Telescopes and Detectors
Telescopes and the Discovery of the Universe
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[<] - 6a, 1760 - 6b, 1844 - 6c, 1917 - 6d, 1948 - 6e, 1961 - 6f, 1996 - [>]

Seeing the full radiation spectrum

Matter radiates at many different wavelenghts - all the different forms arrive at Earth from other parts of the Universe.


The eye detects only visible light. All the other forms of radiation require purpose-built detectors and telescopes.

This is the 64 metre dish of the Parkes Radio Telescope which began operating in 1961.

With radio telescopes, we discovered:

  • interstellar and intergalactic gas clouds
  • organic molecules in interstellar space
  • pulsars and quasars
  • galactic magnetic fields