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Does NRAO Have a Design for a Radio Telescope for Amateurs?

-- | July 15, 2016

Question: NASA has the RADIO JOVE PROJECT complete with the Receiver, Antenna Kit, and software.  Why can’t NRAO offer something similar in the microwave region of the EM spectrum that supplies enthusiasts everything but a used Satellite TV dish (they must get that)?  Instructional materials data analysis software and a blog / forum would be helpful.  Project would look for signals from and try to determine the physics and chemistry of what is going on.  Maybe work with SETI on the side.  — Ron

Answer: NRAO does have a do-it-yourself radio telescope called the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope (which is modelled after the “Little Bitty Telescope” designed by the SETI League).  It uses a satellite TV dish as its telescope and can be used to monitor the 12 GHz radio emission from the Sun, among other experiments.

Jeff Mangum