#radioastronomy — Public Fediverse posts

📡 Images from the Radio Galaxy Zoo citizen science project were used to pretrain very small vision models (~6M parameters) with LeJEPA. A University of Geneva team shows that self-supervised learning directly on radio astronomy data matches far larger models at radio galaxy morphology classification — cheaper and more scalable. Preprint, 31 Aug 2026.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30594

#RadioAstronomy #CitizenScience #DataScience #Astronomy

📡 The MIDAS survey is the deepest MWA map so far — the GAMA9 and GAMA23 fields at 215.7 MHz. Over 2,100 deg² of sky, nearly 100 hours of observing and a catalogue of 133,826 radio components above 5σ. Mosaics, RMS maps, catalogues and the full imaging pipeline are all released publicly.

📅 1 Sep 2026
🔗 https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.01405

#RadioAstronomy #DataScience #OpenData #Astronomy

📻 Radio meteors, August 2026: Felix Verbelen's monthly report of reflections recorded at Kampenhout (BE) on the VVS beacon frequency of 49.99 MHz. The Perseids peaked on 13 Aug; 52 reflections lasting over a minute were logged across the month. Raw hourly counts are published as CSV, ready for your own analysis.

📅 4 Sep 2026
🔗 https://www.emeteornews.net/2026/09/04/radio-meteors-august-2026/

#RadioAstronomy #CitizenScience #DataScience #Science

Backyard radio astronomy: writing in IEEE Spectrum, David Schneider shows how an RTL-SDR dongle, an LNA and a home-built horn antenna were enough to measure the Doppler shift of the 1420 MHz hydrogen line and plot the Milky Way's rotation curve — the key evidence for dark matter. His results match professional measurements.

📅 17 Aug 2026
🔗 https://www.rtl-sdr.com/detecting-dark-matters-mark-with-an-rtl-sdr-based-diy-radio-telescope/

#RadioAstronomy #CitizenScience #Astronomy #Science

The CARMELo network has published its July 2026 report. Eighteen amateur SDR receivers in Italy, Spain, the UK, Switzerland and the USA track meteor echoes off France's GRAVES radar (143.050 MHz). New this time: an in-house Python algorithm computing the Radio Zenithal Hourly Rate. A single receiver costs about €210 to build.

📅 24 Aug 2026
🔗 https://www.emeteornews.net/2026/08/24/july-2026-carmelo-report/

#RadioAstronomy #CitizenScience #Bolidozor #Astronomy #Space

🚨 Exciting New Science🚨

Could astronomers have finally found the key to solving one of the Universe's strangest mysteries?

In recent years, the emergence of a new class of objects known as Long-Period Transients (LPTs) has baffled radio astronomers. These bizarre objects emit powerful radio pulses every few minutes to hours - but their behaviour shouldn't really be possible according to our current understanding of how other objects, like pulsars, emit radio waves.

Now, a newly discovered white dwarf binary system may be providing the strongest clue yet. Some researchers are even describing it as a potential "Rosetta Stone" for understanding these mysterious objects.

I had a chat with PhD candidate Kovi Rose from the University of Sydney about this discovery, what makes this system so unusual, and how it could help unravel the mystery of LPTs.

Check out my latest feature article on #SpaceAustralia here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/new-long-period-transient-reveals-its-secrets

📸 Animation: C. Knox & J.P. Pritchard

#RadioAstronomy #astrodon #astrophysics #LongPeriodTransients

The Power of the Whisper: How WSPR and WSJT-X are Redefining Long-Distance Radio

1,250 words, 7 minutes read time.

Amateur radio operators and technology enthusiasts are currently utilizing the Weak Signal Propagation Reporter, commonly known as WSPR, and the WSJT-X software suite to achieve global communication using minimal power. Developed by Nobel laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, this digital protocol allows stations to send and receive signals that are often completely buried in background noise, making it possible to map atmospheric conditions and radio propagation in real-time. This technology serves as a critical entry point for men looking to understand the mechanics of the ionosphere and the efficiency of modern digital signal processing. By leveraging advanced mathematical algorithms, WSPR proves that high-power amplifiers and massive antenna towers are no longer the only way to reach across the ocean, offering a technical challenge that rewards precision and patience over brute force.

