Remote controlled 7-metre radio telescope

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Distance Learners
Jodrell Bank Observatory of the University of Manchester offers a number of accredited part-time distance learning courses in astronomy. Courses consist of 12-24 weeks of part-time home study and lead to the award of Certificates of Credit which can count towards higher awards. Details of the available distance learning courses can be found here.

Currently, students registered on either the Introduction to Radio Astronomy or Exploring the Radio Universe courses have the opportunity of performing radio observations using telescopes at Jodrell Bank Observatory. Access to the Jodrell Bank Internet Observatory (JBiO) for such students is arranged after enrolment on the distance learning courses. Further information can be obtained by emailing Jodrell.Courses@manchester.ac.uk.

Undergraduates
The Physics with Astrophysics degree course at the University of Manchester is designed for students whose first wish is to obtain a solid grounding in physics but who are also fascinated by astronomy and want to pursue this interest at university level.

Astrophysics principally involves the application of the laws of physics to distant regions, which cannot directly be accessed by man-made apparatus, and in which the physical conditions can only be inferred from the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted. During the course, students learn about the Sun and the Solar System, the stars and the Galaxy, distant galaxies and quasars and the beginning of the Universe in the Big Bang. They learn how to apply basic physics in situations which are often extreme compared with those available on Earth. The astrophysics programme therefore aims to provide a broad knowledge of many parts of physics.

Many of the staff members teaching the course are associated with Jodrell Bank Observatory, the University's major international centre for radio astronomy, which is part of the School of Physics and Astronomy. The close link with Jodrell Bank has led to a series of radio astronomical experiments which are particularly well suited for student work. Physics with Astrophysics students usually perform at least two sets of observations at Jodrell Bank itself, making use of the Jodrell Bank Internet Observatory (JBiO). Registration for use of the JBiO 7-m telescope for undergraduates is organised by the University's course tutors.

Educators
The Jodrell Bank Internet Observatory (JBiO) is freely available for use by registered Educators throughout the European Union and Associated States. To qualify for registration you must be actively involved in education within the European Union or its Associated States. This includes primary and secondary school teachers, staff at planetaria and museums and lecturers at further or higher education establishments. Eligibility for use of the telescope is solely at the discretion of Jodrell Bank Observatory (the University of Manchester). If in doubt about your eligibility, please contact us detailing your educational responsibilities.

To confirm your eligibility, we require you to submit the postal address of the educational establishment at which you are employed. To register, simply send an email to radionet@jb.man.ac.uk containing your name, email address and postal address. If your application is accepted, you will receive your registration documents by post, usually within a week. The registration documents will include your Username and Password which you will need to access the JBiO system, a hardcopy of the 7-m telescope Manual (in your native language if this is available), and a hardcopy feedback form for you to return once your observations are complete.

You will initially be allocated ten (10) observing slots on the JBiO telescope. Each slot is ten (10) minutes long and is usually sufficient for one observation. Additional time may be allocated at the discretion of the JBiO staff. To request additional time, send an email to radionet@jb.man.ac.uk with a justification as to why more time is required.

The JBiO telescope is operated by Jodrell Bank Observatory, part of the School of Physics & Astronomy of the University of Manchester. Access to the JBiO telescope for Educators within the European Union and Associated States is provided through a collaboration between RadioNet and Hands-on-Universe, Europe.

RadioNet is an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3), funded under the European Commission's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), that has pulled together all of Europe's leading radio astronomy facilities to produce a focused, coherent and integrated project that will significantly enhance the quality and quantity of science performed by European radio astronomers. RadioNet has 24 partners. They range from operators of radio telescope facilities to laboratories that specialize in micro-electronics, MMIC design and superconducting component fabrication. Part of RadioNet's remit is to provide outreach resources to professional radio astronomers, the general public and school children. This is achieved through a collaboration with the EU-HOU project. Hands-On Universe, Europe, is in keeping with the general goal of renewing the teaching of science. A re-awakening of interest for science in the younger generations is foreseen through astronomy and the use of new technologies, which should challenge middle and high schools pupils. The primary target group are thus school teachers. The EU-HOU project is funded at 44% through the European program MINERVA (SOCRATES) for a two-year period. The University Pierre & Marie Curie in Paris and the other partners complete the funding.

Further information concerning access to the JBiO telescope through RadioNet and the EU-HOU project should be addressed to Dr Alastair G. Gunn, RadioNet Outreach Officer, Jodrell Bank Observatory, The University of Manchester, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL, UK (email radionet@jb.man.ac.uk).