Lovell Lecture Series 2026
19.30 – 21.00

SOLD OUT!

For almost 70 years, the iconic Lovell Telescope has been observing the Universe, helping astronomers uncover some of its most extraordinary secrets. But what is happening at Jodrell Bank today, and what could our telescopes reveal next about black holes, stars, galaxies and the origins of it all?

Join us for a special Lovell Lecture and hear directly from the people behind one of the world’s leading radio astronomy observatories.  In the wake of the recent announcement about the future funding of e-MERLIN, this lecture takes audiences behind the scenes at the Observatory, exploring how the Lovell Telescope and the wider e-MERLIN network are being used to carry out cutting-edge science, from how planets and stars form to extreme events such as stars falling into black holes.

The evening will also cover new applications, including the recent world-first demonstration of live radar observations of satellites and space debris, alongside what makes these telescopes so powerful and unique. Hear from the scientists who work with them every day, as they share what they’re observing, what they’re learning, and what the future could hold for the observatory, including why maintaining the UK’s capability in radio astronomy matters, not just for science, but for the next generation of discoveries.

The panel will include Professor Simon Garrington, alongside other members of the Observatory team, offering a rare chance to go beyond the iconic dish and discover the science, people and technology that make Jodrell Bank one of the world’s great observatories.

About the speakers

• Professor Simon Garrington – Associate Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and the Director of the e-MERLIN array of radio telescopes operated from Jodrell Bank.
• David Williams-Baldwin – David did his undergraduate degree and PhD at the University of Southampton (2010-2018), studying the radio emission from super-massive black holes in nearby galaxies with e-MERLIN as part of his PhD thesis. He was then awarded a Hintze post doctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford (2018-2020), studying radio emission from stellar-mass black holes using the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa. He then moved to Manchester as an Operations Research Support Scientist at e-MERLIN in 2020, where he now schedules e-MERLIN observations and supports scientists across the world with their research. 
• Phoebe Ryder – Astrophysics PhD student at the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. In her research, she is developing new techniques to use e-MERLIN for space situational awareness, observing satellite clusters, debris, and asteroids with radar. Her research aims to demonstrate how radio astronomy can lead to new capabilities for monitoring and understanding the increasingly busy space environment.

Orders for pre-lecture dining has now closed.