The core of this system lies in the software known as WSJT-X. This program implements several digital protocols designed specifically for making reliable communication under extreme conditions where traditional voice or Morse code signals would fail. While WSPR is not a conversational mode, it acts as a global beacon system. A station transmits a brief packet containing its callsign, location grid square, and power level. Thousands of other stations around the world, running the same software, listen for these signals and automatically report any successful decodes to a central internet database called WSPRnet. This creates a living, breathing map of how radio waves are traveling across the planet at any given second, providing invaluable data for anyone interested in the science of communication.

Understanding the physics behind this process is what separates a casual observer from a true radio technician. The Earth’s ionosphere, a layer of the atmosphere ionized by solar radiation, acts as a mirror for certain radio frequencies. Depending on the time of day, solar flare activity, and the season, these signals can skip off the sky and land thousands of miles away. In the past, confirming these paths required luck and high-power transmissions. Joe Taylor once noted that the goal of these modes is to utilize the information-theoretic limits of the channel. This means squeezing every bit of data through the smallest amount of bandwidth possible, allowing a station running only one watt of power to be heard in Antarctica from a backyard in Michigan.

For the man standing on the threshold of earning his amateur radio license, WSPR is the ultimate proof of concept. It removes the intimidation factor of “talking” to strangers and replaces it with a pure engineering objective: How far can my signal go with the least amount of effort? Setting up a WSPR station requires a computer, a transceiver, and a simple wire antenna. The software handles the heavy lifting of Forward Error Correction and narrow-band filtering. This process teaches the fundamentals of station grounding, signal-to-noise ratios, and frequency stability—skills that are mandatory for passing the licensing exam and, more importantly, for operating a professional-grade station.

The hardware requirements are surprisingly modest, which appeals to the practical, DIY-oriented mind. Many enthusiasts use a Raspberry Pi or an older laptop dedicated to the task. The interface between the radio and the computer is the critical link, ensuring that the audio generated by the software is cleanly injected into the radio’s transmitter. If the audio levels are too high, the signal becomes distorted, “splattering” across the band and becoming unreadable. This level of technical discipline is exactly what is required in high-stakes fields like aviation or telecommunications. Mastering the “clean” signal is a badge of honor in the ham radio community, signifying a man who knows his equipment inside and out.

As we look at the data generated by WSPR, we see more than just dots on a map; we see the pulse of the sun. Because radio propagation is tied directly to solar activity, WSPR users are often the first to notice a solar storm or a sudden ionospheric disturbance. When the sun emits a massive burst of energy, the higher frequency bands might “open up,” allowing for incredible distances to be covered on low power. Conversely, a solar blackout can shut down communication entirely. Being able to read these signs and adjust one’s strategy accordingly is a core component of the hobby. It turns a simple radio into a scientific instrument used for environmental monitoring.

The community surrounding WSJT-X is one of rigorous peer review and constant improvement. The software is open-source, meaning the code is available for anyone to inspect and refine. This transparency has led to a rapid evolution of the protocols. While WSPR is for propagation reporting, other modes within the suite like FT8 or FST4 are used for rapid-fire contacts. However, WSPR remains the gold standard for testing antennas. If a man builds a new wire antenna in his yard, he doesn’t have to wait for someone to answer his call to know if it works. He can run WSPR for an hour, check the online map, and see exactly where his signal landed. It provides immediate, objective feedback that is essential for any technical project.

The future of this technology points toward even more robust communication in the face of increasing electronic noise. As our cities become more crowded with Wi-Fi, power lines, and electronics, the “noise floor” of the radio spectrum is rising. Traditional modes are struggling to compete. Digital modes like those found in WSJT-X are the solution, using digital signal processing to “dig” signals out of the static. This represents the next frontier of amateur radio—the transition from analog heritage to digital mastery. For those looking to get involved, the barrier to entry has never been lower, and the potential for discovery has never been higher.

In the broader context of emergency preparedness and global infrastructure, the lessons learned from WSPR are invaluable. In a scenario where satellites or internet backbones fail, the ability to bounce low-power signals off the atmosphere remains one of the only viable long-distance communication methods. A man who understands how to deploy a WSPR-capable station is a man who can provide data and connectivity when everything else goes dark. This sense of utility and self-reliance is a driving force for many who pursue their license. It is not just about a hobby; it is about mastering a fundamental force of nature to ensure that the lines of communication stay open, no matter the circumstances.

