Observation by Richard Sargent: Lovell Radio Telescope

Uploaded by

Richard Sargent

Observer

Richard Sargent

Observed

2026 Sep 20 - 15:00

Uploaded

2026 Sep 20 - 19:06

Objects

Observatory
The Earth

Equipment

Pixel 11 Pro mobile phone

Location

Primrose Hill, Near Kelsall, Cheshire

Target name

Lovell Telescope

Title

Lovell Radio Telescope

About this image

Trying out the camera zoom on my new mobile phone. This is the Lovell Radio Telescope photographed from a distance of 16 miles! Yep it's a big dish (250 ft diameter). The supporting structure for the dish looks a bit weird because of wobbly air and wobbly camera hold. The smaller dish to the right is the Mark II radio telescope (only 83 ft by 125 ft dish). The inset at bottom right of the main image is a shot taken a little earlier. The wobbly air and camera hold have made the supporting structure look even weirder - like a giant white spider hanging under the dish!

Files associated with this observation

Lovell Telescope.jpg (674.8 kB)

Like this image

Grant Privett, Jeremy Shears, Alan Thomas, Bill Leatherbarrow, John Thorpe, Dominic Ford, Andy Wilson, Alan Dowdell, Martin Mobberley, Gary Eason, Dr Paul Leyland, Callum Potter, Nicholas Freeman

Comments

Jeremy Shears, 2026 Sep 20 - 20:04 UTC

Fascinating! What is the white, approximately linear, material just this side of the Lovell, Richard?

Alan Thomas, 2026 Sep 20 - 20:17 UTC

Love it!

Alan

Richard Sargent

Richard Sargent, 2026 Sep 20 - 20:29 UTC

Hi Jeremy,

I'm pretty sure that the linear white feature is the FP McCann Industrial site (a concrete supplier). It's a little over 4 miles from the Lovell telescope. I also suspected the Winsford industrial estate but the alignment isn't right for that.

Jeremy Shears

Alan Thomas, 2026 Sep 21 - 14:13 UTC

Richard

In the early 1970s we used to live in Horwich, half way up the side of Winter Hill. From the picture window in our back room you could see right across the Cheshire Plain to the big dish. Your image reminded me of that view.

Alan

Richard Sargent, Jeremy Shears, Gary Eason

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.