#: locale=en
## Tour
### Description
### Title
tour.name = MRO Virtual Tour
## Skin
### Button
Button_0399826A_2D79_4594_41BA_934A50D0E6B4_mobile.label = Correlator Room
Button_0AEB5577_2D08_CE7B_41B6_192923248F4E_mobile.label = About
Button_0B73474A_2D18_CB95_41B5_180037BA80BC_mobile.label = Overview Aerial
Button_1203FDB8_3106_001C_41B6_C9BE8EDD0DA9_mobile.label = Garden
Button_1203FDB8_3106_001C_41B6_C9BE8EDD0DA9_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_13D4FC1E_310A_0017_41BA_DDA6D071C1BA_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159E8DDD_31FA_0014_41C5_F18F441AF371_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159E9DDC_31FA_0015_41B6_CB1D433C7673_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159EBDDD_31FA_0014_41C8_935504B30727_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159ECDDC_31FA_0014_41B9_2D5AB1021813_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159EDDDC_31FA_0014_419A_61C18E43FE01_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159EEDDC_31FA_0014_41B6_22A86B2D2FEB_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_159EFDDC_31FA_0014_41C6_9CF7032F84E0_mobile.label = Lorem ipsum
Button_15A10DDC_31FA_0014_4185_021C898E177D_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_15A12DDC_31FA_0014_416B_ED845741AE5F_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_15A12DDC_31FA_0014_416B_ED845741AE5F_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_15A13DDC_31FA_0014_41C5_41AE80876834_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_15A15DDC_31FA_0014_41A4_CE4305FEC7D1_mobile.label = BACK
Button_15EF2665_3106_0035_41AE_9BACA1A48D02_mobile.label = Chill Out
Button_15F5A318_3106_001C_41C5_9AA2EF2184CF_mobile.label = Terrace
Button_168CA310_3106_01EC_41C7_72CE0522951A_mobile.label = BACK
Button_168D0310_3106_01EC_41A1_FA8FC42E6FF3_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D2310_3106_01EC_41B8_9D7D1B2B55FA_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D3310_3106_01EC_41AC_5D524E4677A5_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D3310_3106_01EC_41AC_5D524E4677A5_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D5310_3106_01EC_41B5_96D9387401B8_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D6310_3106_01EC_41B8_A0B6BE627547_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168D9311_3106_01EC_41A8_3BD8769525D6_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168DA310_3106_01EC_41BE_DF88732C2A28_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168DB310_3106_01EC_41B2_3511AA5E40E1_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168DD310_3106_01EC_4190_7815FA70349E_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_168DE310_3106_01EC_4192_6A9F468A0ADE_mobile.label = Lorem ipsum
Button_17560D7D_31FA_0015_41C4_7F0EC7540CC2_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17561D7D_31FA_0015_41B5_BD72FAC26B8B_mobile.label = Lorem ipsum
Button_17562D7D_31FA_0015_41A3_96B282B30DBA_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17564D7D_31FA_0015_41B8_A9191CD56C52_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17564D7D_31FA_0015_41B8_A9191CD56C52_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17565D7D_31FA_0015_4193_78BBCB2DC70F_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17566D7D_31FA_0015_41AD_98D7C60C694F_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17567D7D_31FA_0015_41C2_1E0D0AF05C7A_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1756DD7D_31FA_0015_41A5_988B67FCF8B7_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1756FD7D_31FA_0015_41C7_DA2AAC2AAAEC_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1757AD7D_31FA_0015_41C7_FB79F56FA149_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1757CD7D_31FA_0015_4143_A9E37B16A50B_mobile.label = BACK
Button_1758B215_31FA_0014_41BC_C4EAC2A9544B_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17590215_31FA_0014_41C1_2B2D012DCC76_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17592215_31FA_0014_41B2_AA3B5CC318B8_mobile.label = Lorem ipsum
Button_17593215_31FA_0014_41C0_42BAFB0080F0_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17596215_31FA_0014_41C6_A42670770708_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17597215_31FA_0014_41C0_9BEE1DE4D7F6_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17598215_31FA_0014_41AC_1166AB319171_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1759A215_31FA_0014_41C7_F6B1044E5BB3_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1759D215_31FA_0014_41AD_B6C5744A0B97_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1759F215_31FA_0014_41BD_BBFA5FB0D882_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1759F215_31FA_0014_41BD_BBFA5FB0D882_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_175A5214_31FA_0014_4198_930DF49BADD9_mobile.label = BACK
Button_17EA82B7_3106_0014_41C2_C9B0D9E6F22C_mobile.label = BACK
Button_17EAB2B7_3106_0014_41A7_209417AD3E9A_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EAD2B7_3106_0014_41C0_0B5453B4841D_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EAE2B7_3106_0014_41C7_DB7FC43AAEE0_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EAE2B7_3106_0014_41C7_DB7FC43AAEE0_mobile.pressedLabel = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB02B7_3106_0014_41AF_05D9AC36B189_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB32B7_3106_0014_41C8_467BF6AECBE8_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB42B7_3106_0014_41B0_CE70CBDDF438_mobile.label = Lorem ipsum
Button_17EB52B7_3106_0014_419C_439E593AEC43_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB62B7_3106_0014_41C5_43B38271B353_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB72B7_3106_0014_41B9_61857077BF4A_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_17EB92B7_3106_0014_41B2_34A3E3F63779_mobile.label = Lorem Ipsum
Button_1D0C50DE_2D07_C6AD_41C1_CF4547A6CFAB_mobile.label = ASKAP Aerial View
Button_1D2C4FDF_2D7F_BAAB_4198_FBD1E9E469FF_mobile.label = Solar Hybrid Power Station
Button_2A2C053B_310E_001C_41A2_583DE489828C_mobile.label = Meeting Area 1
Button_2A2C253B_310E_001C_41B6_D3A7F4F68C3E_mobile.label = Reception
Button_2A2C253B_310E_001C_41B6_D3A7F4F68C3E_mobile.pressedLabel = Reception
Button_2A2C553C_310E_0014_41C4_86393D0ADCC7_mobile.label = Bar
Button_2A2C753B_310E_001C_41C4_B649CCC20E3D_mobile.label = Meeting Area 2
Button_2A2D853B_310E_001C_41C4_1C2E2BAFC35D_mobile.label = Main Entrance
Button_2A2DA53B_310E_001C_41C7_8885E712C50B_mobile.label = BACK
Button_2A2DE53B_310E_001C_41BB_C7AB6950A4DD_mobile.label = Lobby
Button_452F5407_D64E_F6C8_41C2_66CFC5BAFB8D.label = lorem ipsum
Button_469F4899_D675_BFF8_41D9_3F55601FBAC3.label = lorem ipsum
