parkes discovery walk

Parkes Discovery Walk

ATNF Outreach Workshop 3 December 2003

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Concept

Radio Astronomy `Heritage Theme Park’ Collect & preserve keystone instruments Location: Parkes Observatory Open to the public Walk through the history of radio astronomy Interpretive boards describing role of different instruments Highlight Australia’s leading role in the development of a new

science Last chance to preserve hardware from the seminal decades of

radio astronomy

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Feature instrument

18m (60 foot) Kennedy Antenna Significant astronomical roles Considerable historical value To be retained by ATNF

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Other possibilities: I

Culgoora RadioheliographRadioheliograph corner reflectorsRadiospectograph antenna

Fleurs Synthesis Tel. (6x13m)Chris Cross (12 x 6m)Shain Cross dipole

Marsfield 4m antenna

Sinclair collection Reber collection

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Other possibilities: II

Reconstructed section of Mills Cross prototype Potts Hill: Solar grating array (3m, India?) Dover Heights ‘Hole in the ground’

Luneberg Lens People’s antenna Student telescope

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Layout & Logistics

Land already available 135,000 visitors already Innovation trail: up to People’s

Telescope

Decision in principle Staged implementation Budget Possible support

(CISCO, Argus, Engineers Corps…)

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Last (but not least)

Haystack Small Radio Telescope 2.3m, alt-az mount, full PC control 1.4 & 4.8GHz Scanning, digital, spectral line receiver Directly relevant to Parkes US$6K