Radiotelescopía

Radiotelescopía is the scientific discipline that studies celestial objects using radio waves. Unlike optical telescopes that capture visible light, radio telescopes detect radio waves emitted by a wide range of cosmic phenomena. These waves have longer wavelengths and lower frequencies than visible light, allowing them to penetrate interstellar dust and gas clouds that would obscure optical observations.

The primary instrument in radiotelescopía is the radio telescope, which typically consists of a large parabolic dish or an array of antennas. The dish acts like a mirror, collecting and focusing faint radio waves onto a receiver. The receiver converts these radio signals into electrical signals, which are then processed and analyzed by computers. Different types of receivers are used to detect specific frequencies of radio waves.

Radio waves from space originate from various sources, including the cold hydrogen gas that permeates galaxies, the energetic processes around black holes and pulsars, and the cosmic microwave background radiation, a faint afterglow from the Big Bang. Radiotelescopía has been instrumental in discovering new celestial objects, understanding the structure and evolution of galaxies, and probing the early universe. Famous examples of radio telescopes include the Green Bank Telescope and the Very Large Array in the United States, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. The field continues to expand with advancements in technology and the development of new observing techniques.