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In contrast to an "ordinary" telescope, which produces visible light images, a radio telescope "sees" radio waves emitted by radio sources, typically by means of a large parabolic ("dish") antenna, or arrays of them.
The best-known (although non-steerable) radio telescope probably is the Arecibo radio telescope located in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
The sub-field of astronomy related to observations made through radio telescopes is known as radio astronomy.
Many celestial objects, such as pulsars or active galaxies (like quasars), produce radio-frequency radiation and so are best "visible" or even only visible in the radio region of electromagnetic spectrum. By examining the frequency, power and timing of radio emissions from these objects, astronomers can improve our understanding of the Universe
Radio telescopes are also occasionally involved in SETI and tracking space probes (see Deep Space Network).
Related topics
aperture synthesis
List of radio telescopes
External Link
Category:Astronomy
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