EP29 - Sunday, 6th December 2020 7:30pm GMT - The Science of Armageddon by Jay Tate

[Grant]

This week we are joined by Jonathan Tate (Jay) Director of the Spaceguard Centre and the National Near Earth Objects Information Centre to give us his talk 'The Science of Armageddon'.

For 26 years Jonathan Tate was a serving Army Officer, specialising in surface to air missile systems.  In June 1996 Tate submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence and the British National Space Centre proposing the establishment of a British National Spaceguard Centre to study the NEO hazard. Scientists worldwide lent their support. The Ministry of Defence dismissed the proposal.  Later the Department of Trade and Industry established a Task Force to investigate the threat.  The subsequent report validated the hazard, and made significant recommendations for action.  Implementation of these recommendations did not happen.

In January 1997 Tate established Spaceguard UK, which became the largest independent Spaceguard organisation in the world. Thanks to the efforts of the members the subject of Spaceguard has been publicly debated in both Houses of Parliament, and Tate has been a regular contributor on television and radio, also in professional and popular journals Tate is a member of the Board of Directors of the international Spaceguard Foundation, a consultant to the International Astronomical Union Working Group on Near Earth Objects, an associate of COSPAR, the vice-president of the Space Development Council and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.  He is the Director of the Spaceguard Centre in mid-Wales and took over the role of National Near Earth Objects Information Centre in October 2013.

In 2013 Tate was awarded the Europlanet Prize for Public Engagement in Planetary Science. In recognition of his work Asteroid 15116, discovered by the Spacewatch programme in 2000. has been named “Jaytate”.

The Science of Armageddon

The Earth has a long and violent history of collisions with extra-terrestrial objects such as asteroids and comets, causing mass extinctions and severe changes to global climate and geography.  Many smaller impacts, such as the Chelyabinsk event as recently as 2013, have caused considerable damage.

In his talk Tate will analyse the nature and extent of the Near Earth Object (NEO) hazard, how it can be dealt with, and give an up to date account of what is currently being done to address the most significant long term natural threat to the Earth’s ecosystem

We look forward to welcoming Jay on Sunday and hope to see lots of you there

Meeting details below:

Topic: EP29 - Sunday, 6th December 2020 7:30pm GMT - The Science of Armageddon by Jay Tate
Time: Dec 6, 2020 07:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/94996303334?pwd=UHJiNStjbnVRMkNGZE13enplTm1odz09

Meeting ID: 949 9630 3334
Passcode: 659378

[happy-kat]

This looks another great talk to see, super.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Jay is a dedicated and interesting guy to meet. I have been to the Spaceguard Centre many times over the years and chatted with Jay. This will be an interesting talk.

[happy-kat]

See you soon

[Grant]

20 minute warning

[SteveWolves]

Cracking talk tonight. When he is able to open the observatory site again its well worth the trip, perhaps SGL could coordinate some days out there.

[happy-kat]

Interesting food for thought, I do remember feeling a buzz when I captured '20150126 - 2004 BL86' though I hadn't really though about the bigger ramifications an asteroid might present

[DaveS]

Maybe I can do some "real astronomy" with the ODK12, not just make "pretty pictures".

[Grant]

If anybody would like to watch this, please PM me and I will send you the private link.