Testing the Effectiveness of the DSPIRA Radio Telescope for Public Use

Victoria Blanton* and D.J. Pisano
WVU Physics and Astronomy Department, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26003

Presentation No.: 99

Assigned Category (Presentation Format): Physical Sciences (Poster Presentations)

Student’s Major: Astrophysics

Radio astronomy can be an expensive and inaccessible activity which can discourage its exploration and popularity. The DSPIRA radio telescope is designed by Greenbank Observatory, the NSF, and WVU. Materials used are publicly available, have varying price ranges for all components, and have options of self-construction or pre-built for certain, more complex components. The total price will average under $300 after all required purchases. After completion, we will make a digital neutral hydrogen (HI) map which will be compared with pre-existing maps to test its accuracy. Through HI detection, we can measure the rotation and relative weight of the Milky Way while locating HI clusters that suggest future star formation. This contributes to our understanding of how our galaxy moves and evolves. With the success of the radio telescope project, we hope to contribute to the study of astronomy while encouraging others to take an interest in its increased availability.

Funding:

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's SURE program (Rita Rio & Michelle Richards-Babb)