E-MERLIN
A map showing the locations of the antennas used in MERLIN
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| Alternative names | MERLIN |
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| Organization | University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory |
| Location | Cheshire, Cambridgeshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, United Kingdom |
| Website | www |
| Telescopes | Cambridge MERLIN telescope Defford telescope Knockin telescope Pickmere telescope Lovell Telescope Mark II Mark III 
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The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) as a National Facility.
The array consists of up to seven radio telescopes and includes the Lovell Telescope, Mark II, Cambridge, Defford, Knockin, Darnhall and Pickmere (previously known as Tabley). The longest baseline is therefore 217 km and MERLIN can operate at frequencies between 151 MHz and 24 GHz. At a wavelength of 6 cm (5 GHz frequency), MERLIN has a resolution of 40 milliarcseconds which is comparable to that of the HST at optical wavelengths.
Some of the telescopes are occasionally used for EVN and VLBI observations in order to create an interferometer with even larger baselines, providing images with much greater angular resolution.
In 1973, Henry Proctor Palmer made the suggestion of extending the interferometer links already in place at Jodrell Bank at the time, which started the planning of the telescope array. Construction started in 1975. The system was originally officially called MTRLI (Multi-Telescope Radio Linked Interferometer), but was commonly referred to by the simpler name of MERLIN. It originally consisted of either the 76m Lovell Telescope or the 25m Mark II, along with the 25m Mark III at Wardle, the 85 ft at Defford and a new telescope at Knockin. This new telescope was made by E-Systems and was constructed based on the design for the telescopes in the Very Large Array, which was being constructed at the same time also by E-Systems.
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