Spectrum Management

ESM Educational Resources

Curriculum Materials

The radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is characterized by low-energy waves with very long wavelengths relative to optical light. With that characterization, one might think that this type of radiation is not useful but nothing could be further from the truth. Radio waves are used for a multitude of purposes including baby monitors, Bluetooth, streaming video, predicting weather, studying the universe and so much more.

So that you can gain a better understanding of the radio waves, NRAO has developed nine high school lessons that contain teacher guides, lesson plans, and all the necessary student pages. While these materials are intended for a formal education setting we have also developed a citizen science project that can be done anywhere. The citizen science project guides you as you discover the radio waves around you focusing on local broadcasters, signals from aircraft, and Wi-Fi networks. Be sure to upload your data after your investigation so that together we can build a better understanding of when and where radio waves are being used.

Citizen science: https://superknova.org/citizen-science-project/
Lessons : https://superknova.org/educational-resources/

Students Building Crystal Radios
Danielle Rowland NRAO Program Manager and 3 Wave (cohort) 2 students building crystal radios at the Green Bank Observatory Science Center 11/18/2023.

In the News

Protecting ALMA’s Skies
April 19, 2024 | News Feature

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), renowned for observing the cosmos’s darkest and most distant corners, has taken a…
Jesse Alexander WB2IFS, Ham Radio and the EMS Project Lead, and three learners from the Wave 1 cohort at the HamSCI.org citizen science conference
NRAO First Wave Completed 20 Weeks of Amateur Radio Learning Program for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Learners
August 7, 2023 | Announcement

Following a grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), the National Science Foundation‘s (NSF’s) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) launched a two-year project to engage BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ learners in learning about the electromagnetic spectrum and discovering the excitement of ham radio. The project, Exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) with Amateur Radio, offered its first learner-facing training in January 2023.
The VLA at night
NSF and SpaceX Finalize Radio Spectrum Coordination Agreement
January 10, 2023 | Announcement

The National Science Foundation (NSF) and SpaceX have finalized a radio spectrum coordination agreement to limit interference from the company’s Starlink satellites to radio astronomy assets operating between 10.6 and 10.7 GHz. The agreement, detailed in a .statement released by NSF today, ensures that Starlink satellite network plans will meet international radio astronomy protection standards, and protect NSF-funded radio astronomy facilities, including the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). The agreement will also positively impact collaborations and cooperation between SpaceX and NSF’s NOIRLab.
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