Jodrell Bank Observatory

Also known as Jodrell Bank Experimental Station, Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories

astronomical observatory in Cheshire, England, UK

Key facts

Alternative names: Jodrell Bank Experimental Station
Named after: William Jauderell
Organization: University of Manchester
Location: Lower Withington , Cheshire East , Cheshire , North West England , England
Altitude: 77 m (253 ft)
Website: www .jodrellbank .manchester .ac .uk
Telescopes: 42ft radio telescope of Jodrell Bank Observatory 7m radio telescope of Jodrell Bank Observatory Cambridge MERLIN telescope Darnhall telescope Defford telescope Knockin telescope Pickmere telescope Polar Axis telescope Searchlight Telescope Transit Telescope Lovell Telescope mERLIN Mark II Mark III
Criteria: Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv), (vi)
Inscription: 2019 (43rd Session )
Area: 17.38 ha (42.9 acres)
Buffer zone: 18,569.22 ha (45,885.5 acres)

Article

Jodrell Bank Observatory (/ˈdʒɒdrəl/ JOD-rəl) in Cheshire, England, hosts a number of radio telescopes as part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. The observatory was established in 1945 by Bernard Lovell, a radio astronomer at the university, to investigate cosmic rays after his work on radar in the Second World War. It has since played an important role in the research of meteoroids, quasars, pulsars, masers, and gravitational lenses, and was heavily involved with the tracking of space probes at the start of the Space Age.

The main telescope at the observatory is the Lovell Telescope. Its diameter of 250 ft (76 m) makes it the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world. There are three other active telescopes at the observatory; the Mark II and 42 ft (13 m) and 7 m diameter radio telescopes. Jodrell Bank Observatory is the base of the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN), a National Facility run by the University of Manchester on behalf of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.