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Showing posts with label radio astronomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radio astronomy. Show all posts
Sunday, August 5, 2018
The CHIME Radio Telescope and Fast Radio Bursts
The new Canadian radio telescope is very interesting. It has a great name for a radio telescope: CHIME
And it it always nice to come across a reference to the Parkes Radio Telescope.
More info here:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/08/03/fast_radio_burst/
And here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_radio_burst
Good luck on getting a QSL from the FRB station.
Labels:
antennas,
Australia,
Canada,
Physics,
radio astronomy
Thursday, May 24, 2018
An Epic Evening on 40 Meters
I had a good night on 40 meters last night. The Radio Gods were obviously with me.
First I called CQ and VP2EIH on Anguilla responded. Nice to start with a whiff of DX.
Then Jason W5IPA called in and said he wanted to try out his uBITX! See the pictures below. FB!
Then I got a call from K5WDW on Hilton Head Island -- Dexter runs Collins gear from an ocean-front shack (see above). Check out his QRZ page.
Then WA4PUB called in. Dave has been on the air since 1948 and was a student of legendary ham and radio astronomer John Kraus. Dave has directional antennas on 40 -- when he switched the pattern he went from LOUD to barely detectable. FB. Check out Dave's homebrew rig below.
Finally Gary W7DO joined us. He has a big 4 Square on 40 that also has some really impressive directional properties. See below for a look at his 80 meter 4 Square.
TRGH
WA$PUB |
W7DO 80 meter 4 Square |
Labels:
40 meters,
antennas,
Collins -- A. Frederick,
K5WDW,
Kraus -- John,
radio astronomy,
uBITX
Saturday, November 18, 2017
China and SETI: What Happens if China Makes First Contact?
Here is a really amazing article from The Atlantic. It is very thought provoking. Mind blowing. Strongly recommended.
You can read it here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/what-happens-if-china-makes-first-contact/544131/
Or you can listen to a reading of it (like a podcast) here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-154380542/what-happens-if-china-makes-first-contact-the-atlantic-ross-andersen
Thanks to Mike Rainey AA1TJ for alerting us to this.
Labels:
China,
radio astronomy,
SETI
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Fast Radio Bursts and the Molonglo Radio Telescope (with video)
7,744 circular dipoles on 843 MHz feeding 176 preamplifiers and 88 IF amplifiers!
Read about how the Molonglo Radio Telescope has recently been used to study the mysterious Fast Radio Bursts:
http://www.sciencealert.com/confirmed-mysterious-radio-bursts-detected-by-astronomers-really-are-coming-from-outer-space
There is a Grote Reber connection:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molonglo_Observatory_Synthesis_Telescope
Labels:
Australia,
radio astronomy,
Reber--Grote,
telescopes
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A Signal for SETI? HD 164595
That's the Russian radio-telescope that picked up what was thought to be a possible signal from an extraterrestrial civilization. This article from the SETI Institute has some interesting tech info on antennas and power levels. Definitely not QRP!
Labels:
radio astronomy,
Russia,
SETI,
telescopes
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Listening UP for KIC 846
Update on a story we mentioned a few weeks ago:
Since October 16, the SETI institute has been using its Allen Telescope Array to observe KIC 846 2852 over a wide range of radio frequencies (1 to 10 GHz), looking for any artificial signals. Keep in mind that this star system is relatively far, roughly 1400 light-years away. That's more distant than the Orion Nebula, and getting there (if you feel the need) would require a 23 million year ride in our fastest rocket. But more to the point, any signals detectable here on Earth would have to be exceptionally powerful.
We're continuing to analyze the data. In another week, our SETI team will once again observe KIC 846 2852 using some new receivers being affixed to the Allen Array - known as Antonio feeds - that will increase the sensitivity by a factor of two. Check this space.
Meanwhile, consider KIC 846 2852 as something suggestive of cosmic company, but no more than a suggestion.