Call to Action

If this story caught your attention, don’t just scroll past. Join the community—men sharing skills, stories, and experiences. Subscribe for more posts like this, drop a comment about your projects or lessons learned, or reach out and tell me what you’re building or experimenting with. Let’s grow together.

D. Bryan King

Sources

• WSJT-X Main Page: physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html
• WSPRnet Official Site: wsprnet.org/drupal/
• ARRL – What is WSPR?: arrl.org/wspr
• K1JT’s WSPR Implementation Guide: physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/WSPR_Instructions.pdf
• WSPR on Raspberry Pi – GitHub: github.com/JamesP6000/WsprryPi
• Make Magazine – Ham Radio for Beginners: makezine.com/projects/ham-radio-for-beginners/
• Introduction to Digital Modes – OnAllBands: onallbands.com/digital-modes-101-wspr/
• DX Engineering – WSPR Equipment: dxengineering.com/search/product-line/wsjt-x-interfaces
• Radio Society of Great Britain – WSPR Intro: rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-ham-radio/digital-modes/wspr/
• Ham Radio School – Digital Mode Basics: hamradioschool.com/digital-modes-introduction/
• The History of WSJT-X – Princeton University: princeton.edu/news/2017/10/18/nobel-prize-winner-taylor-channels-passion-radio
• WSPR Rocks – Real-time Database: wspr.rocks
• Antenna Theory for Digital Modes: antenna-theory.com
• HF Propagation Basics – NOAA: swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/hf-radio-propagation
• Digital Radio Mondiale and WSPR – IEEE: ieee.org/publications/wspr-technical-overview

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

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A pulsar rotating 122 times per second could be present at the heart of the Milky Way

ⓘ NidhiYashwan…
#NewsBeep #News #Space #benchmarks #BreakthroughListen #galacticcenter #graphicscard #GreenBankTelescope #laptop #magnetar #MilkyWay #millisecondpulsar #netbook #neutronstar #notebook #processor #pulsar #radioastronomy #reports #review #Reviews #SagittariusA #Science #solarsystem #SquareKilometerArray #telescope #test #tests #UK #UnitedKingdom #VeryLargeArray
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/441084/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/351827/ A pulsar rotating 122 times per second could be present at the heart of the Milky Way #benchmarks #BreakthroughListen #Éire #GalacticCenter #GraphicsCard #GreenBankTelescope #IE #Ireland #laptop #Magnetar #MilkyWay #MillisecondPulsar #netbook #NeutronStar #notebook #processor #pulsar #RadioAstronomy #reports #Review #Reviews #SagittariusA #Science #SolarSystem #Space #SquareKilometerArray #Telescope #test #tests #VeryLargeArray

For maintenance reasons, we have removed our receiver.
#radioastronomie #radioastronomy #astropeiler #stockert #eifel #badmunstereifel

Well, here's some very exciting news!

I've been wanting to share this for a few months, but had to await the pre-print to drop.

A NEW GLITCH EVENT ON A MILLISECOND PULSAR HAS BEEN OBSERVED!

These events are extremely rare - only two others since MSPs were discovered.

Glitches are more commonly observed in the younger, canonical pulsar population as MSPs are much older and should have sorted out these types of disruptive events over their evolution.

That's what makes them so stable!

OR ... maybe they're not as stable as we once thought ...

This new paper predicts that we should see a glitch per MSP once every 400 years or so.

Glitches, profile changes .... as our instruments become more sensitive and datasets expand in time, we're starting to see that MSPs might not be as stable as we once thought ...

That's really important!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/new-glitch-millisecond-pulsar

📸 NASA SVS

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Astrodon #Astrophysics #Science #Pulsars

I am so very excited to share this story. Def. a career highlight!

Having the opportunity to sit down and have a one-on-one candid chat with the woman who discovered pulsars and changed the course of astrophysics, leading to me being extremely passionate about this topic and eventually moving into a career of pulsar astronomy. Yeah, this was big.

I hope you enjoy this interview, where Prof. Bell Burnell offers some personal insight into the history of the big discovery as well as the legacy of one of astronomy’s most iconic and influential figures.

What an honour it is to tell this story!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/interview-dame-professor-jocelyn-bell-burnell

📸 University of Cambridge

#SpaceAustralia #RadioAstronomy #Pulsars #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrophysics #Science #Astrodon

Today was a good day. I got to meet one of my heroes.

