Summer science series

Gravity

Gravity holds us on the surface of the Earth. Gravity holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth. Gravity pulls atoms from interstellar space together to form stars. Gravity is a dominant force in shaping the Universe. We will talk about all these things.

A panoramic view of the Milky Way Galaxy with the Australian SKA Pathfinder

With the Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) and the Polarization Sky Survey of the Universe's Magnetism (POSSUM), the touchstone radio continuum surveys of the southern hemisphere are now under way. EMU and POSSUM use the Australian SKA Pathfinder telescope to image the southern sky to an unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. Covering the southern hemisphere, EMU is ideal for observing the Milky Way Galaxy. I will show spectacular images of stars, planetary nebulae, supernova remnants, ionized nebulae and more.

Radio telescope technology

This talk will explain how radio telescopes create images of astronomical objects. Unlike optical telescopes, which capture light directly, radio telescopes detect radio waves emitted by cosmic sources. We will look at the process of capturing radio signals through large antenna arrays and how these signals are converted into data for imaging. We will discuss the concept of interferometry, a method where multiple antennas work together to simulate a larger telescope, and the techniques used to process and combine data from different locations to create high-resolution images.

We will also explore how image reconstruction algorithms, calibration methods and data analysis techniques play critical roles in transforming raw radio data into detailed, interpretable images of the universe. Finally, we will discuss the latest advancements in radio imaging technologies and their impact on modern radio astronomy.