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Can an Amateur Radio Astronomer Detect an Asteroid?

-- Eric | September 12, 2021

Question:

My question may seem a bit odd. I am trying to write a sci-fi novel about an amateur radio astronomer who discovers a signal from an alien ship. I was hoping you could tell me if amateur radio astronomers can often have sensitive enough equipment to track small asteroids in real life or is this something that only large professional systems can do. If so what kind of equipment would be necessary, and what frequency is used for this?

-- Eric

Answer:

Since the radio emission from asteroids is strongest at relatively short wavelengths, below the wavelength range that amateur radio astronomers operate at, I believe that amateur radio astronomers would have a difficult time detecting an asteroid. Radio observations of asteroids tends to be done at short radio and millimeter wavelengths, generally wavelengths less than 1cm. Dependent upon the wavelength, I believe that one could detect an asteroid with a radio telescope as small as 10m in diameter if observed at submillimeter wavelengths.

-- Jeff Mangum

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