Got to spend one-on-one time with the woman who discovered pulsars, Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, and interview her for a #SpaceAustralia article 🥺🥺🥺

And she signed a copy of my first-ever PhD paper which I will now have framed and remember forever! 😭😭😭

She is the most humble, nicest person. Just kindness, personified. And such an extremely interesting life - as you can imagine.

I'll publish my article and interview with her in about 12 hours from now (around 8:30am Sydney time) - so keep an eye out for it.

Thanks to Manisha Caleb who took this photo of us.

#Pulsars #RadioAstronomy #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon #Science #Astrophysics

*** EXCITING NEWS ****

Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell is coming to Sydney!

A few of us early-career scientists will be sharing our science and the stage with her.

BUT BUT BUT ... I've been granted a one-on-one interview with her for a #SpaceAustralia article!

What an honour!

I get to spend time / have a chat with the woman who discovered pulsars (the objects that I research) - and then be able to share that story with everyone.

It's a huge thing for me!

To be able to write the story, from first-hand account, of that of a Titan in my field of research / astronomy!

JBB will be in Sydney from next week and is also giving a public lecture at the University of Sydney.

Sadly, it looks like the event has already sold out for those who couldn't grab tickets, but keep an eye out for my SpaceAustralia article - will be released on 21st October!

#Pulsars #Science #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #JocelynBellBurnell #Astrodon

A personal milestone ✅

I’m incredibly proud to share that my first-ever, first-author paper has been accepted for publication in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA)!

Last week I got to share this work with the pulsar community at the Sardinia Pulsar Conference too.

This project has been at the very heart of my PhD journey so far - a deep, four-year analysis into an unusual and still-mysterious profile change event in one of the most stable and widely used pulsars, PSR J1713+0747. It first appeared on my radar in early 2021 and, since then, it’s been a fascinating and humbling experience trying to unravel what really happened.

In pulsar timing, we rely on the long-term stability of millisecond pulsars to search for phenomena like nanohertz gravitational waves using pulsar timing arrays. But what happens when that stability falters?

This paper explores that very question - examining what changed on this millisecond pulsar, how the polarisation evolved, and what it might mean for the future of precision timing efforts as we prepare for a new generation of ultra-sensitive telescopes.

Seeing this work now out in the world - contributing to the scientific conversation is something I’ve dreamt of for a long time (the last notch to feel like I have fully moved into my science career!). I hope it helps our community better understand the complex and wild behaviour of these exotic stellar clocks.

Read my feature article on SpaceAustralia.com below - and if you have questions about the research, I’d love to chat!

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/pulsar-threw-tantrum

📸 R. Mandow et al. 2025

#Pulsars #RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #SpaceAustralia #Astrodon

A study based on @thenrao VLA archival data finds that Operational Data Sharing with #SpaceX has reduced L-band system temperature, and support for "earlier coordinated studies and demonstrate[s] that while StarLink’s DtC transmissions can produce measurable effects, mitigation frameworks like ODS provide effective protection to scientific data quality."

https://www.nrao.edu/students/2025/Reports/HutchinsBlake.pdf

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #VeryLargeArray #RFI

Cosmology: The Moon is our Future

The limits of cosmology, by Joseph Silk
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.08066

#Cosmology #LunarAstronomy #LunarTelescope #LunarTelescopes #teslescope #telescopes #radioastronomy #radiotelescope #radioteslescopes #galaxies #Moon #exoplanets #astrodon #Astronomy #Astrophysics #SMBH #blackholes #bigbang #universe #science

👀👀👀👀

Super neat preprint! 📡

A rare, hot-Jupiter exoplanet orbits the pulsar PSR J2322-2650.

Astronomers used #JWST to observe it across the full orbit, and found its atmosphere rich in carbon AND it having a strong westward wind! 🤯

So glad that people are using JWST to look at the pulsar planets, esp. since the pulsar is not going to be visible at the JWST wavelengths.

These things are orbiting so close to the pulsar that they are being ablated (spider pulsar!), and one side of them is gonna glow more than the other side.

The first exoplanets discovered were pulsar planets!

They are, however, extremely rare because to form a pulsar you need a supernova, and so things get messy.

