Merle,
Yes, Parkes is an extremely famous and important RADIO-observatory,
where a lot of radio-astronomy was invented after World War II, using
military-surplus radar instrumentation, and making improvements on
it (especially on the Receivers). Radio-astronomy was my first
specialty in my career, so I look to Parkes as one would look to,
say, White Sands, or Cape Kennedy for the development of rocketry
after the War. It is that important. Many astronomical discoveries
were made there.
But it is not an Optical observatory. Often, the needs (of siting)
of a radio observatory are at cross purposes with those of an
optical observatory. A rad. obs. wants to be LOW, where its
antennas can be shielded from artificial radio signals from radio
and TV, etc., transmitters. An optical observatory wants to be HIGH,
where it can be above air and dust and lights, and air currents that
disrupt the wave-front of the light.
Parkes is no good for my current work as an optical observer, and
was no good for my past work in radio, because it is too LOW. We
chose to site our instrument in Chile because it is high and dry
there, and our radio waves of choice are so short (microwaves) that
water vapor and clouds DO disrupt them. Chile was / is ideal.
There are places in Chile that make the Nullarbor Plain of Australia
look like the Garden of Eden!
I loved getting to know the stars of the South, Merle. It was like
starting over. I've had several lifetimes, already. And they say
there's no such thing as Reincarnation! ;-)
--Joe
> Merle Lester <merlewiitpom@...> wrote:
>
> joe... i believe their is an observatory out at parkes..nsw..i'll check
>net..yes i have walked to top of mount k ... it's a very easy "stroll"
> joe i know nothing about stars... sorry... on a clear night yes you can see
> all..it's gorgeous.....no we do not get glow of sydney..yes it is pitch
> black...sydney you see the lights of city in the very very way off
> distance... cheers merle
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