Restoration of Japan's first radio telescope

Along with the development of cutting-edge equipment for ALMA, restoration of Japan’s first radio telescope is proceeding at NRO. This is a telescope installed in Mitaka at Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo (currently NAOJ) by the late Prof. Takeo Hatanaka in 1949. The telescope was used for solar observation at 200 MHz. Apparently, he used 8 pairs of dipole antennass placed in a wooden frame of 5 m x 2.5 m, and reused an equatorial mount of an optical telescope. The website of NRO Solar Radio Facilities archives the telescope’s old photo. The left picture shows Akira Mori checking ventilation while scraping the rust off the polar axis support structure of the equatorial mount.

Tags : ALMA Topics

NEW ARTICLES