Kalyazin Radio Astronomy Observatory, Radio astronomy observatory in Kalyazin, Russia
Kalyazin Radio Astronomy Observatory operates the RT-64 (TNA-1500), a fully steerable parabolic reflector 64 m in diameter, with a pale gold inner surface and a dark lattice underside. The dish rests on a ribbed cylindrical base above a pale structure with vertical windows, and two lattice towers rise to a yellow dome-shaped cap.
The facility was built in the early nineties as part of a center for satellite communication. Its commissioning expanded Russian research capacity in the field of radio astronomy considerably.
Locals in Kalyazin call the observatory "Radio Ear", a nickname for its dish. Its staff of 17 runs pulsar astrometry and very-long-baseline interferometry, and since 2016 the telescope has taken part in the ESA and Roscosmos ExoMars project.
The site sits outside built-up areas in flat terrain favorable for measuring faint radio waves. Anyone planning to visit should check access arrangements and opening times beforehand.
The RT-64 dish weighs 3,800 tonnes, with a 64-metre parabolic reflector and a secondary mirror 6 metres across. Its surface was reshaped after a 2010 fire, widening the frequency range it can observe. Local residents call the observatory "Radio Ear".
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