NRAO’s New iOS App Puts the Radio Universe in Your Hand

Image from app
Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is bringing a whole new view of the cosmos — as seen not in visible light, but in radio light — right to your mobile device. Intriguing views of the invisible Universe, and much more, are part of NRAO’s new, free iOS app, called RadioSky.

RadioSky shows how familiar celestial objects, along with objects invisible to even the most advanced optical telescopes, look when viewed with NRAO’s world-class research radio telescopes. You can browse an all-sky map and choose objects to explore through NRAO’s powerful radio eyes, learning fascinating details about each of these objects.

The app features an introduction to radio astronomy, information about NRAO and about each of our telescopes, along with streaming videos with behind-the-scenes virtual tours of our facilities and explanations by real astronomers who use them.

Also included are instructions on how to build your own “itty-bitty radio telescope” from an old satellite dish. Once you’ve built this educational tool, the app guides you through a series of hands-on experiments that illustrate the basics of radio observations. The experiments include observing the Sun, detecting the radio waves coming naturally from your own body, and finding geosynchronous satellites in the sky.

RadioSky is a valuable resource for educators, experimenters, and anyone interested in the Universe and how it works.

Download this free iOS app from the App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/radiosky/id1115228545

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

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