Jodrell Bank Observatory - Visitor Facilities, and Events

Visitor Facilities, and Events

The original visitors' centre, opened on 19 April 1971 by the Duke of Devonshire, attracted around 120,000 visitors per year. It which covered the history of Jodrell Bank and had a 3D theatre hosting simulated trips to Mars.

Due to an asbestos-related concern for the safety of the buildings, that visitor's centre (including the planetarium) was mostly demolished in 2003 leaving a remnant of its far end; a large marquee was set up in its grounds. A new science centre was being planned at the time. Those rebuilding plans were shelved when Manchester University and UMIST merged to become the University of Manchester in 2004. leaving the interim centre, which received around 70,000 visitors a year.

In October 2010, the old visitor centre closed and work on a new visitor centre started. The new Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre opened on Monday 11 April 2011. It includes a new entrance building, the Planet Pavilion, a new Space Pavilion for exhibitions and events, and a glass-walled cafe with a view of the Lovell Telescope and an outdoor dining area, an education space, and landscaping of the gardens including a new Galaxy Maze.

As well as being open to the public every day, the discovery centre also organises various public outreach events, including public lectures, star parties, and "ask an astronomer" sessions.

There is a path (not a whole circle) around the Lovell telescope, approximately 20 m from the telescope's outer railway. Along the path are some information boards explaining how the telescope works and the research that is done with it.

The 35 acres (140,000 m2) Jodrell Bank Arboretum, created in 1972, houses the UK's national collections of crab apple Malus and mountain ash Sorbus species, and the Heather Society's Calluna collection. The arboretum also features a small scale model of the solar system, the scale being approximately 1:5,000,000,000. As part of the SpacedOut project, at Jodrell Bank is also the Sun in a 1:15,000,000 scale model of the solar system covering Britain.

On 7 July 2010, it was announced that the observatory was being considered as an applicant for the 2011 United Kingdom Tentative List for World Heritage Site status. It was announced on 22 March 2011 that it was on the shortlist to be put forward by the UK government.

In July 2011 the visitor centre and observatory hosted "Jodrell Bank Live" - a rock concert with bands including The Flaming Lips, British Sea Power, Wave Machines, OK GO and Alice Gold.

There is an astronomy podcast from the observatory, named The Jodcast.