The 50-year-old Radio Observatory's new telescopes are ready for use

Radio telescopes following in the footprints of the Aalto satellites

There have been few similar projects in Europe, and the uniqueness of the project in multidisciplinary practical education has been acknowledged right from the beginning.

"Metsähovi's radio telescope system is intended for both educational and research use, and students have been involved since the early stages of the construction and design process, like in Aalto University's nanosatellite projects," Tammi explains.

For example, the optimal locations for the radio telescopes have been mapped as part of a geology and geophysics course project, while a group of computer-aided design students prepared precise three-dimensional models of the antenna mechanics. In addition, the feed horns and data collection systems of the telescopes have been the subject of several diploma theses, and the alignments and sensitivity limits of the telescopes have been examined in special projects.

"Currently an engineering student from the Häme University of Applied Sciences is designing the calibration of spectral measurements, and an electrical engineering student from Aalto University is working on a joint control system for multiple telescopes. The project has provided the students with all-new experiences in the field of astronomy - and best of all, the work done in different disciplines has been combined," Tammi says.

Radio telescopes also enable cooperation with schools in new ways. With the new radio telescope system, Metsähovi Radio Observatory will open its doors to comprehensive and upper secondary school groups during the spring. At Metsähovi, school groups can get unique hands-on experience in observations and astronomy.

"I see also a lot of opportunities for research and cooperation in the future in the fields of atmospheric research, satellite tracking, and the use of radio telescopes in satellite data reception, for example," Tammi outlines.

New research at new frequencies

In addition to the students, the extensive community of Metsähovi staff and personnel with their many different competence areas has participated in the design and construction of the radio telescopes. Research Engineer Derek McKay has been involved with radio telescope construction since the late 1980s. He emphasises that each telescope is different, and each involves new challenges, new technology, and new scientific objectives.

"Long-term monitoring is a very challenging science. Metsähovi has decades of experience in long-term monitoring excellence. The MCA project will raise this to a completely new level as well," he says.

The first measurements made with the new 5.5 m radio telescope system are not an astronomical result per se, but they do play a crucial role in the further design of the telescopes. The radio telescope system will enable new research at new frequencies, particularly the monitoring of the radio spectrum of objects, e.g. the studying of molecular lines in space, from which details related to the rotation and orbit of the Earth and the movement of the solar system in the Milky Way can be determined.

"The first results can be used to adjust the performance of the telescope, which in turn will take us forward towards new, more meaningful results," McKay concludes.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.