Parkes Observatory - 64m radio telescope

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It's been a while since I posted last time, but my schedule is still pretty hectic, anyways - I will try to keep up my regular weekly posting back in order. :) If you want to enjoy the pictures in full resolution click on the image for flickr full resolution.

Some time ago I wrote about radio interferometry and radio astronomy - well Parkes radio telescope is a single-dish radio telescope with 64m in diameter which puts it in one of the largest in the world.

Officially it started working in 1961and it has been upgraded several times, improving receivers and mechanisms, basically everything except the static base.

It's been one of the vital points in communications with astronauts that were landing on the Moon in 1969 and the video has been broadcasted to the whole world.


Nowadays science case is a bit changed but with sensitivity boosted for about 10 000 times compared to the first observational instruments and their detection ability it still represents cutting edge technology and one of the iconic and best instruments in the astronomy.

Some science cases:

  • Searching for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence

  • VLBI - Very Large Baseline Interferometry, making interferometer telescopes with other telescopes in the world and effectively becoming one of the biggest virtual collecting area - depending on which instruments its paired it can become as large as the Planet Earth (like the one that has observed that black hole for the first time).

  • Amazing unknown and still undefined objects called: Fast Radio Bursts

  • Detecting and understanding pulsars

That's all for now hope you enjoyed it.

All photos are mine ©.

Cheers,
Svemirac



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5 comments
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Those images are incredible. The second last one with the telescope centered in the middle of the frame is my favorite. Very cool. The information on the technology was interesting as well. Nice post

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