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I can’t seem to decide if this is a good idea or not, but it certainly tickles me: the Jodrell Bank’s 76 meter Lovell radio telescope will be used as a giant movie screen to celebrate its 50th birthday in October.
This is such a cool idea! And it’s a great way to get the public interested in astronomy; a dish that big makes a big impact on you when you see it up close. I’ve seen a few, and they are very, very impressive. Jodrell Bank has a long and rich history, too, and that can only help spur interest in the observatory, astronomy, and space travel.
So, happy Birthday Jodrell Bank! What better time to catch a flick?
September 15th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Perhaps this would be a good way to infuse life (and funds) into both drive-in theaters and radio telescopes?
September 15th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
They should play 2001, of course!
…or Aliens.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Or Contact…showing the Arecibo and VLA in all its glory!
September 15th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Yes they should play 2001, 2010, The Thing, Aliens & Contact!!!
Oh I so want to go to this! Not sure time/distance/money will allow it though. But thanks for the telescopes up!
September 15th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
[...] Original post by The Bad Astronomer [...]
September 15th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
As a Brit, and a reader of this site, I feel honour-bound to attend this stupendous event on everyone’s behalf. I shall do my utmost to attend!
September 15th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Sorry to be pedantic (but that’s at the heart of good science) but Jodrell Bank has been used for radar and radio telescopy since the 1940′s. It is the Lovell telescope that is 50 years old this year.
Of course, that won’t make as good a headline in the papers.
Presumably they will have a mechanism to ensure that whatever they show isn’t distorted by the curvature of the disk?
September 15th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
[...] happen to live about 40 minutes drive away from Jodrell Bank and I just noticed this posting over on Bad Astronomy (see my blogroll). For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jodrell Bank, [...]
September 15th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Not sure that’s a good idea. Might give poor old Jodrell Bank a major inferiority complex.
September 15th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Hmm! that’s gonna call for quite a projector. I remember doubting that they could build that thing when it was proposed.
GFP
September 15th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
What better movie to show on a “Dish” than “The Dish.” The movie about the day Apollo 11 landed on the moon, featuring Australia’s Parkes Radio Telescope & its roll in the landing.
September 15th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Here is a photo I took of the Parkes “Dish” in August 2006.
http://bdas.fastmail.fm/astrophotography/chris_wyatt/gallery02/parkes_dish.jpg
Note the LEM like object in the bottom right hand corner of the photo.
September 15th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
If they show Contact, I will try to come for sure as it is one of my favorite movies ever.
September 15th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
I also vote for ’2001′ to be shown on the dish too. And maybe “Apollo 13″.
September 15th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
How about some of the Dr. Who episodes that were filmed there? Tom Baker ended his run as the Doctor beneath the Lovell Telescope.
September 15th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
They should show a double feature: Armageddon and The Core!
September 15th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
I wonder what NRAO in Green Bank, WV is doing with the Robert Byrd telescope next weekend? That’s one mother honkin’ large screen!
September 15th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Holy smokes, that thing is HUGE. It will be a great event for sure. Only thing I wonder is: what movie?
And grumpy, if it’s these two movies I will make sure to go over there in a ninja costume and switch the movie reels for something good.
September 15th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Pseudolus:
The GBT has just undergone a renovation of it’s circular track. The dish rolls on this track as it rotates in azimuth. They’re doing a revised pointing model even as we speak, should be done any day now. Then it’s back to science, there must be a ton of observations backed up, the renovation project took all summer!
This sounds like an OK EPO event. It won’t damage the dish in any way, and it’ll get the public interested nicely. If you blokes over there will PLEASE bring your optical telescopes to the event and show folks the real thing up in the sky it’d help, I’m sure. Ya might even get free admission. Have your club president contact the EPO division of the observatory to make arrangements.
Rich
September 16th, 2007 at 12:29 am
In the sad modern fashion of dumbing down, the disease has finally hit this wonderful icon of British technology!!!