Here's an article I wrote about them a little while back on #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/science-talk-what-are-pulsar-planets

#Pulsars #Astrophysics #Science #Astrodon #RadioAstronomy #JWST

" It is hailed as a global endeavour to explore the hidden universe – a powerful telescope comprising more than 130,000 antennae being built in outback Western Australia. But while the venture is being lauded as one of the most significant scientific endeavours of the 21st century, the Guardian can reveal that the organisation managing the funds of 16 member states has been rocked by allegations of financial misconduct."

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/aug/22/square-kilometre-array-observatory-skao-western-australia-radio-telescope-misconduct-allegations-ntwnfb

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #SKAO

The ‘cosmic clocks’ preparing SKAO for early science

Observations of pulsars – rapidly spinning dead stars – are helping the SKA Observatory to prepare for science operations.

https://www.skao.int/en/news/651/cosmic-clocks-preparing-skao-early-science

The signal ⤵️ shows 100 pulses from the Vela pulsar and has been sonified 🔊

#skao #vela #pulsar #velapulsar #pulsars #SKAlow #SKA #radioastronomy #physics #astronomy #astrophysics #astrodon #news #clocks #science #video

We had a great week full of science in Görlitz. Many thanks to @skao , DZA, and all the other organizers! 🙌

You can get a glimpse of the fantastic atmosphere at the event in our short video.

#skao #RadioAstronomy #Radioastronomie #science #wissenschaft #conference #konferenz #görlitz

🌟 From June 16 to 20, 2025, Görlitz will become the 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲! 🌟

At the @skao Science Meeting, over 500 researchers from around the world will come together to advance the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.

Germany is strongly represented as a founding member through the MPIfR and the DZA. The conference will highlight exciting topics such as cosmology, galaxy evolution, gravitational waves, and the search for life beyond Earth.

👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 Over 200 scientific talks, international experts, and a public program featuring a lecture by Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer on June 17.

We are very much looking forward to the conference and a successful collaboration!

#SKAO #radioastronomy #astrophysics #Görlitz2025 #MPIfR #DZA #Science

An Emerging Risk To #RadioAstronomy 📡
Using a prototype SKA-Low instrument, a new analysis from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) has detected Starlink signals leaking into protected radio bands.

Radio frequency interference from Starlink not only spans the narrowband intended emissions, but also broadband unintended emissions too, coming from propulsion and avionics.

This RFI is unregulated and affects key science goals.

Starlink appears in ~30% of all sky images.

This new study, from Dylan Grigg at Curtin University, is not the first to study the impacts of Starlink on #RadioAstronomy, but is the largest of its kind, and quantifies how this type of radio frequency interference - that comes from above - will impact the mega-science SKA project.

My latest piece for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/news/emerging-risk-radio-astronomy

📸 Astro_Work 🔭 (supplied) / Griggs et al. 2025

#Starlink #Satellites #SKA #Astrodon #Astronomy #RFSpectrum

A multiwavelength glimpse at a space oddity!

Astronomers from ICRAR have led a global team to reveal new insights into the growing population of Long-Period Transients.

What makes ASKAP J1832-0911 stand out from the rest of the Long-Period Transients is that, for the first time, coincident X-ray emission, along with radio emissions, have also been detected from such an object, thanks to the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Check out my new article on #SpaceAustralia here:

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/askap-and-chandra-catch-pulses-long-period-transient

📸 ICRAR

#Astrodon #Astrophysics #RadioAstronomy #Science #SpaceNews

#wichtigepersönlichkeiten #radioastronomie #forschung #pulsar #importantpeople #radioastronomy #KarlJansky
#EntdeckungDerRadiowellen #Milchstraße #KosmischeStrahlung #AstronomieGeschichte #DiscoveryOfRadioWaves #MilkyWay #CosmicRadiation #HistoryOfAstronomy

🥁 We start the day with great news:

"The first image from the international SKA Observatory’s telescope in Australia, SKA-Low, has been released today – a significant milestone in its quest to reveal an unparalleled view of our Universe."

