Wednesday, March 13, 2019

astronomy - Why is this radio telescope's reflector spherical and not parabolic?


This is the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Its reflector is spherical, measuring 1,001 ft. in diameter. It is considered the most sensitive radio telescope on Earth, but the fact that its reflector is spherical and not parabolic makes me wonder how much more sensitive it could be if the reflector were parabolic. What are the pros and cons of a sphere vs. parabolic?


Picture of the telescope


Plaque at Arecibo



Answer



It's spherical because the main dish cannot be steered; steering is done by moving the receiver (the big thing hanging over the center of the reflector). A parabolic reflector would produce varying errors when aimed in different directions; a spherical reflector has the same error for all directions. Presumably the receiver is designed to compensate for this.



Source: Wikipedia.


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