Labels:
astronomy,
radio astronomy,
SETI
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Real DX: The Mysterious Flicker of KIC 846
Artist conception of a Dyson Sphere Alien Mega-structure
This story somehow seemed appropriate for Halloween. But it is for real (this is Halloween, not April 1!). The role of amateur scientists in this matter is especially interesting, as is the radio-astronomy follow-up. Stay tuned!
Labels:
astronomy,
radio astronomy,
SETI
Monday, August 3, 2015
Amateurs and the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence
Interesting article. The author mentions a connection between SETI and the Homebrew Computer Club:
We had a SolderSmoke "SETI at Home" team. Anybody know how are we doing?
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"
http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm
Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke
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Labels:
antennas,
radio astronomy,
SETI
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Fireballs Emitting RF at HF!
Yea, and that damn gamma ray bust static has been totally messing up the 12 meter band! Someone should complain to the FCC!
https://medium.com/the-physics-arxiv-blog/1382596c320d
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
astronomy,
meteors,
Physics,
radio astronomy
Friday, May 30, 2014
Contact Reestablished with ISEE-3 Satellite
http://spacecollege.org/isee3/we-are-now-in-command-of-the-isee-3-spacecraft.html
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
radio astronomy,
satellites,
space program
Sunday, April 20, 2014
A Worthy Cause: Help Save the ISEE-3 Spacecraft!
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/42228-isee-3-reboot-project-by-space-college-skycorp-and-spaceref
Here is an excerpt from the above website:
Our plan is simple: we intend to contact the ISEE-3 (International Sun-Earth Explorer) spacecraft, command it to fire its engine and enter an orbit near Earth, and then resume its original mission - a mission it began in 1978. ISEE-3 was rechristened as the International Comet Explorer (ICE). If we are successful it may also still be able to chase yet another comet.
Working in collaboration with NASA we have assembled a team of engineers, programmers, and scientists - and have a large radio telescope fully capable of contacting ISEE-3. If we are successful we intend to facilitate the sharing and interpretation of all of the new data ISEE-3 sends back via crowd sourcing.
Time is short. And this project is not without significant risks. We need your financial help. ISEE-3 must be contacted in the next month or so and it must complete its orbit change maneuvers no later than mid-June 2014. There is excitement ahead as well: part of the maneuvers will include a flyby of the Moon at an altitude of less than 50 km.
Our team members at Morehead State University, working with AMSAT-DL in Germany, have already detected the carrier signals from both of ISEE-3's transmitters. When the time comes, we will be using the large dish at Morehead State University to contact the spacecraft and give it commands.
Thanks to Dave, WA8JNM, for the heads up on this.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
astronomy,
radio astronomy,
satellites,
space program
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Arecibo Birthday
Thanks to Bob Crane for this birthday alert:
The
Arecibo Observatory opened on this date in 1963. At a diameter of
a thousand feet, it's the largest single-aperture telescope ever built. It's
also got the largest focusing dish in the world, which gathers electromagnetic
waves from space. Located near the city of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, it's close to
the equator, which enables it to "see" (via radio waves) all the planets in the
solar system; within six months of its opening, it enabled scientists to study
the rotation rate of Mercury and determine that it rotated every 59 days, rather
than 88 as was previously thought. It's also been used for military purposes
like locating Soviet radar installations by tracking their signals as they were
reflected off the moon. It's provided the first full imaging of an asteroid and
also led to the first discovery of planets outside our solar system.
In 1999, it began collecting data for the SETI
Institute; SETI stands for "search for extraterrestrial intelligence," and the
organization looks for deliberate radio or optical signals from other planets.
The Arecibo Observatory also sends data over broadband to the home and office
computers of 250,000 volunteers, who, through the Einstein@Home program, donate
their computers to be used for data analysis during periods when they would
otherwise be idle. A year ago, three such volunteers in Iowa and Germany
discovered a previously unknown pulsar, 17,000 light years from
Earth.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
radio astronomy,
SETI,
telescopes
Monday, August 5, 2013
Big Data and the Square Kilometer Array
All of this is very interesting, but SolderSmoke readers will probably find the last ten minutes most interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzlwhP5JejA
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
radio astronomy,
South Africa,
UK
Friday, June 14, 2013
The Jamesburg Dish
Mama mia! That's an antenna! This is the skyhook that the very hip people in yesterday's video (scroll down) are using to send very cool messages to Gliese 526. With a setup like that, they may have a shot at a QSO!
