radio and radar astronomy: Information from Answers.com

Study of celestial bodies by measuring the energy they emit or reflect at radio wavelengths. It began in 1931 with Karl Jansky's discovery of radio waves from an extraterrestrial source. After 1945, huge dish antennas, improved receivers and data-processing methods, and radio interferometers let astronomers study fainter sources and obtain greater detail. Radio waves penetrate much of the gas and dust in space, giving a much clearer picture of the centre and structure of the Milky Way Galaxy than optical observation can. This has allowed detailed studies of the interstellar medium in the Galaxy and the discovery of previously unknown cosmic objects (e.g., pulsars, quasars). In radar astronomy, radio signals are sent to near-Earth bodies or phenomena (e.g., meteor trails, the Moon, asteroids, nearby planets) and the reflections detected, providing precise measurement of the objects' distances and surface structure. Because radar waves can penetrate even dense clouds, they have provided astronomers' only maps of the surface of Venus. Radio and radar studies of the Moon revealed its sandlike surface before landings were made. Radio observations have also contributed greatly to knowledge about the Sun. See also radio telescope.

For more information on radio and radar astronomy, visit Britannica.com.

	antenna (in electronics)
	Edward Mills Purcell (American physicist)
	Richard Q. Twiss

	How have optical astronomy and radio astronomy aided in the study of universe? Read answer...
	Which is NOT true of radio astronomy? Read answer...
	Group of radio telescopes radio telescope array radio astronomy? Read answer...

	What are the advantages of radio astronomy?
	When was radio astronomy discovered?
	Radio telescopes are important in astronomy because?