SFA Observatory in need of wire-mesh dishes
By
JENNIFER VOSE, Sentinel staff JUNE 4, 2002 -- The SFA
Observatory is expanding, and observatory officials are asking for the
community's help. Dr. Dan Bruton said the
observatory is working to install several radio telescopes. Student Michael
Johnson started the project as part of his work toward a master's degree. So far, the observatory has
received half an acre of land from the SFA Beef Farm, which doubled the space
they already had available. The project will be funded internally, largely
through alumni donations, Bruton said. The money will be used to purchase the
receivers needed to "tune in" to the stars. Bruton said SFA would
benefit from having several of the telescopes, because the image created by
combining the signals of many is much clearer than that picked up by only one. However, 10-foot radio
dishes, such as the ones that were once used to pick up satellite signals, are
still needed to complete the radio telescopes. Bruton said the observatory is
looking for wire-mesh dishes in good shape. Those who have dishes to
donate may contact Dan Bruton or call Johnson at 462-9943 to arrange for them
to be dismantled and picked up. Once the project is
completed, researchers from the university will be able to combine the images
from the optical telescopes, which measure visible light, and radio telescopes,
which measure light at other wavelengths. The information from the radio
telescopes will allow researchers to learn more about the materials around
stars, which produce less intense light than stars. While optical telescopes
are able to accurately measure light only in clear conditions, the radio
telescopes could be used only in cloudy weather, and can be used to gather
information 24-hours a day, even when researchers are not at the location. The first project planned
after the radio telescopes have been installed will be to map the Milky Way. |