The science · The Radiotelescope
How a
Radiotelescope works
A journey in three stages: from the radiation arriving from the cosmos to the signal that, step by step, becomes scientific data.
How a
In depth
Three stages to understand it
Stage 1
Electromagnetic radiation
What an electromagnetic wave is, how the spectrum is structured and why the sky can also be observed at radio wavelengths.
Read more Stage 2Observing in the radio band
How and why we look at the universe with radio waves: sources, resolution, interferometry and observing techniques.
Read more Stage 3The acquisition chain
From the signal collected by the dish to the recorded data: receivers, amplification and back-ends.
Read more