52
2 Observations of Radio and X-ray Pulsars
At present, there are about 210 radio telescopes operating all over the world,
among which there are 52 in Europe, 29 in North America, 18 in Asia, 14 in South
America, 9 in Oceania, 8 in Africa, 5 in Pacific Ocean, 2 in Antarctica and 2 in
Atlantic Ocean, and there is 1 in Indian Ocean. The names, affiliations or locations,
operating wavelengths, diameters and typical characteristics of seven famous radio
telescopes built before 1971 are listed in Table 2.1, where the Arecibo observatory
represents the high-technical levels of the fixed radio telescopes.
The Arecibo observatory was designed by a physicist and astronomer at Cornell
University, William Edwin Gordon (1918−2010), who is originally intended to use it
to study the Earth’s ionosphere. Therefore, a fixed parabolic was envisioned, pointing
Table 2.1 Seven famous radio telescopes built before 1971
Name
Affiliation or
location
(cm)
Diameter
(m)
Built
year
Notes
Arecibo
Observatory
Cornell University /
University of
Central Florida,
USA; Arecibo,
Puerto Rico
3−100
305
1963
The largest diameter
fixed spherical radio
telescope before
2016
RATAN-600
Zelenchukskaya,
Russia
1−50
576
1974
The circle of
rectangular radio
reflectors, the
world’s second
largest-diameter
individual radio
telescope
Effelsberg
100-m
Radio
Telescope
Max Planck Institute
for Radio
Astronomy; Bad
Münstereifel-Effelsb
erg near Bonn,
Germany
0.35−73
100
1971
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Parkes
Radio
Telescope
Commonwealth
Scientific and
Industrial Research
Organization; Parkes
Observatory, New
South Wales,
Australia
0.7−75
64
1961
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Lovell
Telescope
Jodrell Bank
Observatory,
Cheshire, England
5−200
76.2
1957
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Nancay
Radio
Telescope
Nan ay, France
9, 18, 21
299×35
1965
A transit instrument
of the unusual
Kraus-type design,
with two mirrors
Ooty Radio
Telescope
National Centre for
Radio Astrophysics,
India
92
530×30
1970
A 530 m long and
30 m cylindrical
parabolic antenna
Wavelength
2 Observations of Radio and X-ray Pulsars
At present, there are about 210 radio telescopes operating all over the world,
among which there are 52 in Europe, 29 in North America, 18 in Asia, 14 in South
America, 9 in Oceania, 8 in Africa, 5 in Pacific Ocean, 2 in Antarctica and 2 in
Atlantic Ocean, and there is 1 in Indian Ocean. The names, affiliations or locations,
operating wavelengths, diameters and typical characteristics of seven famous radio
telescopes built before 1971 are listed in Table 2.1, where the Arecibo observatory
represents the high-technical levels of the fixed radio telescopes.
The Arecibo observatory was designed by a physicist and astronomer at Cornell
University, William Edwin Gordon (1918−2010), who is originally intended to use it
to study the Earth’s ionosphere. Therefore, a fixed parabolic was envisioned, pointing
Table 2.1 Seven famous radio telescopes built before 1971
Name
Affiliation or
location
(cm)
Diameter
(m)
Built
year
Notes
Arecibo
Observatory
Cornell University /
University of
Central Florida,
USA; Arecibo,
Puerto Rico
3−100
305
1963
The largest diameter
fixed spherical radio
telescope before
2016
RATAN-600
Zelenchukskaya,
Russia
1−50
576
1974
The circle of
rectangular radio
reflectors, the
world’s second
largest-diameter
individual radio
telescope
Effelsberg
100-m
Radio
Telescope
Max Planck Institute
for Radio
Astronomy; Bad
Münstereifel-Effelsb
erg near Bonn,
Germany
0.35−73
100
1971
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Parkes
Radio
Telescope
Commonwealth
Scientific and
Industrial Research
Organization; Parkes
Observatory, New
South Wales,
Australia
0.7−75
64
1961
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Lovell
Telescope
Jodrell Bank
Observatory,
Cheshire, England
5−200
76.2
1957
A fully-steerable
radio telescope
Nancay
Radio
Telescope
Nan ay, France
9, 18, 21
299×35
1965
A transit instrument
of the unusual
Kraus-type design,
with two mirrors
Ooty Radio
Telescope
National Centre for
Radio Astrophysics,
India
92
530×30
1970
A 530 m long and
30 m cylindrical
parabolic antenna
Wavelength