Seth Fieselmann, age 15, of Dodge City, Kansas, for his question:

WHEN WAS THE JODRELL BANK OBSERVATORY FOUNDED?

One of the most important radio astronomy observations in the world is the Jodrell Bank Experimental Station that is operated by the University of Manchester at Cheshire, England. It was founded in 1945 and placed under the direction of Sir Bernard Lovell.

In 1947 48, a fixed radio telescope 218 feet in diameter was installed. It was replaced in 1957 by a steerable radio telescope 250 feet in diameter, the largest steerable parabolic dish in the world until 1971.

Another steerable radio telescope, 125 feet in diameter and controlled by computer, was placed in operation in 1964.

The observatory is concerned primarily with investigating the universe by studying radio emissions received from the distant radio galaxies, quasars, the Milky Way and nearby extragalactic nebulas.

Radar studies of the moon and planets are also undertaken at the observatory.