Button_4717A988_EFB5_B25C_41D4_B8B38954AC39_mobile.label = EDGES
Button_4B385D89_D655_71D8_41E1_F17858B052BD.label = lorem ipsum
Button_52853A64_D64A_B348_41E6_3C28F530E53F.label = lorem ipsum
Button_5613037D_D63F_9138_41DF_FC31C6C4A036.label = lorem ipsum
Button_580570B9_D675_EF38_41EA_C5FED75AACEA.label = lorem ipsum
Button_654EA2ED_FEEE_D105_41DC_D42573097C20_mobile.label = MWA Core
Button_679C2F93_FED6_AF1D_41BD_81C4F6B5A1BC.label = lorem ipsum
Button_6DA97954_FEEE_531B_41B2_52714255AD9B_mobile.label = EDA
Button_74BAFBC1_FEF6_577D_41D9_A0760C2A0723_mobile.label = FAQ
Button_74BAFBC1_FEF6_577D_41D9_A0760C2A0723_mobile.pressedLabel = FAQ
Button_770F45F1_6A10_A7D6_41AC_E6C6F35587B9_mobile.label = Low Frequency Arrays Aerial
Button_83A9E3BD_D6FD_9138_41E7_67B1926B8F2D.label = lorem ipsum
Button_83D52BE2_DA61_EA44_41D4_AFD5A1CA93C6.label = lorem ipsum
Button_840A39B2_DBA6_36C4_41E8_38C754D96038.label = lorem ipsum
Button_86410F8D_DA6F_EADC_41E7_A2A968FD80D2.label = lorem ipsum
Button_8BC98CE8_D6CA_9758_416B_3E4A900753E6.label = lorem ipsum
Button_8F66C3E3_DA66_5A44_41BF_9EA3853F5710.label = lorem ipsum
Button_90F5455A_DAA3_DE44_41D7_675AF7FC23C4.label = lorem ipsum
Button_917635AD_D6D5_91D8_41CD_9EE44517FA3E.label = lorem ipsum
Button_948ACD22_8EEA_873E_41DE_8A90C43B2CF8_mobile.label = Pawsey Supercomputing Centre
Button_9490D64C_DA66_DA5C_41D2_51B164C9EC91.label = lorem ipsum
Button_96832F19_D6CB_72F8_41E4_A816995BC60D.label = lorem ipsum
Button_97612C60_D635_9748_41D4_2BC7B233A279.label = lorem ipsum
Button_97EEC534_DA62_7FCC_41C1_6DDDB603A355.label = lorem ipsum
Button_9BAC0FAC_D6CD_71D8_41D0_77B92B365B25.label = lorem ipsum
Button_9D096A49_DABE_2A44_41DA_B71766D725A4.label = lorem ipsum
Button_9E78B8EE_DAAE_565C_41D4_827A32E472F6.label = lorem ipsum
Button_9F6423BE_DA66_3A3C_41C4_F98960DA43D6.label = lorem ipsum
Button_A02EB5D4_D636_9148_41E4_96DA96058948.label = lorem ipsum
Button_A2AD91C7_B609_B8E5_41E3_423FD946CE25.label = ALL LOCATIONS
Button_A3E6F9A9_D6CA_B1D8_41D9_03FE2CB4B7F7.label = lorem ipsum
Button_A447F815_B61B_B765_41C7_67E490187E61.label = FAQ
Button_A44D5EA4_B608_8B5B_41CA_2584094CB992.label = OUR PARTNERS
Button_B14129E1_D6CA_9148_41C5_5C453C1515EA.label = lorem ipsum
Button_B7B07D45_D6FB_7148_41E5_FD6FA8FB485D.label = lorem ipsum
Button_B8274A51_D6D6_9348_41B9_3A41ED6E3898.label = lorem ipsum
Button_B82F8B54_DBA6_6A4C_41D7_D9A122552A49.label = lorem ipsum
Button_B9BAAF3F_B608_89A5_41BC_456974488DBE.label = ABOUT
Button_BB103F12_DA62_EBC4_41D1_0C83F7B8FB51.label = lorem ipsum
Button_BCD3F60B_DBAE_5DC4_41E9_990836007AA7.label = lorem ipsum
Button_C1077DAA_DA61_EEC4_41A3_0ED50E902C1C.label = lorem ipsum
Button_C108D7E3_DAA6_3A44_41DC_65E03F7443C3.label = lorem ipsum
Button_C64096E2_DAA2_5A44_41E1_B05B966296A1.label = lorem ipsum
Button_C68381EC_DAA2_365C_41E5_64A89BCA8141.label = lorem ipsum
Button_DE2B3D18_CEA1_E742_41D6_D72DECCE8C33_mobile.label = AAVS 2
Button_DE2B3D18_CEA1_E742_41D6_D72DECCE8C33_mobile.pressedLabel = Correlator Room
Button_E0A258AB_D657_9FD8_4190_856225A846FC.label = lorem ipsum
Button_E0CF298D_DAE6_D6DC_41C6_A88BF0AF9C4F.label = lorem ipsum
Button_E84F740D_DAE6_3DDC_41D9_6CDA346DF834.label = lorem ipsum
Button_E8ECE53C_DADE_3E3C_41D9_40DCDDC2ABDC.label = lorem ipsum
Button_E900B00D_DAFE_F5DC_41E3_DB66CA97B80C.label = lorem ipsum
Button_E938121C_DAE2_D5FC_41D1_804CBB1C129A.label = lorem ipsum
Button_EE29164D_D64F_9358_41AC_AAEDBC439C9B.label = lorem ipsum
Button_EE753DA8_DAE6_6EC4_41E3_3AE20B67706D.label = lorem ipsum
Button_EEC77398_DAE2_DAC4_41DE_6533C2CAA627.label = lorem ipsum
Button_F645C893_D5FA_BFC8_41E0_5FCA84B0774B.label = lorem ipsum
Button_F65214C4_DAA2_3E4C_41E3_42EDD7335DD4.label = lorem ipsum
Button_FA11523D_D655_7338_41C8_F281542151A6.label = lorem ipsum
### Multiline Text
HTMLText_178D49F7_02BF_8A84_4182_BF596EBAB94B.html =
Australian SKA Pathfinder
Welcome to the Australian SKA Pathfinder, or ‘ASKAP’ for short. Built and operated by CSIRO, this is an array of 36 individual ‘dish’ antennas, spread across six kilometres, working together as a single telescope.
Each antenna has a special receiver called a Phased Array Feed, or PAF. This allows ASKAP to quickly capture highly detailed panoramic pictures of the sky and detect faint light from very far away.
While past astronomical surveys have taken years to complete, ASKAP’s Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) survey was conducted in less than two weeks—smashing previous records for speed. The survey mapped three million galaxies, including almost a million that had never been seen before.
Over the next few years, ASKAP will conduct even more surveys in different wavelength bands.
Company Name
www.loremipsum.com
info@loremipsum.com
Tlf.: +11 111 111 111
Tile107
Welcome to 107, the MWA tile with the best outlook on site!
Nestled next to two of the breakaway features, tile 107 is one of the more distant MWA tiles from the central section. Distances between antennas in radio telescopes are called baselines, and long baselines are great for detail in radio astronomy images. The MWA’s long baselines contributed to the detail found in the GLEAM survey, a catalogue of 300,000 galaxies over the full Southern Hemisphere sky.
‘Containerised’ Processing Hub
Outback supercomputing! This shipping container has been heavily modified to turn it into a computing hub for the telescopes on this side of the MRO. The container will soon be full of data processors and is kitted out with air conditioning to protect the electronics from the heat, as well as strict radio frequency shielding to prevent any radio waves leaking out to interfere with the radio telescopes.
If any radio interference escapes this container, it will be much stronger than any of the signals the telescopes are observing from the sky, so shielding is one of the most important aspects of housing electronics at the MRO.
Tile 107
Welcome to 107, the MWA tile with the best outlook on site!
Nestled next to two of the breakaway features, tile 107 is one of the more distant MWA tiles from the central section. Distances between antennas in radio telescopes are called baselines, and long baselines are great for detail in radio astronomy images. The MWA’s long baselines contributed to the detail found in the GLEAM survey, a catalogue of 300,000 galaxies over the full Southern Hemisphere sky.
MWA Collaboration Signpost
Just how far away is the MRO? This signpost shows the distances (and directions) to the partner institutions that fund the MWA telescope. Led by Curtin University in Perth, 20 organisations from six countries (Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand and the USA) are involved.
