JODRELL BANK OBSERVATORY

Cultural Cheshire 2019

jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk

Forming part of the Jodrell bank Centre for astrophysics at the University of Manchester, the Observatory was established in 1945 by Bernard Lovell. Earlier on in the observatories history, the research Centre played an important role in the tracking of space probes at the start of the space age, nowadays it’s one of the largest astrophysics research groups in the UK with research into cosmic microwave background radiation, gravitational lenses, active galaxies, as well as research into wavelengths, star formation and astrochemistry.

1939

Site acquired by University of Manchester for scientific purposes.

1952

Construction of the Mark I Lovell telescope begins.

1964

Mark Il telescope completed.

1966

Mark Ill telescope completed.