Topic 5: Radio telescopes and the electromagnetic spectrum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJL2f8SpWhU Daily Chris Hadfield Topic 5: Radio telescopes and the electromagnetic spectrum

Light isn’t the only kind of radiation coming from the stars Light isn’t the only kind of radiation coming from the stars. Light is just one form of energy that makes up the Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) spectrum

Energy comes in many different forms Energy comes in many different forms. Lower energy/ larger waves are RADIO WAVES. Higher energy/short waves are GAMMA RAYS. Our eyes can only register a specific part of energy called visible light.

Using the EMR spectrum The study of radio waves to provide information about the composition of stars is called radio astronomy Astronomy: The study of celestial bodies

Radio waves are more useful over long distances because: Radio waves are affected less by atmospheric distortion Radio waves can pass through solid objects like planets and asteroids

Connecting radio telescopes Light waves give more detail, but radio waves can pass through solids. If we connect radio telescopes (INTERFEROMETRY) we can increase power of radio telescopes. The Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico combines 25 radio telescopes together. When joined electronically, it creates a radio telescope with a radius of about 20km long!

Today, with the use of computers and the internet, radio telescopes can be connected all throughout the Earth. This referred to as VLBI or Very Long Baseline Interferometry. VLBI is able to produce 100x more detailed images as the largest telescope.