‘Containerised’ Processing Hub
Outback supercomputing! This shipping container has been heavily modified to turn it into a computing hub for the telescopes on this side of the MRO. The container will soon be full of data processors and is kitted out with air conditioning to protect the electronics from the heat, as well as strict radio frequency shielding to prevent any radio waves leaking out to interfere with the radio telescopes.
If any radio interference escapes this container, it will be much stronger than any of the signals the telescopes are observing from the sky, so shielding is one of the most important aspects of housing electronics at the MRO.
Beamformer
How do you point a radio telescope that can’t move? With this little box here, called the beamformer.
By delaying signals from some antennas, this device can ‘point’ an MWA tile to collect radio waves from a particular direction. The beamformer is analogue, which means it adds the delays by sending the radio signals down different lengths of physical delay lines (like different lengths of cable).
Once the signals leave the beamformer, they travel down copper coaxial cable to the receivers where they are turned into digital signals that then travel via optical fibre to the Control Building.
MWA Correlator
This is part of the MWA correlator, which uses high-speed Graphics Processing Units to filter and process the data from the 256-tile Murchison Widefield Array before sending the data to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Perth.
MWA Antenna Element
The MWA watches the sky constantly and is tuned to receive radio frequencies between 70 and 300 MHz. It is remarkable for its wide field of view and nanosecond time resolution, making it invaluable for quickly mapping the sky and studying rare and faint events as they happen.
Find out more about these antennas at the MWA website.
MWA Antenna Element
The MWA watches the sky constantly and is tuned to receive radio frequencies between 70 and 300 MHz. It is remarkable for its wide field of view and nanosecond time resolution, making it invaluable for quickly mapping the sky and studying rare and faint events as they happen.
Find out more about these antennas at the MWA website.
ASKAP Antennas
Welcome to the Australian SKA Pathfinder, or ‘ASKAP’ for short. Built and operated by CSIRO, this is an array of 36 individual ‘dish’ antennas, spread across six kilometres, working together as a single telescope.
Each antenna has a special receiver called a Phased Array Feed, or PAF. This allows ASKAP to quickly capture highly detailed panoramic pictures of the sky and detect faint light from very far away.
While past astronomical surveys have taken years to complete, ASKAP’s Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) survey was conducted in less than two weeks—smashing previous records for speed. The survey mapped three million galaxies, including almost a million that had never been seen before.
Over the next few years, ASKAP will conduct even more surveys in different wavelength bands.
Overarching FAQs
What is Radio Astronomy?
Radio Astronomy is the study of the Universe using radio waves, which, like visible light, is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Unlike visible light, which you can see with your eyes, radio waves cannot be detected by humans without special equipment.
Radio waves are all around us and are used for communications like radio and television broadcasts. Radio astronomers study objects in space using naturally occurring radio waves that are emitted from stars, galaxies, black holes and other astronomical phenomena. Where optical telescopes gather light, radio telescopes gather radio waves.
Radio waves are extremely weak by the time they reach us from space. Astronomers use radio telescopes with highly sensitive receivers to collect, focus and amplify these signals before analysing them using powerful computers.
Astronomers use information from different types of telescopes to build their understanding of the Universe and radio telescopes reveal a hidden Universe that would otherwise be invisible to us. For example, radio waves emitted from the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, pass through the shroud of cosmic dust that blocks visible light, so radio telescopes allow us to see this region in greater detail than we could with an optical telescope.
What is a Radio Telescope?
A radio telescope gathers very faint radio waves from space onto its surface and focuses them onto a receiver. This information, once collected, is then electronically amplified and processed so it can be turned into images and other data, and interpreted by astronomers.
When two (or more) signals are combined from separate antennas, the telescope is known as an interferometer. Signals from an interferometer can be electronically combined to simulate a single, much bigger telescope.
Spreading large numbers of antennas over large distances allows us to detect very faint signals from space and gain more detailed information from these signals,
This is why the Australian arm of the SKA will comprise hundreds of thousands of individual antennas, all working together to form the largest radio telescope ever built.
Powerful instruments in their own right, the telescopes at the MRO are providing SKA scientists with invaluable knowledge to assist in the design of the SKA over the coming decade. They carry out studies relating to the future SKA’s scientific experiments and are helping the development and testing of new technologies that will be used to design and build the SKA.
What is "radio quiet"?
Radio telescopes need to be extremely sensitive to receive signals from distant objects in space. A good radio telescope is about a million billion times more sensitive than a mobile phone!
Much of humanity’s activity is ‘noisy’ in terms of emitting radio waves. Radio transmitters such as TV broadcast towers, mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks and other electronics all emit radio signals that can overwhelm the signals from space and interfere with a telescope’s observations.
The MRO is one of the best sites in the world for radio astronomy, and this is ensured by the Australian Radio Quiet Zone WA (ARQZWA).
The Australian and Western Australian Governments established the MRO radio quiet zone to protect the telescopes from harmful radio interference while allowing for opportunities for coexistence with other activities.
Equipment needed to operate the observatory, like the high-powered data processors and power station, incorporate radio-frequency shielding, to ensure it does not interfere with the telescopes. Additionally, access to the site is limited to a small number of astronomers, scientists and technicians.
Tape Storage Management
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre provides a hierarchical storage management solution to address the data storage challenge for the ASKAP, MWA, and the large-scale data management of the SKA project.
The MWA produces around 60 gigabytes of data per second, which is about 8,700 times faster than the average residential Internet connection in Australia. This data is processed and reduced through systems at the MRO and streamed down to Pawsey in Perth.
The state-of-the-art data storage facilities comprise an intricate system with ‘layers’ of high-end storage. With two tape libraries for research access, Pawsey has a massive 40 petabytes in an active archive which can be expanded up to 100 petabytes once the SKA telescope is operational.
Mechanical Workshop
The mechanical workshop is where staff maintain all the mechanical drives for the ASKAP telescope and other metal work tasks necessary to keep the observatory running.
Hierarchical Storage Management
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre currently houses in excess of 40 Petabytes of data storage resources.
Probing the Cosmic Dawn
This is EDGES — Experiment to Detect the Global EoR Signature. It looks a bit like you might play table tennis on it! In 2018, astronomers from Arizona State University in the United States used this odd-looking radio telescope to detect a signal from the first stars to emerge in the early Universe.
After the Big Bang, the Universe cooled and went dark for millions of years. In the darkness, gravity pulled matter together until stars formed and burst into life, bringing the ‘cosmic dawn’. This new-found signal marked the closest astronomers have seen to that moment.
The radio signal was incredibly faint, coming from 13.6 billion years back in the Universe’s history. Radio signals detected by EDGES also fall into the region of the spectrum used by FM radio stations, making detection of this weak signal from most Earth-based sites impossible.
The MRO observatory is in a naturally ‘radio-quiet’ location. This unique characteristic is protected by a legislated ‘radio quiet’ zone up to 260 km across, which keeps human-made activities that produce interfering radio signals to an absolute minimum.
The ground mesh provides both mechanical support and a stable electromagnetic environment for the radio telescope to work in. The mesh looks like a mirror to radio waves and electromagnetically separates the telescope from the ground.
Without the mesh, the electromagnetic properties of the ground would affect the experiment, with temperature, humidity and soil moisture content making a significant difference.
Indigenous Astronomy
The traditional custodians of the land upon which the SKA will be built are the Wajarri Yamaji. A deep and timeless connection exists between the Wajarri Yamaji and the Murchison landscape, with a history that can be traced back to the earliest astronomers and those who first sought to better understand our place in the Universe by observing the night sky above.
We have a great responsibility to preserve this unique part of the world and the radio-quiet landscape from which we have derived an opportunity for humanity to explore the very beginnings of the Universe and the cosmic avalanche that ultimately led to life on Earth.
