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Tuesday, 07 September 2010
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Home arrow Activity Sections arrow Radio Astronomy
Radio Astronomy PDF Print E-mail
Contributed by Clint Jeffrey   
Article Index
Radio Astronomy
Page 2
Click here to visit the ASV Radio Astronomy Section web site
Live observation data is available from the LMDSRO Weather Station
The section conducts regular monthly meetings, at the Society's clubrooms, on the third Monday night of the month at 8pm. These meetings have an average attendance of 6. Member profiles show a strong interest in amateur radio, electronics, computing, rf instrumentation and astronomy.

Syllabus items are held quarterly. These have included the following topics:
· History of Radioastronomy
· Quasars
· Sensitivity of radiotelescopes
· Pulsars
· Radio sky vs optical sky
· Noise
· Jupiter radio-observing
· Grid dip oscillators
· Visits to Parkes & Culgoora
· Seti - Drake Equation
· Radio-telescope mounts
· Stepper motors
· Update on construction of a 5m radiotelescope

The section has provided guest speakers to present radioastronomy topics to Monash University, ASV General Meeting, the LaTrobe Valley Astronomical Society and the Eastern and Mountain District Radio Club, Moorabbin Amateur Radio Club and The North East Radio Group.

The section, through the untiring work of Russell Ward, has also run an "Astronomy Radio" meeting for the last 10 years. The club radio transmits on 3.543 MHz lower sideband every Friday night at 10pm over south-eastern Australia using ASV's callsign of VK3EKH.

As most practical radioastronomy instrumentation is out of the reach of the individual the section is hoping to foster an interest in members to build their own instrumentation for a variety of simple projects

Projects undertaken by the section have included:
· Jupiter Shoemaker-Levy comet radio observations @20 MHz jointly with Monash University
· Jupiter - Io storm emission observations
· Meteor bounce observations
· Design of 20 MHz radiometer
· Radio observations of the total lunar eclipse at 14GHz.

Long Term Projects:
  • Erection and instrumentation of 4.6 m radio antenna at the ASV Heathcote property in a fully automated steerable alt-az configuration
  • Erection and instrumentation of 11 m radio antenna at Limestone, Vic in an alt-az configuration
  • Setting up of a geomagnetic observatory with a telephone datalink
  • Microwave (millimeter astronomy) observatory for lunar and planetary observations

The 4.6 & 11 m dishes will be used for pulsar observations; hydrogen line mapping; EME digital signal processing and possible SETI observations. It is proposed that both observatories be eventually run over an internet connection once  telecommunication infrastructure is installed, power is now on at the Radio Astronomy Container at the LMDSS and Observations at 20MHz are being conducted.

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September Monthly Meeting Date: Wed. 8th September, 2010Time: 8pm.Venue: National Herbarium, Birdwood Ave., Melbourne Guest Speaker: David Benn, Astronomical Society of South AustraliaTopic: The analysis and visualization of variable star data using VSTAR software.All are welcome, there is no cost and supper is provided. Looking forward to seeing you there.  The ASV Library is now open following the meeting, as well as the usual opening prior to the meeting.

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