Radio telescope at Cambridge

Oct. 10, 1972 - 5 Km Radio Telescope at Cambridge: The 5 Km radio telescope at Cambridge was inaugurated by the President of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Alan Hodkin, today. This ceremony marks the completion of the most powerful instrument of its kind, built for the Science Research Council at a cost of2.1 million. The telescope will be operated, under an agreement between the Council and Cambridge University, as part of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory under the direction of the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Ryle, FRS, Professor of Radio Astronomy in the Cavendish Laboratory. The radio telescope employs the aerial synthesis technique pioneered by the Cambridge Radio Astronomy Group, in which observations made with an array of aerials spaced along a precisely surveyed straight line are combined, over a period, to provide information on radio sources with a resolution comparable with that of a single huge aerial with a diameter equal to the length of the array. The 5Km radio diameter telescope comprises 8 aerials each 42 ft in diameter of which 4 are at fixed positions and 4 can be moved along the rails. The complex system for the control of the telescope and the acquisition of data are based on a Myriad Computer which has elaborate safeguards to enable the telescope to run for long periods without supervision. Photo shows view showing some of the tracked aerials, the size of which can be judged by the figures in the picture

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Acquisition Aerials Agreement Array Astronomer Cavendish Combined Comparable Completion Comprises Cost Data Diameter Elaborate Employs Enable Equal Fixed Inaugurated Judged Moved Mullard Myriad Observations Observatory Operated Periods Pioneered Positions Precisely Provide Rails Resolution Ryle Safeguards Sources Spaced Supervision Surveyed Synthesis Telescope Tracked

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