CSIRO and the Australian government are working closely with the Wajarri Yamaji community to make sure the telescopes and supporting infrastructure built at the MRO do not disturb sacred sites or items.
Indigenous Astronomy
The traditional custodians of the land upon which the SKA will be built are the Wajarri Yamaji. A deep and timeless connection exists between the Wajarri Yamaji and the Murchison landscape, with a history that can be traced back to the earliest astronomers and those who first sought to better understand our place in the Universe by observing the night sky above.
We have a great responsibility to preserve this unique part of the world and the radio-quiet landscape from which we have derived an opportunity for humanity to explore the very beginnings of the Universe and the cosmic avalanche that ultimately led to life on Earth.
CSIRO and the Australian government are working closely with the Wajarri Yamaji community to make sure the telescopes and supporting infrastructure built at the MRO do not disturb sacred sites or items.
Hierarchical Storage Management
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre currently houses in excess of 40 Petabytes of data storage resources.
Find out more about storage management here
RFI-sealing door
The entrance to the correlator room is another RFI-sealing door, which you must close behind you before opening the door in front. These massive steel doors seal tightly shut to ensure that the radio frequency interference from the computer gear and digital electronics inside the correlator room can’t get outside to pollute the pristine radio quiet environment at the MRO.
Overarching FAQs
What is Radio Astronomy?
Radio Astronomy is the study of the Universe using radio waves, which, like visible light, is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Unlike visible light, which you can see with your eyes, radio waves cannot be detected by humans without special equipment.
Radio waves are all around us and are used for communications like radio and television broadcasts. Radio astronomers study objects in space using naturally occurring radio waves that are emitted from stars, galaxies, black holes and other astronomical phenomena. Where optical telescopes gather light, radio telescopes gather radio waves.
Radio waves are extremely weak by the time they reach us from space. Astronomers use radio telescopes with highly sensitive receivers to collect, focus and amplify these signals before analysing them using powerful computers.
Astronomers use information from different types of telescopes to build their understanding of the Universe and radio telescopes reveal a hidden Universe that would otherwise be invisible to us. For example, radio waves emitted from the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, pass through the shroud of cosmic dust that blocks visible light, so radio telescopes allow us to see this region in greater detail than we could with an optical telescope.
What is a Radio Telescope?
A radio telescope gathers very faint radio waves from space onto its surface and focuses them onto a receiver. This information, once collected, is then electronically amplified and processed so it can be turned into images and other data, and interpreted by astronomers.
When two (or more) signals are combined from separate antennas, the telescope is known as an interferometer. Signals from an interferometer can be electronically combined to simulate a single, much bigger telescope.
Spreading large numbers of antennas over large distances allows us to detect very faint signals from space and gain more detailed information from these signals,
This is why the Australian arm of the SKA will comprise hundreds of thousands of individual antennas, all working together to form the largest radio telescope ever built.
Powerful instruments in their own right, the telescopes at the MRO are providing SKA scientists with invaluable knowledge to assist in the design of the SKA over the coming decade. They carry out studies relating to the future SKA’s scientific experiments and are helping the development and testing of new technologies that will be used to design and build the SKA.
What is "radio quiet"?
Radio telescopes need to be extremely sensitive to receive signals from distant objects in space. A good radio telescope is about a million billion times more sensitive than a mobile phone!
Much of humanity’s activity is ‘noisy’ in terms of emitting radio waves. Radio transmitters such as TV broadcast towers, mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks and other electronics all emit radio signals that can overwhelm the signals from space and interfere with a telescope’s observations.
The MRO is one of the best sites in the world for radio astronomy, and this is ensured by the Australian Radio Quiet Zone WA (ARQZWA).
The Australian and Western Australian Governments established the MRO radio quiet zone to protect the telescopes from harmful radio interference while allowing for opportunities for coexistence with other activities.
Equipment needed to operate the observatory, like the high-powered data processors and power station, incorporate radio-frequency shielding, to ensure it does not interfere with the telescopes. Additionally, access to the site is limited to a small number of astronomers, scientists and technicians.
Plant Room
The plant room contains chillers that extract waste heat from the correlator room and transfer it to a large borefield, making use of the cooler temperatures underground.
Tape Storage Management
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre provides a hierarchical storage management solution to address the data storage challenge for the ASKAP, MWA, and the large-scale data management of the SKA project.
The MWA produces around 60 gigabytes of data per second, which is about 8,700 times faster than the average residential Internet connection in Australia. This data is processed and reduced through systems at the MRO and streamed down to Pawsey in Perth.
The state-of-the-art data storage facilities comprise an intricate system with ‘layers’ of high-end storage. With two tape libraries for research access, Pawsey has a massive 40 petabytes in an active archive which can be expanded up to 100 petabytes once the SKA telescope is operational.
Magnus the Supercomputer
Magnus (Latin for ‘great’), is the only petascale supercomputer for research in Australia which has public access. Magnus can tackle the largest simulations currently possible to projects across a spectrum of scientific fields.
The cabinet artwork on Magnus, ‘SKA Satellites on the Murchison’ by Margaret Whitehurst, is a reflection of ‘the ground below’ and pays homage to the Centres connection to the north-west of Western Australia.
Control Building Office
The control building office is just like your regular office—air conditioning and desktop computers, just without any windows. This is where MRO staff control everything on site.
Learning Space
This small seated area is used for training, workshops, hackathons, seminars, symposiums and networking events.
Nimbus, cloud service
Nimbus is Pawsey’s on-site, flexible and fast high-throughput computing infrastructure which provides a national research-specific cloud service open to any Australian researcher.
Facilitating large data workflows and computational tasks, Nimbus also offers a data analytics capability.
Control Building Entry
The entrance to the control building is no simple door. As the whole building is shielded against emitting radio-frequency interference (RFI) from the equipment inside, the entrance contains a double-door airlock-style system. Staff enter via the external RFI-sealing door and ensure it closes behind them before opening the internal door.
RFI-Sealing Door
These doors are airlock-style; as long as one of those doors is shut at all times, no RFI can leak out from the building.
Galaxy the Supercomputer
Galaxy is a unique CRAY XC30 system, the only real-time supercomputing service for telescopes used in astronomy research in the world!
Essential for processing the data from both the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), Galaxy also provides the reprocessing and research needs of the wider Australian.
The cabinet artwork on Galaxy, ‘Rainbow Serpent and Moon’ by Jesse Pickett, reflects ‘the sky above’ and pays homage to the Centre’s connections to the northwest of Western Australia.
Nimbus, cloud service
Nimbus is Pawsey’s on-site, flexible and fast high-throughput computing infrastructure which provides a national research-specific cloud service open to any Australian researcher.
Facilitating large data workflows and computational tasks, Nimbus also offers a data analytics capability.
Control Building Entry
The entrance to the control building is no simple door. As the whole building is shielded against emitting radio-frequency interference (RFI) from the equipment inside, the entrance contains a double-door airlock-style system. Staff enter via the external RFI-sealing door and ensure it closes behind them before opening the internal door.
Galaxy the Supercomputer
Galaxy is a unique CRAY XC30 system, the only real-time supercomputing service for telescopes used in astronomy research in the world!
Essential for processing the data from both the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) and Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), Galaxy also provides the reprocessing and research needs of the wider Australian.
The cabinet artwork on Galaxy, ‘Rainbow Serpent and Moon’ by Jesse Pickett, reflects ‘the sky above’ and pays homage to the Centre’s connections to the northwest of Western Australia.
Electronics Workshop
The electronics workshop is where staff conduct routine maintenance activities on the electronics across ASKAP. This includes the phased array feed receivers, correlator electronics, and all the networking and computing gear that keeps the observatory running.
