Asteroid named after Mid Wales astronomer

A Mid Wales astronomer has had an asteroid named after him by the Spacewatch programme in the United States.

Jay Tate, who is the director of the Spaceguard Centre near Knighton, worked with the American scientists who discovered the asteroid.

The asteroid was once known as 2000 DZ12, but is now officially known as "Jaytate".

Mr Tate said that once an asteroids orbit had been calculated, the discoverer got the chance to name it.

The astronomer said the asteroid was "too far away" for him to be able to see it with the telescopes at the Spaceguard Centre. "What we're going to try to do is to use one of the two big Fawkes telescopes, probably the one in Hawaii, to try and get a couple of snaps," he said.

In June 1996, Mr Tate submitted a proposal to the UK Ministry of Defence and the Department of Trade and Industry for the establishment of a British National Spaceguard Centre to study the threat posed to the UK by the impact of an asteroid or comet.

He set up the independent Spaceguard centre in 1997, which is funded by sales from an onsite shop and tours of the observatory.