👉 https://www.skao.int/en/news/621/ska-low-first-glimpse-universe

#ska #skao #australia #skalow #radioastronomy

🌍🔭 A Telescope Across Three Countries? Yes! 🔭🌍

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) is revolutionizing radio astronomy with a telescope spanning three countries! 🚀🔬

Learn how this ambitious project is unlocking the mysteries of the universe:
🔗 https://www.skao.int/en/about-us/skao

#Astronomy #SKAO #SpaceScience #RadioAstronomy #Innovation #BigScience

Image source: SKAO website

Does a Radome Affect Radio? https://hackaday.com/2025/01/25/does-a-radome-affect-radio/ #RadioAstronomy #geodesicdome #RadioHacks #radome

Does a Radome Affect Radio? - Not too far away from where this is being written is one of Uncle Sam’s NATO outpo... - https://hackaday.com/2025/01/25/does-a-radome-affect-radio/ #radioastronomy #geodesicdome #radiohacks #radome

EVERYONE 🚨

The SKAO has released some short video of one of the SKA-Low stations (located in Australia) making a pulsar detection.

The SKA won’t be finished until around 2030s but stations will switch on so we’re heading into the early data collection stages.

If you’ve never heard of the SKA, it’s a new instrument being built in Australia and South Africa — and will be the most powerful radio telescope on our planet.

It’s going to change our view of the Universe, and has been decades in the making.

Read more: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/road-leads-square-kilometre-array

#SpaceAustralia #Astrodon #RadioAstronomy #Telescopes

More exciting, unexplained science!

An emerging class of objects in #RadioAstronomy, mostly discovered in the last few years, still can't be explained.

Now, two new multi-wavelength studies might have answers.

Wrote about both these Aussie astronomy cases, and how they might be giving us those additional clues, to narrow in on what we are seeing.

Are these an entirely new object all together? OR, do we need to re-think our physics? Both scenarios are fascinating.

My next piece for #SpaceAustralia:

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/multi-wavelength-views-new-galactic-radio-astronomy-mysteries

📸 N. Hurley-Walker /MWA / Curtin / ICRAR

#Astrophysics #Astrodon #Science

Some exciting results!

Using MeerKAT (super sensitive telescope array) the MeerKAT Pulsar Timing Array (MPTA) team have also found supporting evidence (with their assumptions and models) of the gravitational wave background (GWB) that other Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTAs) announced last year. This is further independent verification!

The Universe rattles!

I had a chat with Dr. Matt Miles from Swinburne Uni / OzGrav about his lead-author paper and results: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/mpta-finds-evidence-gravitational-wave-background

But the fun doesn't stop there! An additional paper, co-authored by Rowina Nathan, used the MPTA data to make the most detailed map of the GWB, and found an intriguing anisotropy (though, statistically, could be insignificant). If it turns out to be true it shows the GWB is not isotropic, and we could be seeing a unique system or some unknown cosmology. Rowina wrote a piece in #SpaceAustralia about this too: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/mapping-gravitational-wave-universe

Very cool science that take pulsars and turn the Galaxy into a detector.

📸 C. Knox/Swinburne/OzGrav/SARAO

#RadioAstronomy #Pulsars #Astrodon #Astrophysics

1 in 100 billion! (well, so far ....)

There is one, and ONLY one of these systems we know about. It features two neutron stars, both pulsars. In even better news, both of these pulsar beams shine in our direction - so we can study the light of one as it passes through the powerful magnetic field of the other.

That's what Dr Marcus Lower from Swinburne University of Technology and his team did - they used the extremely sensitive MeerKAT telescope in South Africa to study the light, and polarization of one pulsar's beam as it passed through the magnetic field of the other.

This is extreme astrophysics at its best.

There is very much likely more double pulsars out there, but maybe only one beams at us, or none beam at us.

So, this is the only one we have so far ....

My latest for #SpaceAustralia

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/unveiling-extreme-physics-galaxys-only-double-pulsar-system

📸M. Kramer/MPIfR

#Astrophysics #RadioAstronomy #Pulsars #Astrodon #Science

How a hobby becomes great science!📡

#importantpeople #radioastronomy #radiotelescope #radiomap #karljansky #radioengineer #astronomer #science @thenrao

LOOK!

These odd plots represent the first data from the SKA-low telescope working as an interferometer.

Data comes from two stations (each with 256 antennas) where the signal is correlated. That little kink is the radio galaxy Centaurus A.

SKA is starting to come online!

SKA-low features these odd-looking antennas that resemble Christmas trees. 256 of them sit in a ‘station’ which acts as a single unit. Once construction is complete (end of decade) there will be 512 stations separated by distance creating a large virtual telescope.

