First look at the new heritage attraction at Jodrell Bank set to open in days

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Pictures have given a first glimpse into the new heritage attraction set to open at Jodrell Bank later this week. The highly anticipated First Light Pavillion, forming as part of the £21.5m First Light Project which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will give the public the chance to discover the history behind the Jodrell Bank story.

The new visitor centre is within a grass-covered dome, and is said to 'firmly establish the Jodrell Bank site', part of The University of Manchester, as a major UK cultural destination. The centre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a globally significant scientific research facility.

The museum and gallery opens to the public later this week, on June 4, with the official opening event on 21 June. Pictures have now for the first time shown the site in all its glory ahead of its grand opening.

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Inside, visitors will be able to discover the history behind the Jodrell Bank story, established in 1945 by the physicist and astronomer Bernard Lovell, as well as using hands-on control panels and taking in planetarium shows in a purpose-built auditorium, which features a vast curved screen and nine projectors.

The state-of-the-art Space Dome will offer every visitor an immersive audio-visual experience with a specially commissioned film about the history of Jodrell Bank, narrated by Professor Brian Cox.

And the entrance to the centre is also placed on the meridian line, echoing ancient sites like Stonehenge and Newgrange in Ireland, with a window carved into the cement that will see the building act like a huge sundial. There will also be a host of permanent exhibitions, boasting