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Radio Telescopes

Radio telescopes are completely different from the better known telescopes in that it deals with the EM (electromagnetic) spectrum. Radio telescopes are generally large dish (parabolic) antennas, used singularly or in a group, which collect data on radio sources. Radio telescopes are often setup away from major cities or large populations in order to avoid electromagnetic interference. While an optical telescope would be placed on a high mountain, ideally, to have a clear view of the sky, radio telescopes would be placed in valleys in order to avoid EMI.

It was in the 1930s that Karl Guthe Jansky used the first radio antenna to identify a radio source, and in 1937 the first parabolic radio telescope was built by Grote Reber. Grote was one of the pioneers of radio astronomy, and after World War II advances in the field were scene in Europe, Australia, and the United States. However it was Jansky's gathered data that really began to spark the interest of radio astronomy. Jansky's radio antenna utilized a simple pen-and-paper analog recording system which tracked signals from space and rotated on a pair of Ford Model-T tires. Comparing the signals which the radio telescope tracked with optical astronomy maps, Jansky was able to determine that the radiation was coming from the Milky Way.

The electromagnetic spectrum to which radio telescopes are used for is massive, and thus the size, frequency, and configuration of a radio telescope varies. There is no general make up of a radio telescope. The largest noted radio telescopes are in Germany, and Russia. It is concluded that most astronomical objects not only admit light but also radiation at wave lengths. This is useful as radio telescopes are able to create an "image" or vague rendition of most astrological bodies such as galaxies, nebule, and even some plants.

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