Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope

The Giant Ukrainian Radio Telescope is a sprawling radio observatory near Kharkiv with hundreds of antennas arranged in separate sections across flat terrain. These antennas work together to capture and amplify faint signals from space across a wide range of radio frequencies.

The facility was built starting in the 1970s as the UTR-2 array, marking an important step for Ukrainian astronomy. Since then it has conducted observations of cosmic objects and undergone gradual expansion over the decades.

Scientists from Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences conduct research at this facility, contributing to international understanding of solar phenomena and pulsar emissions.

The site sits on open ground and can be viewed from a distance, though visiting requires planning ahead. The best time to explore is in clear weather and good light, when you can properly see how the equipment is arranged.

The facility can detect signals from incredibly distant cosmic objects by working with frequencies invisible to the human eye. This lets researchers study sky objects in ways that traditional optical telescopes cannot reach.