Beam shone into sky to celebrate science campus

Scientists have beamed a laser into the sky, which is visible from miles around.

The spectacle, known as The Beam, marks the 80th birthday of Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

Harwell was established in 1946 as the UK's first nuclear research laboratory and is currently home to the Diamond Light Source science facility.

Jim Stretton, managing director at Harwell Campus, said: "The Beam honours Harwell's past scientific breakthroughs while signalling the next era of growth and innovation."

Operated by Horizon Lasers, the vertical pillar of light has been described as 2.2 million times more powerful than a typical laser pen.

It is shining from the centre of the Diamond Light Source from 17:00 to 21:00 GMT, and is visible across Oxfordshire, with scientists aiming to reach heights of about 8km (five miles).

Harwell described The Beam as a "visual celebration of the campus' world-leading expertise in light-based science".

It kicks off a year-long series of events, external to mark the anniversary.

Harwell Campus was originally founded as the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and played a major role in the UK's early atomic programme.

From the 1990s onwards it evolved into a wider research campus, eventually growing into a 700-acre site with about 7,000 scientists and engineers across 250 organisations, valued at about £3bn.

It has the UK's largest concentration of national research facilities, including the Diamond Light Source, which has studied advanced treatments of HIV, cancer and the Covid-19 vaccine.

It includes the synchrotron, which speeds electrons up to near the speed of light to produce intense beams of light that can probe matter.

Also at Harwell are the Rosalind Franklin Institute, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and European Space Agency.

Its Central Laser Facility (CLF) is currently upgrading its most powerful laser, the so-called Vulcan, which will have a power output of 20 petawatts, equivalent to 200 billion kilowatts.

A single pulse will be enough energy to recreate the extreme conditions of deep space, and it is 18 trillion times more powerful than The Beam.

Prof John Collier, director of CLF, said: "The Beam is a powerful reminder of the vital role the national facilities at Harwell Campus continue to play in advancing knowledge, technology and innovation on the world stage."

Prof Gianluigi Botton, chief executive officer at Diamond Light Source, added: "At Diamond, we harness the power of synchrotron light to reveal the structure of everything from viruses and vaccines to new materials and advanced technologies.

"The Beam marks 80 years of discovery and reflects the campus' ongoing commitment to collaboration, innovation, and using light to transform the way we understand the world.

"We're delighted to play our part on New Year's Day in marking this momentous occasion."