The Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory (MRO)
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The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) is the home of
the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and the Murchison Widefield
Array (MWA). It will shortly also be the home of a significant
part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) itself (South Africa
will also host part of the SKA). It is located in Western
Australia’s Mid West, approximately 300km north east of the
coastal city of Geraldton, within the Shire of Murchison. This
outback region is roughly the size of the Netherlands with a
resident population of around 140 people and a population density
of around one person for every 350 sq.km. The centre of the
70 km radius circle defining the MRO is at
S26o42’15”, E
116o39’32”. The MRO and the
surrounding landscape are protected through federal legislation
from any activities that might interfere with the operation of
radio telescopes within 150km of the core site. The establishment
of this ‘Radio Quiet Zone’ (RQZ) combined with a
very low and sparse local population means the MRO is the perfect
place for constructing and operating the most sensitive radio
telescopes the world has ever seen.
Images
The MRO in Google EarthExplore the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory using Google Earth and discover how ASKAP's 36 antennas are placed and where other projects and features are located. ICRAR researcher Dr Martin Meyer created this Google Earth map from data and images from the CSIRO ASKAP telescope and the MRO: |
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