A "public" observatory

Star Gazers Will Not Go Private

Two Royal observatories, however, will be merged into a new astronomy centre in Edinburgh - including the historic Royal Greenwich Observatory based at Cambridge.

Junior Trade and Industry Minister John Battle said in a Commons written reply that the move - which will bring job losses - would save £2.4 million over each of the next four years and at least £4 million a year thereafter.

According to Mr Battle, the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council had decided to concentrate the work it funds in a new UK Astronomy Technology Centre at Edinburgh. The facility would comprise the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh .

The minister said, the new name would "better reflect the fact that the Royal Observatories are now really observatories in name only. Their main function is to provide technological support for the telescopes operated by PPARC on behalf of British astronomers."