What next? Vomit-inducing laser and fractal shows in the new Greenwich Planetarium – shame on Jodrell Bank (I was taught Radio Astronomy there).
September 16th, 2007 at 12:46 am
When I was on holiday in Germany, shortly after I was married, I insisted on visiting the Effelsberg radio telescope. It was obvious from my wife’s expression that she thought I had found the most boring holiday activity in history. But when we got there she was extremely impressed.
September 16th, 2007 at 12:58 am
I am a new owner of the internet and loving it.
I adore the site.
I hope everyone finds this as funny as I do, I needed to share it.
September 16th, 2007 at 3:33 am
Movies? On a parabolic reflector? What are they trying to do, send the movie to Tau Ceti four? If so, then Contact should be the ONLY movie shown,,,
,,,or possibly 2010, my personal fav of that Arthur Clark series.
Gee, could it be used to focus solar energy and burn down,,,something spectacular,,,(can’t think clearly,,,05:30,,,caffein depletion emminent,,,must,,,restock,,,sooooon,,,).
Sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon.
GAry 7
September 16th, 2007 at 5:27 am
Darn, finally something happens in my neck of the woods and had to be on the very same day I’m going overseas for a few weeks.
Chemistryad: “I am a new owner of the internet and loving it.”
Uh-oh, we’re under new management
September 16th, 2007 at 5:32 am
Haha, sounds like it could be awesome. I might see if I can get down there to see it.
September 16th, 2007 at 5:46 am
Would love to see CONTACT on the dish — never got to see it on a real movie screen.
PS. Was at Westerbork radio dishes in Holland a year ago and heard mention of another film similar to Contact (it involved radio astronomy). I think ‘heaven’ was in the title, would anyone know what the name of that film was (it may have been a foreign film — one of the astronomers during my interview suggested it, but I’ve forgotten it).
John
September 16th, 2007 at 6:17 am
Peter, I like the idea of showing the Dr Who episode where Tom Baker fell from the telescope but I think the rights issues may be too difficult to sort out. The film that will be shown is specially created and will show the construction of the telescope, early space exploration and the future of radio astronomy amongst other things.
Without wanting to be accused of “dumbing down” I’ll add that you can follow what the Lovell Telescope is doing via Twitter (and the observatory for that matter).
September 16th, 2007 at 7:08 am
You can borrow my sai, Michelle. I know where to get some katanas, too.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Now that would be COOL. What movie? I vote for Contact!
September 16th, 2007 at 9:48 am
The article seems to imply that the movie is a montage of early space exploration footage. I’m just glad Ben Stiller won’t be on it. It’s difficult enough to watch his gross-out humor on a TV-sized screen.
September 16th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I don’t think I like this idea. Should a prominent astronomical observatory be involving itself in producing light-pollution?
September 16th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
I guess the USA wasted too much money in Iraq and was forced to auction it off on eBay. Eventually the Japanese will observe that the USA didn’t own most of it, and all hell will break loose.
September 16th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Coincidentally we are holding an Open Weekend at the Parkes radio telescope in western NSW this weekend (22-23 Sep). This is the only time that the telescope itself is open for public tours.
One of the planned highlights will be an open air showing of the film “The Dish” by the Dish itself. We are not projecting the film onto the telescope though as it will be observing as usual throughout the weekend.
For more details go to:
http://www.outreach.atnf.csiro.au/events/opendays/2007/index.html
(Sorry for the shameless promotional plug!) We’d love to see lots of people there. If not, try the Parkes webcam to view the open day.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
I, too, wonder how they will correct for the curvature of the dish.
September 16th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Please show anything but DRAGON WARS . . .
September 17th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Anything in OMNIMAX format should work – it’s meant to be shown on a concave screen (like a planetarium dome but inclined). It’s related to IMAX so the large screen area should not present a problem.
Some of the space films were shot in that format, IIRC.
September 17th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
This is a terrible idea! They’ll only be able to fit maybe one or two people into the prime focus to watch the movie.