Seminar Series: Technology Trends 2006
PATHS to discovery in radio astronomy
Professor Ron Ekers, Federation Fellow, CSIRO
Australia Telescope National Facility & President, International
Astronomical Union (IAU)
One of the most important events in twentieth century astronomy
was the birth of radio astronomy. For the first time ever
astronomers were able to view the Universe in a region of the
electromagnetic spectrum outside the narrow optical window. These
early discoveries were completely unexpected and were made by
individual scientists from other disciplines who built very
unconventional "telescopes". These early pioneers discovered a
plethora of cosmic phenomena that revolutionized our knowledge of
the Universe.
Modern observations of some of these discoveries, such as the
relic radiation from the big bang, are still the most exciting
research areas in modern astronomy.
What can we learn from this about the future of the new class of
radio telescopes, such as the SKA, which are planned for the twenty
first century?
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