About Us

About Us

Lovell Telescope
The 76-m Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank
Credit: M. Peel, University of Manchester

The Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics is the astronomical research centre of the University of Manchester and operates MERLIN, the UK's national radio astronomy facility. Jodrell Bank is a world leader in radio astronomy-related research and technology development but also carries out research across the electromagnetic spectrum and in theoretical topics.

The Centre occupies three main locations: the world-famous Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, and the Alan Turing and Sackville St Buildings in central Manchester.

The Lovell Telescope has stood proudly over the Cheshire Plain since its completion in 1957 and is the flagship of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. The observatory is a place of learning, teaching and research for the many engineers, astronomers and students who develop and use the radio telescopes here. It is also a place of wonder and inspiration for the many people who come to our Visitor Centre each year.

From the menu at the left you can learn more about the telescopes and the research carried out using them. There is a history of the developments at Jodrell Bank and those taking place today. You can also see live webcam images of the telescopes, technical details of their status and where in the astronomical sky they are pointing.