Electronics Workshop
The electronics workshop is where staff conduct routine maintenance activities on the electronics across ASKAP. This includes the phased array feed receivers, correlator electronics, and all the networking and computing gear that keeps the observatory running.
Magnus the Supercomputer
Magnus (Latin for ‘great’), is the only petascale supercomputer for research in Australia which has public access. Magnus can tackle the largest simulations currently possible to projects across a spectrum of scientific fields.
The cabinet artwork on Magnus, ‘SKA Satellites on the Murchison’ by Margaret Whitehurst, is a reflection of ‘the ground below’ and pays homage to the Centres connection to the north-west of Western Australia.
MWA Display
Spider-like antennas such as this one are used for the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope located at CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory 800km north or Perth.
The MWA has 4096 of these dual-polarization dipole antennas which send their data to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre for processing.
Zeus
A complementary system to Magnus, Zeus is an SGI Linux cluster that supports pre- and post-processing of data.
Access to Zeus works like a ‘stepping stone’ to potential use of the larger supercomputers, and through simulations is able to use GPU power and remote visualisation work.
Learning Space
This small seated area is used for training, workshops, hackathons, seminars, symposiums and networking events.
Zeus
A complementary system to Magnus, Zeus is an SGI Linux cluster that supports pre- and post-processing of data.
Access to Zeus works like a ‘stepping stone’ to potential use of the larger supercomputers, and through simulations is able to use GPU power and remote visualisation work.
RFI-Sealing Door
These doors are airlock-style; as long as one of those doors is shut at all times, no RFI can leak out from the building.
Control Building Office
The control building office is just like your regular office—air conditioning and desktop computers, just without any windows. This is where MRO staff control everything on site.
ASKAP Correlator & Networking Core
In the centre of the correlator room is the ASKAP correlator, which combines all the beams from all 36 ASKAP antennas to form one giant telescope.
You can also see the networking core, where processed data from the ASKAP, MWA, and EDGES instruments is sent via wide area networking equipment to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Perth.
About the MRO
The MRO is operated by CSIRO—Australia’s national science agency—and was established with support from the Australian Government, the Western Australian State Government and by agreement with the Wajarri Yamaji, the site’s traditional owners.
This is the Australian site of the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a radio telescope tens of times more sensitive and hundreds of times faster than today’s best radio astronomy facilities.
Australia will host SKA-Low, a low-frequency array of initially over 130,000 small antennas across a distance of up to 65km. A mid-frequency array, SKA-Mid, initially consisting of about 200 dishes, will be hosted in South Africa.
Through the SKA, astronomers will explore our galaxy and discover tens of millions more; they will explain the structure and evolution of the Universe, and there’s a big chance they will discover unknown objects or phenomena.
Digitisers & Beamformers
On your left side is a bank of digitisers, coloured blue, with two antennas connected to each rack. Each digitiser takes one hundred and eighty eight 1GHz wide analog RF over Fibre inputs (the yellow cables) from the ASKAP antennas, converting the radio waves to digital numbers, and sending this information onto supercomputers via fast digital fibre links.
Digitisers & Beamformers
On your left side is a bank of digitisers, coloured blue, with two antennas connected to each rack. Each digitiser takes one hundred and eighty eight 1GHz wide analog RF over Fibre inputs (the yellow cables) from the ASKAP antennas, converting the radio waves to digital numbers, and sending this information onto supercomputers via fast digital fibre links.
Sustainability
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre uses a unique groundwater cooling system to cool the supercomputers and an array of solar panels to offset the power, making it one of the most sustainable supercomputers on the planet.
CSIRO developed a customised geothermal solution where cool water is pumped from a shallow aquifer under the centre, through an above-ground heat exchanger to cool the supercomputer, then reinjected back into the same aquifer further downstream so that no water is lost. This saved an estimated 14.5 million litres of water in the first two years. That’s as much as a tap running for three and a half years!
Correlator Room
Welcome to the correlator room! This is where all the signals from each antenna come to be electronically combined to simulate a single, much bigger telescope.
Most of the room is occupied by ASKAP digitisers, beamformers and the correlator—which you can read more about as you explore the room. At the right end, there is the MWA correlator, and at the left end is the hydrogen MASER.
About the MRO
The MRO is operated by CSIRO—Australia’s national science agency—and was established with support from the Australian Government, the Western Australian State Government and by agreement with the Wajarri Yamaji, the site’s traditional owners.
This is the Australian site of the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a radio telescope tens of times more sensitive and hundreds of times faster than today’s best radio astronomy facilities.
Australia will host SKA-Low, a low-frequency array of initially over 130,000 small antennas across a distance of up to 65km. A mid-frequency array, SKA-Mid, initially consisting of about 200 dishes, will be hosted in South Africa.
Through the SKA, astronomers will explore our galaxy and discover tens of millions more; they will explain the structure and evolution of the Universe, and there’s a big chance they will discover unknown objects or phenomena.
MWA Correlator
This is part of the MWA correlator, which uses high-speed Graphics Processing Units to filter and process the data from the 256-tile Murchison Widefield Array before sending the data to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Perth.
ASKAP Correlator &
Networking Core
In the centre of the correlator room is the ASKAP correlator, which combines all the beams from all 36 ASKAP antennas to form one giant telescope.
You can also see the networking core, where processed data from the ASKAP, MWA, and EDGES instruments is sent via wide area networking equipment to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre in Perth.
Beamformer
How do you point a radio telescope that can’t move? With this little box here, called the beamformer.
By delaying signals from some antennas, this device can ‘point’ an MWA tile to collect radio waves from a particular direction. The beamformer is analogue, which means it adds the delays by sending the radio signals down different lengths of physical delay lines (like different lengths of cable).
Once the signals leave the beamformer, they travel down copper coaxial cable to the receivers where they are turned into digital signals that then travel via optical fibre to the Control Building.
Correlator Room
Welcome to the correlator room! This is where all the signals from each antenna come to be electronically combined to simulate a single, much bigger telescope.
Most of the room is occupied by ASKAP digitisers, beamformers and the correlator—which you can read more about as you explore the room. At the right end, there is the MWA correlator, and at the left end is the hydrogen MASER.
RFI-sealing door
The entrance to the correlator room is another RFI-sealing door, which you must close behind you before opening the door in front. These massive steel doors seal tightly shut to ensure that the radio frequency interference from the computer gear and digital electronics inside the correlator room can’t get outside to pollute the pristine radio quiet environment at the MRO.
Mechanical Workshop
The mechanical workshop is where staff maintain all the mechanical drives for the ASKAP telescope and other metal work tasks necessary to keep the observatory running.
Plant Room
The plant room contains chillers that extract waste heat from the correlator room and transfer it to a large borefield, making use of the cooler temperatures underground.
Accurate Timekeeping
At this end of the correlator room is a hydrogen MASER, which is used to keep time at the observatory. Along with GPS sources, this synchronises time for the whole observatory, allowing ASKAP and MWA to operate alongside other observatories for VLBI (Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry).
The plaque
To the Wajarri people Aboriginal men were, and still are, the sole caretaker of this Country where the Antennas now stand.
This man represents all Wajarri people of the past, present and future.
And he welcomes visitors to the MRO from near and far.
The Aboriginal Man points to the place between the breakaways, Diggiedumbles in the Wajarri language, where the first site assessment tests for the observatory were done.
The Murchison location proved to be an ideal radio quiet site for radio astronomy.
CSIRO and the Wajarri people share a vision for this country and have worked together to see the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) become a reality.
CSIRO’s MRO Hybrid Solar-diesel Power Station
The remote location of the MRO ensures a radio-quiet operating environment but makes access to necessary infrastructure like roads and power a challenge.
