Saturday 29 January 2011

Jodrell Bank Observatory.................................................................. Cheshire


Jodrell Bank




I had a lovely walk this afternoon and only a few miles from home. During my walk one big structure kept coming into my view.......the radio telescope at Jodrell Bank. Jodrell Bank has for a long time been a landmark of the Cheshire countryside and is of great astrological importance. It was the only radio telescope in the world able to track Sputnik1 the worlds first artificial satellite. The telescope was completed and commissioned in the same year Sputnik was launched (1957) and is 76.2m (250ft) in diameter.
There is a Visitor Centre at the Observatory but this has been closed for a few weeks while a new Discovery Centre is being built. The telescope is known as the Lovell Telescope after its founder Sir Bernard Lovell who was born in 1913 and is still alive today at the grand old age of 97.

Sir Bernard Lovell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Lovell
                                  

5 comments:

Mike B. @ slugyard.com said...

Goodness, that dish is huge. Love to see the images from giant telescopes!

grammie g said...

Hi Andrew....Very interesting piece of information...I am always amazed at the who, how and why of these sort of structures!!
One thing that I see interesting is the simplicity of the countryside, and the contrast of technology!! : }}

Unknown said...

Great tour Andrew!!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River.

Unknown said...

Jee, it always amazes me how HUGE those things are!
Love all your greens there *envy* ;)

DeniseinVA said...

Goodness, that must be an impressive sight. Very interesting post Andrew, thanks!