Opening 4th June 2022, the First Light Pavilion presents the human story of Jodrell Bank, the world’s first radio astronomy site and home to the radio telescope that detected quasars, pulsars, black holes, and the rocket path of Sputnik 1. Casson Mann conceived of making the exhibition fabric from the skin of the Lovell Telescope, bringing visitors into direct contact with the authentic metal dish that has ‘looked’ towards the heavens and been touched by cosmic rays and ‘space dust.’ Our circular array of dish panels, around which the building itself was designed, becomes an exploded digital canvas - it maps both the earthly histories of pioneering Jodrell scientists and the cosmic sphere which they revealed to humankind. Cold War-era colours, materials, and sounds act as backdrop to fascinating archival material and interactive exhibits. They bring to life the inspiring story of how this team in the Cheshire countryside discovered extraordinary phenomena outside of human vision.
Opening 4th June 2022, the First Light Pavilion presents the human story of Jodrell Bank, the world’s first radio astronomy site and home to the radio telescope that detected quasars, pulsars, black holes, and the rocket path of Sputnik 1. Casson Mann conceived of making the exhibition fabric from the skin of the Lovell Telescope, bringing visitors into direct contact with the authentic metal dish that has ‘looked’ towards the heavens and been touched by cosmic rays and ‘space dust.’ Our circular array of dish panels, around which the building itself was designed, becomes an exploded digital canvas - it maps both the earthly histories of pioneering Jodrell scientists and the cosmic sphere which they revealed to humankind. Cold War-era colours, materials, and sounds act as backdrop to fascinating archival material and interactive exhibits. They bring to life the inspiring story of how this team in the Cheshire countryside discovered extraordinary phenomena outside of human vision.