SKA-low is the Australian side of the project and will feature over 131,000 antennas to cover the low-frequency bands.

This will complement SKA-mid, located in South Africa which will have an interferometer made of dish antennas and cove a huge bandwidth up to 15 GHz.

📸 SKAO

#RadioAstronomy #Astrodon #SKAO #Observatories #Telescopes

@bud_t @wb2ifs It's really important to mention that there is whole team involved in this effort. This release would not have happened without these folks https://superknova.org/odi-team/ #DEI #amateurradio #radioastronomy #electromagneticspectrum @thenrao

👀👀👀

A new long-period radio transient! The population grows!

GLEAM-X J 0704−37 has a period of 2.9 hours (longest period yet detected!) and is linearly polarized ... and ... it likely has an identified companion (an M3 Dwarf).

Discovered in the archival low-frequency data from
the MWA.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.15757

The reason I am excited about these is because we don't know what they are as yet! Pulsars have periods that are much smaller (faster rotators) than these things.

So we are seeing a new population of slower rotators emerging. Read more about it here: https://www.spaceaustralia.com/index.php/feature/population-strange-slow-rotating-astrophysical-objects-grows

Also chatted with @stilgherrian about this in the recent pod if you prefer to listen: https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00228/

#RadioAstronomy #Science #SpaceAustralia #Astrodon

I think it is 'bout time we declared today (Aug 6) International Pulsars Day since today was the day that Dame Prof. Jocelyn Bell Burnell (aka Queen JBB) discovered them!

I write about #Pulsars a lot (as it is my field of study) so here are a few #SpaceAustralia links if you wish to read more about them:

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/55-years-pulsar-science

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/index.php/feature/closing-earths-closest-millisecond-pulsar

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/feature/australian-scientists-help-uncover-cosmic-gravitational-rumblings

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/index.php/news/science-talk-what-are-pulsar-planets

https://www.spaceaustralia.com/index.php/news/catching-spider-pulsar-act

I've also included a couple of graphics to celebrate (and in the next post too) that you are more than welcome to use with creditation.

#RadioAstronomy #Astrophysics #WomenSTEM #Astrodon #Science

This book has triggered some memories on the early involvement of Spain in the SKA development which I documented on LinkedIn, but I will write a thread here about them.

1/11

#SKAO #SKA #SquareKilometreArray #SquareKilometreArrayOrganisation #SquareKilometreArrayObservatory #SPDO #ISPO #RadioAstronomy #HistoryBook #LargeScaleResearchInfrastructures #Spain #SpanishScienceIndustry #ScienceIndustry
https://astrodon.social/@juandesant/112696949499330270

Great book (PDF & EPUB) if you have any interest in the SKA's early history. Really good job from Richard Schilizzi, Ron Ekers, Peter Dewdney, and Phil Crosby on compiling a lot of evidence on the journey to establish the SKA, with what went well, and not so well, with lots of detail and notes.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-51374-9

#SKAO #SKA #SquareKilometreArray #SquareKilometreArrayOrganisation #SquareKilometreArrayObservatory #SPDO #ISPO #RadioAstronomy #HistoryBook #LargeScaleResearchInfrastructures

"A bit of me feels that the horse has bolted and we're in catch-up mode at this point."

But: "There's a social good element to what the satellite operators are doing and you've got to balance that against possible impacts to things like radio astronomy."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-27/square-kilometre-array-wa-to-face-satellite-noise-interference/103830954

#Space #Satellites #Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #SKAO

#importantpeople #radioastronomy #firstpulsar #radiopulsar #pulsar #womeninscience #nobelprize @nobelprize @royalastrosoc

The first #MeerKAT+ antenna was today handed over in a festive ceremony in the Karoo region in South Africa. 🥳

This marks another important step towards the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (#SKAO), as the 14 antennas of the MeerKAT extension will be integrated into the SKAO in 2027.

👉 https://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/pressreleases/2024/5

#radioastronomy #radiotelescope

What is a SKAMPI doing in the Karoo semi-desert in South Africa?

Unique scientific research! 👍

The SKA-MPIfR telescope (SKAMPI) is a prototype dish for the SKA-Mid telescope currently under construction in South Africa.

Take a look at the stunning results of the "First Light" observations of the Vela pulsar: https://www.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/pressreleases/2024/3

#radioastronomy #SKAO #pulsar #firstlight #telescope