HartRAO Home > news > SKA Partner Countries visit HartRAO - 2013-07-10
On 10 July 2013, representatives of the Partner Countries visited HartRAO to learn more on operational VLBI radio telescopes in action and to see how radio astronomy can be used for outreach.
HartRAO Director Dr. Michael Gaylard hosted the visit, and the pictures below capture some of the action.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Tony Dhlamini /
HartRAO
A fun way to learn some basic physics is launching water rockets. Here Mike
prepares the visitors on the tricks of getting the rockets to go as high as
possible.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Tony Dhlamini /
HartRAO
A standard domestic satellite TV dish can be equipped with a "radiometer" to
measure the strength of radio signals being received. This enables it to be
used as a simple radio telescope, one sensitive enough to detect the radio
waves from the Sun. A loudspeaker also turns the detected signal into
sound, so that the "hiss" from the Sun can be compared with the man-made
signals from the satellites broadcasting the TV signals that the dish is normally
used to receive. With a bit of not too difficult math, the temperature of
the Sun at the operating frequency of the dish can also be calculated.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Tony Dhlamini /
HartRAO
Which way up should the Earth be? Is there a "right" answer?
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Tony Dhlamini /
HartRAO
The visiting group in front of the 26-metre radio telescope at HartRAO.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Keith Jones /
HartRAO
The delegates from Mozambique visited the 7.6-metre satellite dish at the
nearby Telkom satellite station that is being converted into a training
telescope for Mozambique as part of the AVN initiative. HartRAO engineering manager Keith Jones and
antenna technician Jacques Grobler showed the antenna to the visitors, and
Jacques is seen on the left of this picture of the group in the equipment
room that will go with the converted antenna.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Keith Jones /
HartRAO
The Mozambican group with the antenna pedestal on the left and equipment
room on the right.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Keith Jones /
HartRAO
The Mozambican group with the antenna and equipment room.
Left click on image for large version. Credit: Jacques Grobler /
HartRAO
Keith Jones with Mozambican team at the 7.6m antenna.