[BAA 00299] A Joint Radio Astronomy Initiative with the University of Leicester

[Rick]

BAA electronic bulletin No. 00299 - http://www.britastro.org/

Note from the President: A Joint Radio Astronomy Initiative with the University of Leicester

Please find below a short note from Dr Laurence Newell, the coordinator of the BAA Radio Astronomy Group (RAG).  It describes an exciting joint initiative to set up a remotely-accessible radio telescope.  You have probably heard of robotic optical telescopes used by BAA members but we can now look forward to remote observing in the radio spectrum!

Richard Miles

Note from Laurence:

Our Group has for some time been in negotiation with the Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Leicester, and the National Space Centre (NSC), concerning the use of a fully-steerable satellite dish on the roof of the NSC.  The RAG Assistant Coordinator, Jeff Lashley, who works at the NSC, has been liaising with the individuals responsible for the dish, discussing with them a proposal that the RAG make use of it.  At the BAA Exhibition Meeting on Saturday 30th June, some of the RAG management team met Prof. George Fraser, Director of the Space Research Centre, part of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at Leicester, who own the dish. George visited our stand, and spent some time discussing our work and the proposed project.  He was very supportive of the idea, and has recommended to the NSC management that we proceed.  George spent much longer at the Exhibition than might have been expected.  He also saw John Cook's work on the Starbase Magnetometer, and suggested that John make a version suitable for inclusion in a Cubesat spacecraft!

The intention for the NSC project is to have an internet-connected radio telescope which is directly accessible to members of RAG through the use of RAG's Starbase software, which was demonstrated at the Exhibition Meeting. The dish will be fitted with a receiver and control systems to allow observations of the 1420MHz radiation from neutral hydrogen in our Galaxy, with the aim of producing maps showing the Doppler-shifted components from the galactic arms.  Ultimately, we are hoping for a permanent exhibit at the NSC to be used by members of the general public.  There is potential for the exhibit to be expanded to incorporate other BAA activities.

RAG are now setting up a small team to do the work, coordinated by Jeff Lashley and Terry Ashton, to whom further enquiries may be sent <tjr at star.le.ac.uk>.

Laurence Newell
RAG Coordinator