June 7, 2016

Radio Astronomy Group meeting – 7 June 2016

Report by: Mike Meynell

The Flamsteed Radio Astronomy Group continues to make good progress.

At the last meeting on Tuesday 7 June 2016, the group had 5 VLF (Very Low Frequency) receivers up and running in an attempt to compare performance.

A Very Low Frequency (VLF) Receiver is designed to record Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SIDs) induced by solar flares. It does this by monitoring transmissions from Earth-based beacons, which are affected by changes in the ionosphere, giving an indirect indication of events on the Sun. The VLF receivers used by the Flamsteed are relatively inexpensive, and don’t require much technical expertise to set up.

If you’d like more details on how to make a start in radio astronomy, come along to our next meeting on Tuesday 2 August from 7pm at Mycenae House, Blackheath SE3. Details of the event and how to book can be found here: http://www.flamsteed.org.uk/event/radio-astronomy-workshop-6/

The Radio Astronomy Group is not designed to be a lecture group. The aim is to provide practical advice to members who are interested in setting up their own systems, and also provide opportunities to visit other radio astronomy groups and receiving sites. Many members also have working meteor detection systems, which we hope to concentrate on in future meetings of the group.