# Chilbolton Observatory > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chilbolton_Observatory > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Chilbolton_Observatory.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilbolton_Observatory > Source revision: 1285017628 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Facility for atmospheric and radio research This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources. Find sources: "Chilbolton Observatory" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Observatory Chilbolton Observatory The 25 metre (82') steerable antenna installation at the Chilbolton Observatory. Organization Science and Technology Facilities Council Location Chilbolton, Test Valley, Hampshire, South East England, England Coordinates 51°08′40″N 1°26′19″W / 51.14456°N 1.43858°W / 51.14456; -1.43858 Website www.chilbolton.stfc.ac.uk Telescopes Chilbolton Advanced Meteorological Radar Rawlings Array Location of Chilbolton Observatory Related media on Commons [edit on Wikidata] The **Chilbolton Observatory** is a facility for atmospheric and radio research located on the edge of the village of [Chilbolton](/source/Chilbolton) near [Stockbridge](/source/Stockbridge%2C_Hampshire) in [Hampshire](/source/Hampshire), England. The facilities are run by the [STFC](/source/Science_and_Technology_Facilities_Council) Radio Communications Research Unit of the [Rutherford Appleton Laboratory](/source/Rutherford_Appleton_Laboratory) and form part of the [Science and Technology Facilities Council](/source/Science_and_Technology_Facilities_Council). ## Overview The Chilbolton Observatory operates many pieces of research equipment associated with [radar](/source/Radar) propagation and [meteorology](/source/Meteorology). As of 2007[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chilbolton_Observatory&action=edit), these include:[1] - An [S band](/source/S_band) Doppler [weather radar](/source/Weather_radar) with its distinctive, fully steerable, 25 metres (82 ft) parabolic antenna. This equipment can be referred to as **CAMRa** (**Chilbolton Advanced Meteorological Radar**). - An [L band](/source/L_band) Clear-air radar - A [W band](/source/W_band) bistatic zenith radar - A [UV](/source/UV) [Raman](/source/Raman_scattering) [Lidar](/source/Lidar) - Multiple [Ka band](/source/Ka_band) radiometers - Multiple [rain gauges](/source/Rain_gauge) The observatory also hosts the UK's [LOFAR](/source/Low-Frequency_Array_(LOFAR)) station. ## Timeline of projects - 1998 - CLARE'98 Cloud Lidar and Radar experiment,[2] which eventually fed into the [European Space Agency](/source/European_Space_Agency) EarthCARE programme[3] - 2001 to 2004 - CLOUDMAP2[4] project to assist in [Numerical weather prediction](/source/Numerical_weather_prediction) models - 2006 - Chilbolton Observatory joined forces with several European Space Agency sites to verify the L band radio transmissions from the [GIOVE-A](/source/GIOVE-A) satellite[5] - 2006 - [NERC](/source/Natural_Environment_Research_Council) Cirrus and Anvils: European Satellite and Airborne Radiation measurements project - 2008 - In-Orbit Test (IOT) performed for GIOVE-B - 2008-9 - APPRAISE,[6] during which the CAMRa and Lidar were used to direct airborne measurements in mixed-phase clouds - 2010 - [LOFAR](/source/Low-Frequency_Array_(LOFAR)) station UK608 constructed ## History The equipment rooms at the Observatory Construction of Chilbolton Observatory started in 1963. It was built partially on the site of [RAF Chilbolton](/source/RAF_Chilbolton), which was decommissioned in 1946. Several sites around the south-east of England were considered for the construction. The site at Chilbolton, on the edge of [Salisbury Plain](/source/Salisbury_Plain), was chosen in part because of excellent visibility of the horizon and its relative remoteness from major roads whose cars could cause interference. The facility was opened in April 1967. Within several months of being commissioned the [azimuth](/source/Azimuth) bearing of the antenna suffered a catastrophic failure. [GEC](/source/General_Electric_Company_plc) were contracted to repair the bearing and devised a system to replace the failed part while leaving the 400 [tonne](/source/Tonne) dish ostensibly in-place. Originally, the antenna was engaged in [Ku band](/source/Ku_band) [radio astronomy](/source/Radio_astronomy), but now operates as a S and L band radar. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Chilbolton Facilities"](http://www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/facilities.htm). Chilbolton.rl.ac.uk. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Chilbolton Observatory"](https://web.archive.org/web/20061009093137/http://www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/clare.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/clare.htm) on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["ESA - Living Planet Programme - EarthCARE"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070112131849/http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPearthcare.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.esa.int/esaLP/LPearthcare.html) on 12 January 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["CLOUDMAP2 at CCLRC"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060510202214/http://www.cloudmap2.rl.ac.uk/). Archived from [the original](http://www.cloudmap2.rl.ac.uk/) on 10 May 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["ESA - GIOVE A transmits loud and clear"](http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM21VMVGJE_Improving_0.html). Esa.int. 28 December 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["appraise - Home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090625103936/http://ncasweb.leeds.ac.uk/appraise/). Archived from [the original](http://ncasweb.leeds.ac.uk/appraise/) on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2021. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Chilbolton Observatory](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chilbolton_Observatory). - [Chilbolton Observatory Facilities](http://www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/facilities.htm) retrieved May 17, 2006 - [CLOUDMAP2 project homepage](https://web.archive.org/web/20060510202214/http://www.cloudmap2.rl.ac.uk/) - [ESA News 'GIOVE A transmits loud and clear'](http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM21VMVGJE_Improving_0.html), *ESA Portal - Improving Daily Life*, March 9, 2006, retrieved May 17, 2006 v t e Major physics research facilities based in the United Kingdom Fusion Joint European Torus (JET) Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) Synchrotron light sources Diamond Light Source Synchrotron Radiation Source Lasers Central Laser Facility Neutron and muon sources ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Atmospheric, astronomy and space science UK Astronomy Technology Centre Chilbolton Observatory Jodrell Bank Observatory ECMWF Miscellaneous Medium Energy Ion Scattering Facility Authority control databases ISNI VIAF --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chilbolton Observatory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilbolton_Observatory) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilbolton_Observatory?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.