Exploring Radio Astronomy: An Amateur's Guide

1. www.amateurastronomy.org

2. Amateur Radio Astronomy (or “Another Way You Can Spend a Lot More Money in This Hobby”) By Don Pullen Presented to Hamilton Amateur Astronomers – Nov 2012

3. ?

4. What is Radio Astronomy?

5. What is Radio Astronomy? What is Radio? Photons

6. Radio Electromagnetic Spectrum (EM)

7. Science - Math c = ƒ * λ or λ = c / ƒ or ƒ = c / λ E = h * ƒ Where: c = Speed of Light (~300,000,000 m/sec) λ = wavelength ƒ = frequency E = energy h = Planck’s constant (6.626 x 10-34 Joules.sec)

8. Main points… • Radio, Light and more are all part of Electromagnetic spectrum separated by different frequencies and wavelengths. • Frequency and wavelength are related. • As frequency increases, wavelength decreases (and vice-versa). • This means higher frequencies require smaller antennas. • Higher frequencies means higher energy levels which results in different properties.

9. Radio Spectrum

10. Atmosphere

11. Atmosphere

12. Main points… • Only certain portions of the EM spectrum can reach the surface of the Earth since other portions are either reflected, refracted or absorbed by the Magnetosphere, the Ionosphere or the atmosphere. • We know that the Ozone layer blocks most of the UV. Other components of the atmosphere also block other portions of the EM spectrum. • To observe in other parts of the EM, we need satellites in space. • Light reaches the Earth, as does most of the Radio EM and some Microwave and Infrared. This is why we use Radio and why it’s suitable for amateur work.

13. What can be seen?

14. What can be seen?

17. Radio Sources • Sun • Jupiter • Saturn & Venus • (weak and intermittent) • Center of Milky Way • Pulsars • Man-made sources

18. Amateur Radio Astronomy +

19. Amateur Radio Astronomy + 19

20. Radio Frequencies Used • Solar and Jupiter • 13.36 - 13.41 MHz • 25.55 - 25.67 MHz • Pulsars • 73.00 - 74.60 MHz • 150.05 - 153.00 MHz • 406.10 - 410.00 MHz • Hydrogen Line Emission • 1400.0 - 1427.0 MHz

21. Reserved Radio Frequencies

22. How to Get Started CHEAT! Use the Internet

23. Amateur Radio AstronomyOrganizations • SARA – Society for Amateur Radio Astronomers • www.radio-astronomy.org • NRAO – National Radio Astronomy Observatory • www.nrao.edu • AAVSO – American Association of Variable Star Observers • www.aavso.org • UKARANET – UK Amateur Radio Astronomers Network • www.ukaranet.org.uk

24. Simplest - Meteor Detection

25. Meteor Detection • Can use FM radio tuned to distant station • Best over 200 mi away • Use radio-locator.com for list of stations • Also wikipedia for stations by state • FM normally is line-of-sight since escapes to space • Ionization caused by meteor is reflective to various radio frequencies including FM. • Independent of day/night cycle or solar activity. • But better after midnight when moving into meteors

26. Meteor Detection

27. Meteor Detection

28. Meteor Detection - Advanced

29. Solar Monitoring • Cheat – use internet sites like SpaceWeather.com, or NOAA. • Other Solar Monitoring sites: • SOHO – sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov • SDO – sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov • NSO – www.nso.edu • Stanford – sun.stanford.edu

32. Solar - Indirect Solar wind and energetic particles (X-Rays) constantly bombard Earth’s Magnetosphere and Ionosphere causing them to deflect or ionize.

33. Solar - Indirect • Changes in Ionosphere and Magnetosphere can be detected with 2 fairly simple techniques. • Radio propagation • Magnetometer

34. Solar - Indirect Radio Propagation How radio signals “bounce” off the ionosphere

35. Solar - Indirect Radio Propagation 35 35

36. Solar - Indirect Radio Propagation 36

37. Solar - Indirect SID – Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance Monitors a standard known radio signal and notes changes in signal strength directly indicating variations in ionosphere and indirectly indicating changes in solar X-Ray emission. Citizen Science!

38. Solar - Indirect SID – Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance 38

39. Solar - Indirect SID – Receivers – Kits/Preassembled 39

40. Solar - Indirect SID – Antennas

41. Solar - Indirect SID – Antennas

42. Solar - Indirect SID – More Advanced

43. Solar - Indirect Magnetometer Monitors deflections in Earth’s magnetosphere by amplifying changes in compass bearings.

44. Solar - Indirect Magnetometer

45. Solar - Direct Radio JOVE - radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov Receiver

46. Solar - Direct Radio JOVE - Antenna

47. Solar - Direct Radio JOVE - SOLAR BURSTS Solar Bursts received near the frequency 20 MHz often turn on rapidly and decay slowly -- looking somewhat like a shark fin on the strip chart record. These bursts can be quite strong and often last for tens of seconds. You will hear the weak galactic background noise for several seconds, followed by a Solar radio noise burst.

48. Jupiter Radio JOVE - JUPITER L-BURSTS Jupiter L-Bursts sound like ocean waves breaking up on a beach. Much of the L-burst structure is formed as signals travel though the interplanetary medium from Jupiter to the Earth.

49. Jupiter Radio JOVE - JUPITER S-BURSTS Jupiter S-Bursts sound like a handful to pebbles thrown on a tin roof (or popcorn being cooked). These bursts each last for a few thousandths of a second and occur at rates as high as several dozen per second.

50. RADIO STORM ON JUPITER: On Oct. 12th, there was a storm on Jupiter--a radio storm. Amateur radio astronomer Thomas Ashcraft recorded the event using a shortwave radio telescope located in New Mexico. You can hear the whooshing, crackling, popping sounds that emerged from his telescope's loudspeaker: As we get closer to opposition (Dec 2), the radio signals from Jupiter will get stronger – good time to get started!