{"id":26686,"date":"2018-12-01T12:00:47","date_gmt":"2018-12-01T01:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/?p=26686"},"modified":"2021-05-06T13:39:12","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T03:39:12","slug":"seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Telescopes give us a ‘window’ to peer out into the Universe from, but before we even try and understand what’s outside, we need to be sure we know what the window itself looks like. This Monthly Media is from Dr Jack Line<\/u><\/a>, who shows us how he builds up the image of the ‘window’ into the Universe.<\/p>\n

This window, which is called the primary beam, can be a complicated affair for a radio telescope such as the Murchison Widefield Array<\/u><\/a> (MWA), because the telescope is made up of many antennas.<\/p>\n

We can test the shape of the primary beam of a single antenna in the lab, but for the whole MWA, with thousands of these antennas spread over 6 kilometres in the Australian outback, it\u2019s not so easy.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

A single satellite being simultaneously observed by a single MWA antenna and by 16 of them (otherwise known as a tile). These observations are then compared to understand the complexities of observing with multiple antennas.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>

Luckily, GPS and communications satellites whose orbits take them into the line of sight of the MWA can be used to measure the shape of the primary beam.<\/p>\n

By using a single reference antenna with its known beam shape, and simultaneously watching satellites pass overhead with the reference antenna and a tile of antennas (16 antennas linked together in a square grid), the power both detectors observe can be compared, and the primary beam shape of the MWA tile can be inferred.<\/p>\n

In the video below, each satellite passing overhead can be seen tracing out a path of the primary beam pattern, and over time each pass builds up a complete picture of the \u2018window\u2019 through which the MWA telescope views the Universe.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The shape of the \u2018window\u2019 (primary beam) through which the Murchison Widefield Array sees the Universe, slowly being built up as satellites pass overhead.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>

Now all we need to do is understand what’s on the other side of that window!<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":223,"featured_media":26696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,23,24,2,7],"tags":[25,26,27,28,30,31,32,33,34,35],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-26686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-curtin","category-monthly-media","category-mwa-eor","category-news","category-science","tag-curtin","tag-curtin-university","tag-early-universe","tag-eor","tag-epoch-of-reionisation","tag-first-stars","tag-galaxies","tag-monthly-media","tag-murchison-widefield-array","tag-mwa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSeeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ASTRO 3D\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-12-01T01:00:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-06T03:39:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teresa Slaven-Blair\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Teresa Slaven-Blair\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/\",\"name\":\"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-01T01:00:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-06T03:39:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/82c2cc26394877a4bd5ade4414788161\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif\",\"width\":600,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/\",\"name\":\"ASTRO 3D\",\"description\":\"Unlocking the Universe - Inspiring the Future\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/82c2cc26394877a4bd5ade4414788161\",\"name\":\"Teresa Slaven-Blair\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/8ba8be804b0a7caf9a2c35566888c51d\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Teresa-Slaven-Blair-2_Perth-Science-Festival_credit-Deprimo-Photography-2-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Teresa-Slaven-Blair-2_Perth-Science-Festival_credit-Deprimo-Photography-2-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Teresa Slaven-Blair\"},\"description\":\"Teresa was the Outreach Coordinator for ASTRO 3D's Curtin University node, where she created opportunities for the Curtin astronomers to talk about their research beyond academia, and invented activities and resources to help them do that. Teresa is most proud of, and most known within ASTRO 3D for, her \\\"Epoch of Bubbles\\\" activity, which uses simple soap bubbles and food dye as an analogy for the environment around the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe, during the Epoch of Reionisation. Teresa has a honours degree in astrophysics from Curtin University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in gravitational wave and radio wave astrophysics at the University of Western Australia, with the other astronomy ARC centre of excellence, OzGrav. Teresa loves everything space, and thoroughly loves talking about it to anyone who will listen. Luckily, most people have a passion for space, so willing listeners are easy to find. She has over a decade's worth of science communication experience, all borne on the back of her enthusiasm for talking about space.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/teresa-slaven-blair\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/member\/teresaslavenblair\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D","og_url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/","og_site_name":"ASTRO 3D","article_published_time":"2018-12-01T01:00:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-05-06T03:39:12+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif","width":600,"height":600,"type":"image\/gif"}],"author":"Teresa Slaven-Blair","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Teresa Slaven-Blair","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/","url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/","name":"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe - ASTRO 3D","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif","datePublished":"2018-12-01T01:00:47+00:00","dateModified":"2021-05-06T03:39:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/82c2cc26394877a4bd5ade4414788161"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/build_beam-gif-1.gif","width":600,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/seeing-the-window-through-which-a-radio-telescope-sees-the-universe\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Seeing the window through which a radio telescope sees the Universe"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/","name":"ASTRO 3D","description":"Unlocking the Universe - Inspiring the Future","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/82c2cc26394877a4bd5ade4414788161","name":"Teresa Slaven-Blair","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/8ba8be804b0a7caf9a2c35566888c51d","url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Teresa-Slaven-Blair-2_Perth-Science-Festival_credit-Deprimo-Photography-2-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Teresa-Slaven-Blair-2_Perth-Science-Festival_credit-Deprimo-Photography-2-150x150.jpg","caption":"Teresa Slaven-Blair"},"description":"Teresa was the Outreach Coordinator for ASTRO 3D's Curtin University node, where she created opportunities for the Curtin astronomers to talk about their research beyond academia, and invented activities and resources to help them do that. Teresa is most proud of, and most known within ASTRO 3D for, her \"Epoch of Bubbles\" activity, which uses simple soap bubbles and food dye as an analogy for the environment around the first stars and galaxies that formed in the Universe, during the Epoch of Reionisation. Teresa has a honours degree in astrophysics from Curtin University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in gravitational wave and radio wave astrophysics at the University of Western Australia, with the other astronomy ARC centre of excellence, OzGrav. Teresa loves everything space, and thoroughly loves talking about it to anyone who will listen. Luckily, most people have a passion for space, so willing listeners are easy to find. She has over a decade's worth of science communication experience, all borne on the back of her enthusiasm for talking about space.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/teresa-slaven-blair\/"],"url":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/member\/teresaslavenblair\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/223"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26686"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30112,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26686\/revisions\/30112"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26686"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/astro3d.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=26686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}