Glossary of Radio Astronomy Terms

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Glossary of Radio Astronomy Terms

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List of Terms

Jansky (Jy):

A unit of measurement that looks at the flux density of electromagnetic radiation. It is most often used when the object being observed can be considered a point source. This measurement was named after radio astronomy pioneer Karl G. Jansky.

Jets:

A pair of beams of extremely energetic particles, usually coming from an active galactic nucleus, an exploding star, or a pulsar. (See active galactic nucleus or pulsar for more)

Jets can also come from a protostar. (See protostar)

Jansky, Karl G.:

An American physicist and radio engineer who is known as one of the founders of radio astronomy. He was the first astronomer to discover radio waves emitting from the Milky Way Galaxy.

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