The MRO’s solar array consists of 5,280 solar panels which can deliver 1.85MW at peak output—enough to power the ASKAP telescope without any input from the site’s diesel generators for many hours each day. It was the world’s first hybrid-renewable facility to power a major remote astronomical observatory.
Accurate Timekeeping
At this end of the correlator room is a hydrogen MASER, which is used to keep time at the observatory. Along with GPS sources, this synchronises time for the whole observatory, allowing ASKAP and MWA to operate alongside other observatories for VLBI (Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry).
Probing the Cosmic Dawn
This is EDGES — Experiment to Detect the Global EoR Signature. It looks a bit like you might play table tennis on it! In 2018, astronomers from Arizona State University in the United States used this odd-looking radio telescope to detect a signal from the first stars to emerge in the early Universe.
After the Big Bang, the Universe cooled and went dark for millions of years. In the darkness, gravity pulled matter together until stars formed and burst into life, bringing the ‘cosmic dawn’. This new-found signal marked the closest astronomers have seen to that moment.
The radio signal was incredibly faint, coming from 13.6 billion years back in the Universe’s history. Radio signals detected by EDGES also fall into the region of the spectrum used by FM radio stations, making detection of this weak signal from most Earth-based sites impossible.
The MRO observatory is in a naturally ‘radio-quiet’ location. This unique characteristic is protected by a legislated ‘radio quiet’ zone up to 260 km across, which keeps human-made activities that produce interfering radio signals to an absolute minimum.
The ground mesh provides both mechanical support and a stable electromagnetic environment for the radio telescope to work in. The mesh looks like a mirror to radio waves and electromagnetically separates the telescope from the ground.
Without the mesh, the electromagnetic properties of the ground would affect the experiment, with temperature, humidity and soil moisture content making a significant difference.
Radio Quiet
Much of humanity’s activity is ‘noisy’ in terms of emitting radio waves. Radio transmitters such as TV broadcast towers, mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks and other electronics all emit radio signals that can overwhelm the signals from space and interfere with the telescope’s observations.
The MRO is one of the best sites in the world for radio astronomy, and this is ensured by the Australian Radio Quiet Zone WA (ARQZWA).
The Australian and Western Australian Governments established the MRO radio quiet zone to protect the telescopes from harmful radio interference while allowing for opportunities for coexistence with other activities.
Equipment needed to operate the observatory, like the high-powered data processors and power station, incorporate radio-frequency shielding, to ensure it does not interfere with the telescopes.
Radio Quiet
Much of humanity’s activity is ‘noisy’ in terms of emitting radio waves. Radio transmitters such as TV broadcast towers, mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks and other electronics all emit radio signals that can overwhelm the signals from space and interfere with the telescope’s observations.
The MRO is one of the best sites in the world for radio astronomy, and this is ensured by the Australian Radio Quiet Zone WA (ARQZWA).
The Australian and Western Australian Governments established the MRO radio quiet zone to protect the telescopes from harmful radio interference while allowing for opportunities for coexistence with other activities.
Equipment needed to operate the observatory, like the high-powered data processors and power station, incorporate radio-frequency shielding, to ensure it does not interfere with the telescopes.
The plaque
To the Wajarri people Aboriginal men were, and still are, the sole caretaker of this Country where the Antennas now stand.
This man represents all Wajarri people of the past, present and future.
And he welcomes visitors to the MRO from near and far.
The Aboriginal Man points to the place between the breakaways, Diggiedumbles in the Wajarri language, where the first site assessment tests for the observatory were done.
The Murchison location proved to be an ideal radio quiet site for radio astronomy.
CSIRO and the Wajarri people share a vision for this country and have worked together to see the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) become a reality.
CSIRO’s MRO Hybrid Solar-diesel Power Station
The remote location of the MRO ensures a radio-quiet operating environment but makes access to necessary infrastructure like roads and power a challenge.
The MRO’s solar array consists of 5,280 solar panels which can deliver 1.85MW at peak output—enough to power the ASKAP telescope without any input from the site’s diesel generators for many hours each day. It was the world’s first hybrid-renewable facility to power a major remote astronomical observatory.
The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)
Welcome to the MWA! You’ve arrived in the middle of the telescope where the clusters of antennas are close together.
The MWA is a low-frequency radio telescope, which means it collects radio waves at a lower frequency (or longer wavelength) than other radio telescopes, such as ASKAP’s dishes on the other side of the MRO.
The MWA comprises thousands of these spider-like antennas in squares of 16 (known as ‘tiles’), spread over several kilometres across the MRO.
The MWA was proudly the first of four Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursors to be fully operational, observing the sky from 2013.
MWA’s primary science goals include:
• Early Universe Cosmology: Searching for and studying the Epoch of Reionisation, when the first stars, galaxies and quasars began forming, approximately 13 billion years ago.
• The Dynamic Universe: High-sensitivity surveys of the dynamic radio sky, searching for short-timescale and highly variably phenomena.
• Galactic and Extragalactic Research: Studies of phenomena in our galaxy and galaxies at great distances from us.
• Solar, heliospheric and ionospheric studies: Investigating our Sun and its effect on near-Earth space weather, including applications such as improving early warnings of solar storms to protect infrastructure like satellites, power grids and communications networks.
Engineering Development Array (EDA)
Although this looks like another MWA tile, the EDA uses those same antennas in a different configuration.
Like the Aperture Array Verification System Arrays, the EDA is a test platform deployed during the SKA pre-construction phase. Instead of using the Xmas-tree shaped antennas of the AAVS arrays, it uses the 256 dipole antennas within a 35-metre diameter station which replicates the proposed layout of SKA-Low.
Because MWA antennas have been used for several years and are now well understood, the EDA helps astronomers and engineers to study how a larger group of randomly spread antennas can be expected to perform.
The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA)
Welcome to the MWA! You’ve arrived in the middle of the telescope where the clusters of antennas are close together.
The MWA is a low-frequency radio telescope, which means it collects radio waves at a lower frequency (or longer wavelength) than other radio telescopes, such as ASKAP’s dishes on the other side of the MRO.
The MWA comprises thousands of these spider-like antennas in squares of 16 (known as ‘tiles’), spread over several kilometres across the MRO.
The MWA was proudly the first of four Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursors to be fully operational, observing the sky from 2013.
MWA’s primary science goals include:
• Early Universe Cosmology: Searching for and studying the Epoch of Reionisation, when the first stars, galaxies and quasars began forming, approximately 13 billion years ago.
• The Dynamic Universe: High-sensitivity surveys of the dynamic radio sky, searching for short-timescale and highly variably phenomena.
• Galactic and Extragalactic Research: Studies of phenomena in our galaxy and galaxies at great distances from us.
• Solar, heliospheric and ionospheric studies: Investigating our Sun and its effect on near-Earth space weather, including applications such as improving early warnings of solar storms to protect infrastructure like satellites, power grids and communications networks.
MWA Southern Hex
The tiles seen here in this hexagonal shape are part of the ‘compact’ part of the MWA, where all the antennas are close together.
These tiles (as well as the northern hex nearby) were added to the MWA in 2016. This doubled the number of tiles from 128 to 256, increasing the telescope’s sensitivity by a factor of 10.
The different configurations of the MWA affect the type of science it is best suited to do. The tiles in the two hexes and the close together tiles from the core to their left are the ideal layout for astronomers who are looking for large spread out signals such as those in the Epoch of Reionisation.
MWA Collaboration Signpost
Just how far away is the MRO? This signpost shows the distances (and directions) to the partner institutions that fund the MWA telescope. Led by Curtin University in Perth, 20 organisations from six countries (Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand and the USA) are involved.
