Galaxies (Jan 2023)

The Haystack Telescope as an Astronomical Instrument

  • Jens Kauffmann,
  • Ganesh Rajagopalan,
  • Kazunori Akiyama,
  • Vincent Fish,
  • Colin Lonsdale,
  • Lynn D. Matthews,
  • Thushara G.S. Pillai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies11010009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
p. 9

Abstract

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The Haystack Telescope is an antenna with a diameter of 37 m and an elevation-dependent surface accuracy of ≤100μm that is capable of millimeter-wave observations. The radome-enclosed instrument serves as a radar sensor for space situational awareness, with about one-third of the time available for research by MIT Haystack Observatory. Ongoing testing with the K-band (18–26 GHz) and W-band receivers (currently 85–93 GHz) is preparing the inclusion of the telescope into the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) array and the use as a single-dish research telescope. Given its geographic location, the addition of the Haystack Telescope to current and future versions of the EHT array would substantially improve the image quality.

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