THE Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank is to be in the spotlight as part of a 200th anniversary.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has announced the telescope is one of its top 200 influential projects that illustrate how civil engineering shapes the world and help transform people’s lives.

To mark the ICE’s 200th anniversary, and to support the Government's Year of Engineering, the Institution is highlighting 200 inspirational and world-changing projects from around the world throughout 2018.

Nominated by the ICE’s members and selected by an expert panel, the chosen projects illustrate the breadth and depth of civil engineering’s impact.

The pioneering Lovell telescope has played a key role in transforming our knowledge of the universe, from the discovery of quasars and the investigation of pulsars and the principle of the warping of space.

When completed in 1957 at a cost of £750,000 it weighed 3,200 tonnes, and was the world’s largest steerable dish radio, capable of pointing at any part of the sky.

The telescope was so heavy it required gun turret motors from World War Two battleships HMS Revenge and HMS Royal Sovereign to power its tilting mechanism.

Originally known as the Mark 1 telescope, its first vital contribution was to track the Soviet Sputnik 1 satellite.

The enormity of the engineering project, spearheaded by Sir Bernard Lovell, is reflected by the fact that six decades on, it remains the planet’s third largest steerable telescope.

The telescope has also entered popular culture with television appearances including Dr Who, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Coronation Street. It has featured in music videos for D: Ream, Placebo, Public Service Broadcasting and The Electric Light Orchestra.

Emma Antrobus, director of ICE North West, said: “The Lovell Telescope is an outstanding example of British ingenuity and innovation and a brilliant feat of engineering.

“It is a shining example of how important civil engineering is, and how it transforms people’s lives.

“We know that many adults and young people don’t know what a civil engineer does, and can’t identify a single UK civil engineering project.

“We are challenging this and aim to change these perceptions by showcasing projects such as this.”

Mike Garrett, director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics and Sir Bernard Lovell Chair of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, said: “The Lovell Telescope is one of the UK’s most iconic and best-recognised scientific landmarks.

“The telescope is undergoing a major structural upgrade which will ensure it remains at the forefront of fundamental research for many years to come.”