Aperture Array Verification System 1.0 (AAVS1)
Welcome to the Aperture Array Verification System 1.0 (AAVS1)—an important stepping stone on the path to the antenna design for SKA-Low.
AAVS1 is a prototype station made up of 256 log-periodic dipole antennas sensitive to radio signals between 50 and 350 MHz. The array features a laser module integrated into the antenna and a ‘hybrid’ (power and optical fibre) cable connects each antenna to the power and signal infrastructure that supports it. Radio signals received by the antennas are converted to digital signals and combined electronically so that the station works like a large, very sensitive, single antenna.
The deployment and operation of AAVS1 resulted in many important lessons that helped refine the antenna design for the Australian SKA array, SKA-Low.
MWA Southern Hex
The tiles seen here in this hexagonal shape are part of the ‘compact’ part of the MWA, where all the antennas are close together.
These tiles (as well as the northern hex nearby) were added to the MWA in 2016. This doubled the number of tiles from 128 to 256, increasing the telescope’s sensitivity by a factor of 10.
The different configurations of the MWA affect the type of science it is best suited to do. The tiles in the two hexes and the close together tiles from the core to their left are the ideal layout for astronomers who are looking for large spread out signals such as those in the Epoch of Reionisation.
Engineering Development Array (EDA)
Although this looks like another MWA tile, the EDA uses those same antennas in a different configuration.
Like the Aperture Array Verification System Arrays, the EDA is a test platform deployed during the SKA pre-construction phase. Instead of using the Xmas-tree shaped antennas of the AAVS arrays, it uses the 256 dipole antennas within a 35-metre diameter station which replicates the proposed layout of SKA-Low.
Because MWA antennas have been used for several years and are now well understood, the EDA helps astronomers and engineers to study how a larger group of randomly spread antennas can be expected to perform.
Australian ASKAP and the SKA
CSIRO designed ASKAP to be a ‘pathfinder’ instrument—one that tests new technologies that may be used for other telescopes, like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
ASKAP is one of several global pathfinder projects for the SKA and also an independently powerful research instrument that will retain unique capabilities even after the SKA is operational.
The SKA is a large-scale international project, involving 15 countries working together to design and build the largest radio telescope the world has ever seen. It will be 50 times more sensitive than any radio telescopes currently in existence.
New technology and infrastructure developed for ASKAP provide a stepping stone for future SKA developments and a valuable experience working and deploying telescopes and large-scale infrastructure in this remote environment.
MRO Control Building
This building houses all the computers and essential electronics that are required to operate the MRO’s telescopes and manage the radio wavelength signals they’re observing. It’s specially designed to shield the telescopes outside from all the electrical interference generated by this equipment.
Because of the large amounts of data produced, we need significant computing power—but this must be kept within this shielded building. Data is transported to and from the control building via optical fibres which do not emit radio signals like wireless transfer would.
This also means there is no Wi-Fi at the MRO, only wired ethernet cables!
Sustainability
The Pawsey Supercomputing Centre uses a unique groundwater cooling system to cool the supercomputers and an array of solar panels to offset the power, making it one of the most sustainable supercomputers on the planet.
CSIRO developed a customised geothermal solution where cool water is pumped from a shallow aquifer under the centre, through an above-ground heat exchanger to cool the supercomputer, then reinjected back into the same aquifer further downstream so that no water is lost. This saved an estimated 14.5 million litres of water in the first two years. That’s as much as a tap running for three and a half years!
The Pawsey Centre
Welcome to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre which processes data for the Square Kilometre Array in Perth. The Pawsey Centre houses ‘Magnus’ and ‘Galaxy’, two of the most powerful supercomputers in the world.
A joint venture between CSIRO, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia, the Pawsey Centre has been a key collaborator in the SKA pre-construction and is currently a real-time processor for ASKAP and MWA data.
MWA Display
Spider-like antennas such as this one are used for the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope located at CSIRO’s Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory 800km north or Perth.
The MWA has 4096 of these dual-polarization dipole antennas which send their data to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre for processing.
Phased Array Feeds
Radio telescopes use specialised cameras, called receivers, to detect and amplify faint radio waves from space. Most of these cameras only see a small part of the sky at once, which makes surveying large parts of the sky a time-consuming process.
For ASKAP, CSIRO has developed innovative 'phased array feed' receivers with a wide field-of-view.
Each phased array feed is made up of 188 individual receivers, positioned in a chequerboard-like arrangement. Alongside the receivers are low-noise amplifiers, which greatly enhance the weak radio wave signals received. These components are housed in a water-tight case mounted at the focal point above each of ASKAP's antennas.
Phased array feed technology also has enormous potential outside astronomy. Much like CSIRO’s fast wireless LAN technology (which was developed from our expertise in radio astronomy and led to WiFi), phased array feeds could make a positive impact in a variety of alternative applications. For example, geophysics and medical physics could benefit from the rapid imaging made possible by phased array feeds.
SKALA4.1 Antenna
This antenna design reflects several vital lessons learned from the AAVS1 station located nearby.
The antenna is made from aluminium to minimise the risk and impact of corrosion. It attaches directly to the station’s ground plane (the mesh underneath), eliminating the need for a cumbersome and inefficient base for each antenna. The antenna is also taller and wider than it’s precursors, leading to an increase in the station’s size from 35-metres to 38-metres.
Once built, the first phase of SKA-Low will feature 512 stations similar to this one, with each comprising 256 SKALA4.1 antennas. In total, that’s a forest of more than 130,000 Xmas-tree shaped antennas. Eventually, we expect this to be expanded to more than a million antennas stretching out across the remote Western Australian outback.
SKALA4.1 Antenna
This antenna design reflects several vital lessons learned from the AAVS1 station located nearby.
The antenna is made from aluminium to minimise the risk and impact of corrosion. It attaches directly to the station’s ground plane (the mesh underneath), eliminating the need for a cumbersome and inefficient base for each antenna. The antenna is also taller and wider than it’s precursors, leading to an increase in the station’s size from 35-metres to 38-metres.
Once built, the first phase of SKA-Low will feature 512 stations similar to this one, with each comprising 256 SKALA4.1 antennas. In total, that’s a forest of more than 130,000 Xmas-tree shaped antennas. Eventually, we expect this to be expanded to more than a million antennas stretching out across the remote Western Australian outback.
Aperture Array Verification System 2.0 (AAVS2)
Welcome to the Aperture Array Verification System 2.0 (AAVS2)! The log-periodic dipole antennas you see here are the same design as those to be used for the SKA in Australia.
The MRO will host the low-frequency part of the telescope, SKA-Low, with South Africa hosting the mid-frequency component, SKA-Mid.
Initially, SKA-Low will comprise more than 130,000 of these antennas with the ultimate goal of expanding this more than a million.
SKA-Low will allow astronomers to study one of the most exciting periods of the Universe, looking back to the first billion years of the Universe at the formation of the first stars and galaxies, providing valuable insight into dark matter and dark energy and the evolution of the Universe.
Aperture Array Verification System 2.0 (AAVS2)
Welcome to the Aperture Array Verification System 2.0 (AAVS2)! The log-periodic dipole antennas you see here are the same design as those to be used for the SKA in Australia.
The MRO will host the low-frequency part of the telescope, SKA-Low, with South Africa hosting the mid-frequency component, SKA-Mid.
Initially, SKA-Low will comprise more than 130,000 of these antennas with the ultimate goal of expanding this more than a million.
SKA-Low will allow astronomers to study one of the most exciting periods of the Universe, looking back to the first billion years of the Universe at the formation of the first stars and galaxies, providing valuable insight into dark matter and dark energy and the evolution of the Universe.
