Australia Telescope National Facility, Radio astronomy observatory in New South Wales, Australia.
The Australia Telescope National Facility is a radio astronomy installation in New South Wales with multiple observatories, including a prominent 64-meter dish at Parkes. These observatories work together to collect detailed observations of the southern sky and gather scientific data about distant cosmic objects.
The Parkes Observatory, a key part of the installation, was founded in 1961 and has played a role in numerous astronomical discoveries since then. Over the decades, radio telescope technology was expanded to link the observatories into a coordinated system.
The facility functions as a hub where researchers and students from around the world gather to study the cosmos together. You can see how this collaborative community works with advanced radio telescopes to uncover secrets about distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena.
Visitors can find information about the facility and its work on CSIRO's website, which is managed by Australia's national science agency. Before traveling to see the observatories in person, check ahead since access conditions may vary depending on research activities.
The four separate observatories function as a long baseline array, meaning they are spread across a wide area but work together as one giant telescope. This linked approach allows them to produce far more detailed images of the sky than any single dish could achieve alone.
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