# Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory

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Observatory

Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory The large number of available receivers makes the telescope suitable for a variety of research projects within the University of Tasmania and its location makes it a vital element in the Australian Long Baseline Array network. Organization University of Tasmania Location Cambridge, Tasmania, Australia Coordinates 42°48′13″S 147°26′26″E / 42.80361°S 147.44056°E / -42.80361; 147.44056 Altitude 43 m (141 ft) Established 13 May 1986 Website ra-wiki.phys.utas.edu.au Telescopes AuScope Hobart Antenna Mount Pleasant Antenna Vela Antenna Location of Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory Related media on Commons [edit on Wikidata]

The **Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory** is a [radio-astronomy](/source/Radio_astronomy)-based [observatory](/source/Observatory) owned and operated by the [University of Tasmania](/source/University_of_Tasmania), located 20 km east of [Hobart](/source/Hobart) in [Cambridge, Tasmania](/source/Cambridge%2C_Tasmania).[1] It is home to three radio astronomy antennas and the Grote Reber Museum.

## Equipment

The observatory has two active radio telescopes: the Mount Pleasant 26 m antenna and a 12 m AuScope VLBI Antenna. The Observatory is linked to the University of Tasmania's Hobart campus with a 25 km [fibre optic](/source/Fibre_optic) cable, installed in 2007.[2][3]

The 26-metre dish at Mount Pleasant as seen at night

The 14 m Vela telescope that was constructed in 1981 as a dedicated instrument for observation of the [Vela Pulsar](/source/Vela_Pulsar) was decommissioned in 2006, after which a refurbishing process began. The telescope tracked the pulsar 18 hours per day, nearly continuously for over 20 years.[1][4]

The 26 m Radio dish came from the [Orroral Valley Tracking Station](/source/Orroral_Valley_Tracking_Station) in the Australian Capital Territory, where it was used as a satellite tracker within the [Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network](/source/Spacecraft_Tracking_and_Data_Acquisition_Network) and then for support to [NASA](/source/NASA) crewed missions.[5] The 26 m telescope is used in Australia's [very long baseline interferometry](/source/Very_long_baseline_interferometry) (VLBI) network.[1]

## Other telescopes

The University of Tasmania also operates three other radio astronomy antennas: the 30 m Ceduna Radio Observatory (South Australia) and two additional AuScope 12 m antennas at [Katherine](/source/Katherine%2C_Northern_Territory) (Northern Territory) and [Yaragadee](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yaragadee&action=edit&redlink=1) (Western Australia).

The University also owns and operates the [Bisdee Tier Optical Astronomy Observatory](/source/Bisdee_Tier_Optical_Astronomy_Observatory). The [Canopus Hill Observatory](/source/Canopus_Hill_Observatory) is closed.

## Museum

An on-site museum is dedicated to the life and works of [Grote Reber](/source/Grote_Reber); it contains some of his ashes and a [3D theatre](/source/3D_film). It also discusses Tasmania's major role in [radiophysics](/source/Radiophysics). The museum hosts about 5000 visitors annually and runs several Open Days each year. Some University of Tasmania students act as tour guides as part of their studies.

## See also

- [List of radio telescopes](/source/List_of_radio_telescopes)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mount_Pleasant_Radio_Observatory).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-utas_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-utas_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-utas_1-2) Johnston-Hollitt, Melanie (August 2004). ["Mt Pleasant Observatory"](http://www-ra.phys.utas.edu.au/physics_mt_pleasant.html). School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Tasmania. Retrieved 28 April 2009.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-brett_2-0)** Reid, Brett; John M. Dickey (2006). ["Hobart, Mt. Pleasant, Station Report for 2006"](https://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov/publications/ar2006/nshobart.pdf) (PDF). University of Tasmania, Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 21 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ABC_fibre_3-0)** ["Big technical advance for Tasmania's radio telescope"](http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/04/27/1908271.htm) (2:40 pm AEST). [ABC News](/source/ABC_News_(Australia)). 27 April 2007. Retrieved 28 April 2009.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Dodson, Richard; Dion Lewis; Peter McCulloch (20 March 2007). "Two decades of pulsar timing of Vela". *Astrophysics and Space Science*. **308** (1–4). Netherlands: 585–589. [arXiv](/source/ArXiv_(identifier)):[astro-ph/0612371](https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0612371). [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2007Ap&SS.308..585D](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007Ap&SS.308..585D). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s10509-007-9372-4](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10509-007-9372-4). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0004-640X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0004-640X). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [7240348](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:7240348).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Mackellar, Colin. ["A STADAN antenna: Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Network"](http://www.honeysucklecreek.net/other_stations/orroral/index.html). Retrieved 12 August 2009.

## External links

- [University of Tasmania website on observatory](http://ra-wiki.phys.utas.edu.au/)

- [Grote Reber Museum](http://www.groterebermuseum.org.au/)

v t e University of Tasmania Tasmania Leadership Visitor Governor of Tasmania Chancellor Alison Watkins Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black Colleges and schools College of Arts, Law and Education College of Health and Medicine Menzies Institute for Medical Research College of Sciences and Engineering Australian Maritime College Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies Tasmanian School of Business and Economics University College Residential colleges Christ College Jane Franklin Hall Kerslake Hall St. John Fisher College Athletics Australian football Cricket Rugby union Soccer football University of Tasmania Stadium Student life Tasmania University Union Togatus Related Academic dress List of University of Tasmania people Old Nick Company Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music The Hedberg

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant_Radio_Observatory) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant_Radio_Observatory?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.