Radio telescope

An instrument that detects and measures radio waves emitted or reflected by celestial objects. Its large collecting area and specialized receivers reveal astronomical signals that optical telescopes cannot detect.

Radio antenna: A conductive structure that transmits or receives radio-frequency electromagnetic waves. The dish or array elements capture incoming radio waves and convert them into electrical signals.
Radio astronomy: The study of astronomical objects and phenomena through their radio-frequency emissions. Radio telescopes are the principal instruments used to conduct this branch of astronomy.
Pulsar: A rapidly rotating neutron star whose beams of radiation produce regular pulses observed from Earth. Radio telescopes measure pulsar pulses with the timing precision needed to study neutron stars.
Karl Jansky: An American engineer who identified radio emission from the Milky Way in 1933. His detection of a celestial radio source established radio astronomy.
Optical telescope: An instrument that collects and focuses visible or nearby wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. Optical telescopes observe a different part of the spectrum and use mirrors or lenses to form images.
Radio receiver: An electronic system that amplifies and processes signals carried by radio waves. Sensitive receivers extract faint celestial signals from noise generated by instruments and the environment.
Electromagnetic spectrum: The full range of electromagnetic radiation, ordered by frequency or wavelength. Radio waves occupy the long-wavelength, low-frequency region detected by these instruments.
Fast radio burst: A brief, intense burst of radio emission originating beyond the Milky Way. Wide-field radio surveys discover these transient signals and locate their sources.
Grote Reber: An American radio engineer who built an early radio telescope and made the first systematic radio sky survey. His independent work turned Jansky’s discovery into an observational program.
Single-dish radio telescope: A radio telescope that uses one collecting dish to receive and measure astronomical signals. A single dish can collect substantial power, while arrays generally achieve finer angular resolution.

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