Ground Screen
The ground mesh provides both mechanical support and a stable electromagnetic environment for the antennas. The antenna performance is determined both by their own physical structure and their immediate surroundings, including the ground. The mesh looks like a mirror to radio waves and electromagnetically separates the antennas from the ground.
Without the mesh, the electromagnetic properties of the ground would contribute to the performance of the antennas, with temperature, humidity and soil moisture content making a significant difference. By using the ground screen we avoid this problem and have something to attach the antennas to, which guarantees they are in position and aligned correctly.
SKALA4.1 Low-noise amplifier
The low-noise amplifier is an electronic device that boosts a very low-power signal without significantly degrading its signal-to-noise ratio. For the SKALA4.1 design, this sits right at the very top of the antenna underneath a plastic cap the engineers call a ‘top hat’.
Ground Screen
The ground mesh provides both mechanical support and a stable electromagnetic environment for the antennas. The antenna performance is determined both by their own physical structure and their immediate surroundings, including the ground. The mesh looks like a mirror to radio waves and electromagnetically separates the antennas from the ground.
Without the mesh, the electromagnetic properties of the ground would contribute to the performance of the antennas, with temperature, humidity and soil moisture content making a significant difference. By using the ground screen we avoid this problem and have something to attach the antennas to, which guarantees they are in position and aligned correctly.
SMART Box
Once AAVS1 was completed, it became clear that there were many disadvantages to having a signal aggregation unit (the APIU) in the middle of the station, and that the hybrid power and signal cables required were needlessly complicated. However, the early signal conversion to fibre remained a necessary part of the SKA-Low system, so a new component was needed.
Engineers from ICRAR’s Curtin University node and Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) worked together to design a solution known as a ‘Small Modular Aggregation and RFoF Trunk’ or a ‘SMART Box’.
MRO Control Room
This building houses all the computers and essential electronics that are required to operate the MRO’s telescopes and manage the radio wavelength signals they’re observing. It’s specially designed to shield the telescopes outside from all the electrical interference generated by this equipment.
Because of the large amounts of data produced, we need significant computing power—but this must be kept within this shielded building. Data is transported to and from the control building via optical fibres which do not emit radio signals like wireless transfer would.
This also means there is no Wi-Fi at the MRO, only wired ethernet cables!
Australian ASKAP and the SKA
CSIRO designed ASKAP to be a ‘pathfinder’ instrument—one that tests new technologies that may be used for other telescopes, like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
ASKAP is one of several global pathfinder projects for the SKA and also an independently powerful research instrument that will retain unique capabilities even after the SKA is operational.
The SKA is a large-scale international project, involving 15 countries working together to design and build the largest radio telescope the world has ever seen. It will be 50 times more sensitive than any radio telescopes currently in existence.
New technology and infrastructure developed for ASKAP provide a stepping stone for future SKA developments and a valuable experience working and deploying telescopes and large-scale infrastructure in this remote environment.
SKALA4.1 Low-noise amplifier
The low-noise amplifier is an electronic device that boosts a very low-power signal without significantly degrading its signal-to-noise ratio. For the SKALA4.1 design, this sits right at the very top of the antenna underneath a plastic cap the engineers call a ‘top hat’.
SMART Box
Once AAVS1 was completed, it became clear that there were many disadvantages to having a signal aggregation unit (the APIU) in the middle of the station, and that the hybrid power and signal cables required were needlessly complicated. However, the early signal conversion to fibre remained a necessary part of the SKA-Low system, so a new component was needed.
Engineers from ICRAR’s Curtin University node and Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) worked together to design a solution known as a ‘Small Modular Aggregation and RFoF Trunk’ or a ‘SMART Box’.
The Pawsey Centre
Welcome to the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre which processes data for the Square Kilometre Array in Perth. The Pawsey Centre houses ‘Magnus’ and ‘Galaxy’, two of the most powerful supercomputers in the world.
A joint venture between CSIRO, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, Murdoch University and The University of Western Australia, the Pawsey Centre has been a key collaborator in the SKA pre-construction and is currently a real-time processor for ASKAP and MWA data.
ASKAP Science
The ASKAP radio telescope is designed to map the structure and evolution of the Universe by observing galaxies and the hydrogen gas they contain, starting with our own Milky Way and extending out to the farthest reaches of the Universe.
Understanding the evolution of the Universe means studying a large number of individual galaxies, so astronomers can untangle everything that can influence a galaxy’s life. This includes gravitational collisions with other galaxies and the way star formation can alter the properties of galaxies.
Galaxies are the building blocks of the Universe, and this telescope is designed to detect tens of millions of galaxies in many phases of their evolution. Through it, we will see the Universe, not as a picture postcard frozen in time but as a dynamic place that has evolved for billions of years, from the Big Bang to how we see it today.
Antenna Power Interface Unit
Power is distributed to the antennas via a large box that sits in the centre of the station, called the Antenna Power Interface Unit (APIU). The cables between the APIU and the antennas are made of both copper and fibre, delivering power to the antennas and allowing the analogue radio signals to be transmitted.
Antenna Power Interface Unit
Power is distributed to the antennas via a large box that sits in the centre of the station, called the Antenna Power Interface Unit (APIU). The cables between the APIU and the antennas are made of both copper and fibre, delivering power to the antennas and allowing the analogue radio signals to be transmitted.
Aperture Array Verification System 1.0 (AAVS1)
Welcome to the Aperture Array Verification System 1.0 (AAVS1)—an important stepping stone on the path to the antenna design for SKA-Low.
AAVS1 is a prototype station made up of 256 log-periodic dipole antennas sensitive to radio signals between 50 and 350 MHz. The array features a laser module integrated into the antenna and a ‘hybrid’ (power and optical fibre) cable connects each antenna to the power and signal infrastructure that supports it. Radio signals received by the antennas are converted to digital signals and combined electronically so that the station works like a large, very sensitive, single antenna.
The deployment and operation of AAVS1 resulted in many important lessons that helped refine the antenna design for the Australian SKA array, SKA-Low.
Phased Array Feeds
Radio telescopes use specialised cameras, called receivers, to detect and amplify faint radio waves from space. Most of these cameras only see a small part of the sky at once, which makes surveying large parts of the sky a time-consuming process.
For ASKAP, CSIRO has developed innovative 'phased array feed' receivers with a wide field-of-view.
Each phased array feed is made up of 188 individual receivers, positioned in a chequerboard-like arrangement. Alongside the receivers are low-noise amplifiers, which greatly enhance the weak radio wave signals received. These components are housed in a water-tight case mounted at the focal point above each of ASKAP's antennas.
Phased array feed technology also has enormous potential outside astronomy. Much like CSIRO’s fast wireless LAN technology (which was developed from our expertise in radio astronomy and led to WiFi), phased array feeds could make a positive impact in a variety of alternative applications. For example, geophysics and medical physics could benefit from the rapid imaging made possible by phased array feeds.
ASKAP Science
The ASKAP radio telescope is designed to map the structure and evolution of the Universe by observing galaxies and the hydrogen gas they contain, starting with our own Milky Way and extending out to the farthest reaches of the Universe.
Understanding the evolution of the Universe means studying a large number of individual galaxies, so astronomers can untangle everything that can influence a galaxy’s life. This includes gravitational collisions with other galaxies and the way star formation can alter the properties of galaxies.
Galaxies are the building blocks of the Universe, and this telescope is designed to detect tens of millions of galaxies in many phases of their evolution. Through it, we will see the Universe, not as a picture postcard frozen in time but as a dynamic place that has evolved for billions of years, from the Big Bang to how we see it today.