he seems to be interested in space / astronomy.

Someone like him may be the best bet. I would imagine UK universities or other science groups would have already been canvassed by now. Perhaps ESA might be the way forward.

[Qualia]

If the grand majority of SGL members paid about £30 each, I think we could reach an agreement with the owners.

[JamesF]

$1.24m just pays for it for a year though, so people would have to contribute that much each year. Were it possible to make it self-funding in the longer term I imagine there might be more interested parties, but I have no idea how these things work. Do other organisations pay for time to use the scope, or is it purely a research tool for some academic group?

James

[ismangil]

What a paltry sum. That's a rounding error in a train franchise bid...

In fact the compensation alone would run the telescope for decades.

On mobile (excuse the strange predictive words...)

[Daniel-K]

i will have two

[Alastair Rae]

I guess big astro is expensive and doesn't produce commercial benefits. Probably more cuts to come in Europe and America in the years ahead.

[Astro_Baby]

Never mind we had the feel good of the Olympics....that will carry us theough the rough times I am sure and make for many happy memories

[StuW]

Start up the SGL Lottery Syndicate and if we win we can buy it

[Breakintheclouds]

I drafted about four responses to this story, all of which would have fallen foul of SGL's no politics rule. I'll just have to content myself with saying I'm sad...

[The Sailor]

I drafted about four responses to this story, all of which would have fallen foul of SGL's no politics rule. I'll just have to content myself with saying I'm sad...

I have sat here the last few minutes looking at the above and all I can say is I smiled.

Jim

[FarSide]

Start up the SGL Lottery Syndicate and if we win we can buy it

10 thousand people trying to use it at once!

[StuW]

Hey, I suggested it, I get first go!

[kcdionysus]

I'll go out there and look after it for the SGL consortium......I don't mind really! No honest I don't!!