The Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope

Over the next few days, Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is celebrating 50 years of the Lovell Radio Telescope. It’s creator, Sir Bernard Lovell, now in his 90’s, will be giving a public talk at the Observatory as part of the celebrations.

When I learned that the famous radio dish received its first space signals from the Andromeda Galaxy, on 2nd August 1957, I thought I’d set up the chart (time as noon, location Goostrey) just to see what it looked like.

Wow! Just look at that chart alongside the photo of the telescope! It’s oriented this way because of the time I set it up for, but with a different time the whole chart structure would move around - just as the telescope does when it’s tracking signals from space. The chart image bears an uncanny resemblance to the telescope itself.

There are two interesting and relevant aspect patterns too. The blue/green Ear/Eye Information triangle is one of them. This figure picks up and stores information and messages of all kinds. The other is the Shield, a quadrangular figure. The Hubers say in Aspect Pattern Astrology that this figure is relatively rare and has high absorption power; appropriate then for the chart of the first signals received from space by the telescope.

The radio telescope itself is an impressive sight, and can be glimpsed unexpectedly from different parts of the surrounding countryside. It was used to dramatic effect in an episode of “Dr. Who” when there was a nail-biting showdown between the Doctor and the Master who were battling it out high above the ground on the structure of the telescope.