WIREDGOV

eople living near the Chilbolton Observatory got a chance to look around the local landmark and explore the observatory’s work at the cutting edge of weather and space research.

For the last 50 years the Science and Technology Facilities Council's (STFC) Chilbolton Observatory, based in the Hampshire countryside, has been a UK hub of meteorological measurements, radio astronomy and satellite tracking.

As a busy research facility the observatory rarely opens to the public but on October 19th 300 people stepped through its doors at a special open day.

Darcy Ladd, Station Manager at Chilbolton Observatory, who has worked there for 23 years, welcomed visitors to Chilbolton. He said: “It's great to be able to share the work we do and celebrate 50 years in operation. We are proud of our role in supporting key research into the atmosphere, weather, and space studies. The outcomes have had a huge positive impact on the UK."

Visitors were equipped with maps and encouraged to roam around the site to meet experts stationed by the major facilities including radars, lidars, meteorological instruments and even a radio telescope.

For more information on the open day please read the article on the RAL Space website.