Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope, Radio telescope in Hoskinstown, New South Wales, Australia
The Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope is a radio telescope in New South Wales, Australia, made up of two long, trough-shaped parabolic structures aligned from east to west. Each arm is around 778 meters long and 12 meters wide, covered with thousands of small antenna elements that pick up radio signals from space.
The original design of the telescope dates to 1960, led by Professor Bernard Y. Mills, and the instrument became operational in 1967. Over the following decades, the facility was upgraded several times, including the addition of a digital signal processing system that opened new areas of research.
The observatory takes its name from the Molonglo River, which runs close to the site. Researchers from several universities use it regularly to study the southern sky, making it a working hub for radio astronomy in Australia.
The site sits in a remote, flat area chosen to keep outside radio interference as low as possible, so reaching it requires some planning. As it is an active research facility, visitor access may be limited to specific areas, and it is worth checking in advance before making the trip.
The telescope was among the first to pinpoint the precise location of fast radio bursts, a type of cosmic signal whose origin is still not fully understood. This made it a key tool for a field of research that did not even exist when the instrument was first built.
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