Topic: All-Sky Radio Image in 60 Seconds, No Moving Parts

[sam]

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/02/21/all-sky-radio-image-in-60-seconds-no-moving-parts/

This image is a software-calibrated image with high signal-to-noise ratio at a frequency of 120 MHz, of the radio sky above Effelsberg, Germany, on November10, 2009. It has North at the top and East at the left, just as a person would have seen the entire sky when lying on their back on a flat field near Effelsberg late in the afternoon on November 10, if their eyes were sensitive to radio waves.

... we will do better with ASKAP.... not that I have a preference, science is science. Pretty cool stuff.

[Clive]

Shame there's no overlay to explain the bright spots.   

[sam]

I thought I couldn't tell you but on second thoughts.. the central object is Cygnus A (supermassive black hole) and the upper left object is Cassiopeia A (supernova remnant) and the diffuse emission in the galactic plane. They really need todo better in terms of angular resolution and dynamic range... but that will happen with more stations coming online.

[Clive]

Brilliant, that makes a lot of sense.  Thanks Sam.  I'm surprised the crab nebula isn't more obvious but perhaps it's not as radio bright as I thought it was. 

[sam]

its fairly bright but those are really bright...

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/multiwavelength_astronomy/multiwavelength_museum/m1.html

[Clive]

What a lovely set of photos!  Thanks very much for those.  I've seen it optically many times and it never ceases to enthrall me.  I can clearly remember the day it exploded.   

[sam]

lol.

In terms of astronomical timescales it wasn't long ago at all.

[Clive]

1054 AD I believe.  Just the blink of an eye in astronomical timescales.