More on the antenna here: http://www.jamesburgdish.org/
As I suspected, real hams (not the hipsters!) are doing the tech work.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
antennas,
radio astronomy
Thursday, June 13, 2013
LONE SIGNAL: SETI gets cool. Perhaps TOO cool! (VIDEO)
Slashdot alerted me to this new SETI-like effort to communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations. It is called LONE SIGNAL. Check out their video (above and here:
http://youtu.be/M-XcrnSKUog )
http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/crowd-funded-radio-beacon-will-message-aliens-130612.htm
The project has many features that put it in the traditional SolderSmoke area of interest, especially "the use of a re-furbished radio telescope." But one look at their video (click above) made me think that perhaps these folks are just too cool for a project like this. I somehow can't see ANY of these people using a soldering iron. On the other hand, if WE had videos like this, maybe we'd be able to bring more young people into ham radio! Yea! Why can't we be cool too? How about it, ARRL?
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
radio astronomy,
SETI,
video
Friday, March 29, 2013
Wow! Great Article on the Wow SETI Signal
Thanks to David Umbaugh (and his son!) for alerting me to this really great article in The Atlantic on one intrepid amateur who has chosen to follow-up on the famous (and possibly extraterrestrial) "Wow" signal. You will like this article.
http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/the-wow-signal-one-mans-search-for-setis-most-tantalizing-trace-of-alien-life/253093/
Robert Gray's book is available here:
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
radio astronomy,
SETI,
Tasmania
Friday, July 20, 2012
The Antenna that Brought us Apollo 11
July 20/21 seemed like a good day to point to the beautiful shot of the Parkes Radio Telescope Dish, the magnificent Australian antenna that brought us the video from the Apollo 11 moon walk. Like many of you, I was watching. Three cheers for The Dish! Three cheers for Apollo 11!
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120719.html
As we've mentioned, this antenna and the Apollo 11 reception are the basis of a really nice movie called -- THE DISH. Get it here:
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
Australia,
radio astronomy,
video
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Allen Telescope Array
I'm really getting into the SETI Live project. Whenever I get a chance I go to the SETI Live page, log on, and classify a few signals. Today I was looking at the tech aspects of the antenna array. Very interesting, and very appealing to homebrewers. They are making use of dishes that were made for TV reception. And they are using software-defined receiver systems. All of this makes upgrades relatively easy.
Jill Tartar of "Contact" fame is running this project.
Check it out: http://www.seti.org/ata
So, I'll be I'll be using a big array to listen (watch really) for the REAL DX on .5 to 11.2 Gigahertz. I'll let you guys know if I hear any "new ones"!
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Jill Tartar of "Contact" fame is running this project.
Check it out: http://www.seti.org/ata
So, I'll be I'll be using a big array to listen (watch really) for the REAL DX on .5 to 11.2 Gigahertz. I'll let you guys know if I hear any "new ones"!
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
antennas,
radio astronomy,
SETI
Friday, March 16, 2012
SETI Live!
Wow, this is really very interesting. The Allen Telescope Array (seen above) is back in operation and they are looking for on-line volunteers to analyze the signals that are streaming in. But unlike the now-familiar SETI-AT-HOME screensaver system, in SETI Live, they want you to personally evaluate signals -- very recent signals -- from the Allen Array. You'll be looking at waterfall displays similar to what we see with SDR rigs. They want you to mark and classify the signals and then upload your work. They are trying to screen out terrestrial sigs, man-made satellites, etc.
This is just the thing for those days when the solar flux is low and 17 meters is dead!
Check it out: http://setilive.org/
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
This is just the thing for those days when the solar flux is low and 17 meters is dead!
Check it out: http://setilive.org/
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
astronomy,
radio astronomy,
SETI
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