Inauguration Day for alien signal-hunting telescope
Inauguration Day for alien signal-hunting
telescope
Today, in the remote northeast corner of California,
technology innovator and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will hit the big red
button.
The famous technologist will be inaugurating the initial 42 antennas of his namesake, the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) – the first major radio telescope designed from the pedestal up to efficiently chew its way through long lists of stars in a search for alien signals. Within two decades, it will increase the number of stellar systems examined for artificial emissions by a thousand-fold. The ATA will shift SETI into third gear.
The individual dishes of the ATA are 6 m in diameter. Like slow-growing lotus blossoms, these antennas have methodically erupted on a lava-littered heath 300 miles northeast of San Francisco during the last four years. Eventually, 350 dishes will grace the Hat Creek Observatory site. But the 42 now up and running are equivalent in collecting area to a 40 m single-dish antenna – and that’s large enough to start doing some serious science.
SETI may be a little far out for some; but, at least you can appreciate how the usual progression of miniaturization and cost-reduction we accept as common in electronics technology - makes something like this possible as a private project.
The famous technologist will be inaugurating the initial 42 antennas of his namesake, the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) – the first major radio telescope designed from the pedestal up to efficiently chew its way through long lists of stars in a search for alien signals. Within two decades, it will increase the number of stellar systems examined for artificial emissions by a thousand-fold. The ATA will shift SETI into third gear.
The individual dishes of the ATA are 6 m in diameter. Like slow-growing lotus blossoms, these antennas have methodically erupted on a lava-littered heath 300 miles northeast of San Francisco during the last four years. Eventually, 350 dishes will grace the Hat Creek Observatory site. But the 42 now up and running are equivalent in collecting area to a 40 m single-dish antenna – and that’s large enough to start doing some serious science.
SETI may be a little far out for some; but, at least you can appreciate how the usual progression of miniaturization and cost-reduction we accept as common in electronics technology - makes something like this possible as a private project.
Posted: Thu - October 11, 2007 at 12:00 PM