SPACE50: Jodrell Bank Telescope To Become Largest Cinema Screen On The Planet October 5, 2007

This October, Jodrell Bank Observatory will present a unique spectacle as the iconic Lovell radio Telescope briefly becomes the largest cinema projection screen in the world!

The event marks the golden jubilee of the Lovell radio Telescope and the dawn of the Space Age, and kicks off two weeks of celebrations called the 'First Flight Festival'. During the show, the huge dish of the Telescope will act as a giant video screen displaying images of early space exploration, astronomy, engineering, the history and future of radio astronomy and the construction of the Lovell telescope itself. These spectacular moving images will be combined with music and a specially-commissioned light and laser show. Dr Alastair Gunn, the Production Manager for the event, said, 'the overall effect should be quite breathtaking. With a screen that size, the audience will be completely immersed in sound and light. We're hoping to make the projected image at least 150 foot tall, twice the biggest IMAX screen in the world.'

The Lovell radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank became operational in October 1957 and its very first use was to track the carrier rocket that launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. Hence, the Telescope's golden jubilee also marks fifty years of the Space Age. Jodrell Bank was heavily involved in the early exploration of space, tracking both US and Russian space probes. In fact, the Telescope received the very first pictures transmitted from the far side of the Moon in 1959, and the first pictures from the surface of the Moon in 1966. The University of Manchester is hosting numerous events throughout 2007 to celebrate this golden jubilee. The existing 50th anniversary programme involves a series of educational and cultural events that will use the celebration as a springboard to look to the future of engineering and science in the UK. See www.manchester.ac.uk/jodrellbank. Find out more about other events to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the dawn of the Space Age at www.space50.org.uk.

This event will take place on Friday 5th October and Saturday 6th October 2007 at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL. Doors open at 7.30pm and showtime is at 8.30pm. Tickets (priced £12 and £10 for concessions) are available from the Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre (tel. 01477 571339) or Jodrell Bank Observatory (tel. 01477 571321).

Official Website: http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/news/space50/index.html