Radio Astronomy in School Suceava “Ştefan cel Mare” State University Planetarium / Observatory Cezar Leşanu

Electromagnetic spectrum

Atmospheric electromagnetic opacity

We highlight some radio astronomy projects promoted by renowned institutions around the Globe, relatively accessible in terms of level of knowledge required, availability of the equipment, and investment. These projects are addressed to high school and university students as well as to amateur astronomers, and involve the participants in a wide range of hands-on activities, from building, assembling, and calibrating the hardware setup to analyzing and sharing the data over the internet, all in a interdisciplinary learning process.

is a non-profit scientific, educational corporation, founded in 1989 by a team of NASA employees investigation of very low frequency (VLF = 0 Hz to over 100 kHz) radio signals in the earth's magnetosphere These signals are both manmade and naturally occurring (most of which originate from lightning) Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments"

INSPIRE VLF3 receiver kit Field observation setup: INSPIRE VLF3 receiver with stereo cable Portable cassette tape recorder with headphones Whip antenna Ground stake

Links INSPIRE project home page “Listening to Northern Lights” Video Live VLF Natural Radio Streaming

Radio Meteor Observation meteoroids disintegrate at an altitude of 80 to 130 km the trails they leave behind are full of ionized gases that reflect radio waves distant VHF(30MHz-300MHz) radio signals can bounce off the meteor trail (forward scattering method) can monitor meteor activity regardless the weather conditions and at daytime

Radio detection of meteors Transmitter Continuous wave (FM carrier) Receiving station

Radio Meteor Observation Experimental setup FM radio receiver with digital frequency readout ( SSB receiver Black box + PC interface + PC soundcard )

Radio detection of meteors at “Nights of Perseids” festival,Horodnic 2008/2009.

Radio Meteor Observatory On Line at USV

Links International Meteor Organization The G7IZU Radio Reflection Detection Page “Meteormania” Video – BBC 4 TV Radio Meteor Observatory's On Line

is an education project to build and distribute inexpensive ionospheric monitors to students around the world the monitors detect solar flares and other ionospheric disturbances Earth's ionosphere reacts strongly to the intense x-ray and ultraviolet radiation released by the Sun during a solar event the signal strength from a distant VLF transmitter, reflected by ionosphere, will follow this changes SID Sudden Ionosphere Disturbance monitor

Super SID Receiver - simple and low-cost “wire-loop antenna” Super SID (New SDR based VLF receiver)

Links Stanford Space Weather Monitor program Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers Tennessee SkyNet Observatory

NASA Radio Jove Project was conceived in 1997 by a team headed by Jim Thieman at Goddard Space Flight Center sold its first receiver kit 1999 (10 th anniversary – almost 1400 kits sold) observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter (bursts), the Sun (Solar flares), and our galaxy (transit)

Frequency of operation 20.1 MHz Receiver type: direct conversion (a hamradio transceiver can be used – expensive) Antenna: dipol λ/2 or phased dipol or multi-element phased dipole antenna

Radio-SkyPipe Software - An Internet Enabled Strip Chart Recorder

Radio Jove at ATLANTYKRON Summer Academy th anniversary of the discovery of Jupiter's natural radio emissions

Links NASA Radio Jove Project The Internet Jupiter Radio Observatory Kochi JP Radio bursts from Jupiter video - CFARO Radio burst from the Sun – CFARO

Small total power radio telescope Offset TV satellite dish Power Supply 14-18V DC Analog satellite finder (modified) LNB Computer + data logging software Data acquisition board

Detect microwaves emitted by the Sun and approximate the temperature at 11GHz (chromosphere) Detect microwaves emitted by the human body or any other object of sufficiently high temperature.

First test Meridian transit of the Sun at 11GHz (Ku band)

Suceava Panetarium 2009 Panaci 2009

The Internet Solar Radio Observatory Imai Laboratory, Kochi National College of Technology, Japan

Links MIT Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT) Radio Astronomy on 11 GHz at ISU The Internet Solar Radio Observatory