State’s first radio telescope set to give amateur astronomy a boost

The study of Jupiter and Saturn will be based on signals coming in the form of “long bursts” resembling the sound of an ocean wave during the night. On the other hand,signals from the Sun have crests and troughs that could be recorded only during the day.

“Because of the earth day cycle,signals from various planets cannot be gathered due to the activities in the Ionosphere during the day. Under Project Jove,we can record the signals and send it to NASA on a regular basis through the Internet,” added Purohit,who is an optical astronomer.

Purohit will be part of the 1,100-member team of students and other individuals from across the globe who have purchased non-profit radio telescope kits and are learning radio astronomy by building and operating a radio telescope. “The equipment was donated by SARA of which I am a member. SARA is connected to astronomers in NASA and Japanese Space Agency,” said Purohit,adding that the cost of the Radio Jove kit is around Rs 20,000.

According to Purohit,with the help of the instrument,a fresh mapping of the galaxy could be done. “In four months,we could cover one of the four arms of the Milky Way,” he added. Project Jove,launched in the city on Friday,has been named after the king of planets,Jupiter.