Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory

Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory
The large number of available receivers makes the telescope suitable for a variety of research projects within the University of Tasmania and its location makes it a vital element in the Australian Long Baseline Array VLBI network.
Organization	University of Tasmania
Location	Cambridge, Tasmania, Australia
Coordinates	42°48′18″S 147°26′21″E / 42.80500°S 147.43917°E / -42.80500; 147.43917Coordinates: 42°48′18″S 147°26′21″E / 42.80500°S 147.43917°E / -42.80500; 147.43917
Altitude	43 m
Established	26m Opened May 13th, 1986
Website	ra-wiki.phys.utas.edu.au/
Telescopes
Mount Pleasant Antenna 26 metre radio telescope Vela Antenna 14 metre radio telescope AuScope Hobart Antenna 12 metre radio telescope

The Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory is a radio astronomy based observatory owned and operated by University of Tasmania, located 20 km east of Hobart in Cambridge, Tasmania.^[1] It is home to three radio astronomy antennas and the Grote Reber Museum.

Equipment

The observatory has three radio telescopes: the Mount Pleasant 26 metre antenna, the 14 metre Vela Antenna and a 12 metre AuScope VLBI Antenna. The Observatory is linked to the University of Tasmania's Hobart campus with a 25 km fibre optic cable, installed in 2007.^[2][3]

The 26 meter dish at Mount Pleasant as seen at night

The 14 m Vela telescope was constructed in 1981 as a dedicated instrument for observation of the Vela Pulsar. The telescope has tracked the pulsar 18 hours a day, nearly continuously for over 20 years.^[1][4]

The 26 metre Radio dish came from the Orroral Valley Tracking Station, ACT, where it was used as a satellite tracker within the Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network and then for support to NASA manned missions.^[5] The 26 metre telescope is used in Australia's very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) network.^[1]

Other Telescopes

The University of Tasmania also operates three other radio astronomy antennas: the 30 metre Ceduna Radio Observatory (SA) and two additional AuScope 12 metre antennas at Katherine (NT) and Yaragadee (WA).

The University also owns and operates optical observatories: Canopus Hill Observatory (soon to be closed) and the Bisdee Tier Optical Astronomy Observatory (under construction).

Grote Reber Museum

There is also a museum on site dedicated to the life and works of Grote Reber. It contains some of his ashes and a state of the art 3D theatre. It also discusses the major role Tasmania plays in radiophysics The museum hosts about 5000 visitors annually and runs several Open Days each year. University of Tasmania students also act as tour guides as part of their studies.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory.

External links

• University of Tasmania website on observatory
• Grote Reber Museum

University of Tasmania Leadership Chancellor Michael Field Vice-Chancellor Peter Rathjen Provost Mike Calford Visitor Her Excellency Professor the Hon. Kate Warner AM, Governor of Tasmania (ex officio) Faculties and Specialist Institutes Australian Maritime College Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Menzies Research Institute Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture Colleges and Halls Christ College Jane Franklin Hall Kerslake Hall St. John Fisher College Student Life Tasmania University Union Togatus

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