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Optimize fonts for dyslexia This loads a font easier to read for people with dyslexia. High contrast mode This renders the document in high contrast mode. Invert colors This renders the document as white on black Disable interface animations This can help those with trouble processing rapid screen movements. Skip to main content AUSTRALIA TELESCOPE NATIONAL FACILITY Accessibility menu Search * ATNF Home * About ATNF About ATNF About ATNF overview News | Events Contact us Governance Governance overview Australia Telescope Steering Committee Time Assignment Committee Australia Telescope User Committee Our people Our people overview Management | Director Staff list | Student list | Visitor list S&A Diversity Committee Publications Publications overview Annual reports Newsletters Email discussion lists Careers Careers overview Astrophysics graduate student programs Engineering education program Summer vacation program Work experience for school students * Facilities ATNF facilities Marsfield headquarters Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Parkes radio telescope Australia Telescope Compact Array Mopra radio telescope Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex Very Long Baseline Interferometry Information & tools for observers Applying for observing time Current telescope status On-Line Proposal Applications and Links (OPAL) Data Access and Archives Observers tools & information Observing schedules Scientific support of facilities Accommodation & computing reservations Computing: Getting started guide [internal access] Publications & acknowledgements Contact us Visiting the ATNF sites ATNF Booking & Induction System Visitors guides Marsfield | MRO | MSF | Parkes | ATCA Information for observers Parkes | ATCA | Mopra | CDSCC | VLBI Schedules & rosters Parkes | ATCA | VLBI User feedback Leave feedback * Science & Technology Astrophysics Astrophysics overview Astrophysics staff Graduate student programs Postdoctoral fellowships Visitor programs Events Square Kilometre Array Square Kilometre Array overview Technology Technology overview Receivers & dishes Digital systems Engineering research Engineering education ATNF Technical Memos Spectrum management Spectrum management overview * Online Resources Astronomical tools & software Astronomical tools & software overview AIPS | Arch | ASAP | ASKAPSoft | ATELIB | CASApy | Coord | Duchamp GIPSY | IDL [external link] | Karma | livedata/gridzilla | Miriad | MONICA Planets | PSRCat Radial Velocities | RPFITS SuperMongo (SM) | TCS | Tempo2 Virtual Radio Interferometer Visualisation software | WCSLIB Documentation ATNF Technical Memos Email discussion lists Information portals On-Line Proposal Applications and Links (OPAL) CSIRO ATNF Data Archives Australia Telescope 20GHz Survey CSIRO Radio Astronomy Image Archive * Outreach Visiting our telescopes Visiting Parkes radio telescope Visiting Australia Telescope Compact Array Webcams & interactive maps Parkes radio telescope webcam ATCA Live Images CSIRO Radio Astronomy Image Archive Astronomical images Wallpapers Education programs & resources What is radio astronomy? What is a pulsar? PULSE@Parkes Astrophysics for senior students Cosmic engine for senior students Work experience for senior students Teacher workshops Teacher resources Tips on holding a viewing night External links Universe@CSIRO blog Parkes Observatory online store Public observatories Become an astronomer CSIROpedia Menu * ATNF Home * About ATNF About ATNF About ATNF overview News | Events Contact us Governance Governance overview Australia Telescope Steering Committee Time Assignment Committee Australia Telescope User Committee Our people Our people overview Management | Director Staff list | Student list | Visitor list S&A Diversity Committee Publications Publications overview Annual reports Newsletters Email discussion lists Careers Careers overview Astrophysics graduate student programs Engineering education program Summer vacation program Work experience for school students * Facilities ATNF facilities Marsfield headquarters Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory Parkes radio telescope Australia Telescope Compact Array Mopra radio telescope Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex Very Long Baseline Interferometry Information & tools for observers Applying for observing time Current telescope status On-Line Proposal Applications and Links (OPAL) Data Access and Archives Observers tools & information Observing schedules Scientific support of facilities Accommodation & computing reservations Computing: Getting started guide [internal access] Publications & acknowledgements Contact us Visiting the ATNF sites ATNF Booking & Induction System Visitors guides Marsfield | MRO | MSF | Parkes | ATCA Information for observers Parkes | ATCA | Mopra | CDSCC | VLBI Schedules & rosters Parkes | ATCA | VLBI User feedback Leave feedback * Science & Technology Astrophysics Astrophysics overview Astrophysics staff Graduate student programs Postdoctoral fellowships Visitor programs Events Square Kilometre Array Square Kilometre Array overview Technology Technology overview Receivers & dishes Digital systems Engineering research Engineering education ATNF Technical Memos Spectrum management Spectrum management overview * Online Resources Astronomical tools & software Astronomical tools & software overview AIPS | Arch | ASAP | ASKAPSoft | ATELIB | CASApy | Coord | Duchamp GIPSY | IDL [external link] | Karma | livedata/gridzilla | Miriad | MONICA Planets | PSRCat Radial Velocities | RPFITS SuperMongo (SM) | TCS | Tempo2 Virtual Radio Interferometer Visualisation software | WCSLIB Documentation ATNF Technical Memos Email discussion lists Information portals On-Line Proposal Applications and Links (OPAL) CSIRO ATNF Data Archives Australia Telescope 20GHz Survey CSIRO Radio Astronomy Image Archive * Outreach Visiting our telescopes Visiting Parkes radio telescope Visiting Australia Telescope Compact Array Webcams & interactive maps Parkes radio telescope webcam ATCA Live Images CSIRO Radio Astronomy Image Archive Astronomical images Wallpapers Education programs & resources What is radio astronomy? What is a pulsar? PULSE@Parkes Astrophysics for senior students Cosmic engine for senior students Work experience for senior students Teacher workshops Teacher resources Tips on holding a viewing night External links Universe@CSIRO blog Parkes Observatory online store Public observatories Become an astronomer CSIROpedia INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), at the Narrabri Observatory, is an array of six 22-m antennas used for radio astronomy. It is located about 25 km west of the town of Narrabri in rural NSW (about 500 km north-west of Sydney). It is operated by CSIRO's Space and Astronomy business unit and is a part of the Australia Telescope National Facility. THE VISITORS CENTRE IS OPEN FROM 8AM TO 5PM DAILY. NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY We understand that people are interested in coming to site to photograph the telescope and the night sky. We remind the public though that the site shuts to the public at 5pm daily, and that staying overnight is strictly prohibited. This is primarily for the safety of the public and the equipment on site. We do however host photographers in the evening roughly once per month while the Milky Way is visible and the Moon does not wash out the stars. The schedule of nights in 2024 is shown below. Saturday May 417:00 - 23:00 Saturday June 116:30 - 23:00 Saturday July 617:00 - 23:00 Saturday August 317:00 - 23:00 Saturday August 3117:00 - 23:00FULLY BOOKED Saturday September 2817:00 - 23:00FULLY BOOKED These events are free of charge, but you must indicate your attendance via email prior to the evening so we can make appropriate preparations. During these events, you will be able to cross the fence and get better vantage points, under staff supervision. Please email narrabri@csiro.au to book your place. We are currently unable to make special arrangements for groups at any other time. USEFUL ATCA LINKS * ATCA Live! See what the Array is doing this moment! * Where is it pointing now? See what the Array is seeing this moment (requires Google Earth)! * The Compact Array Visitors Centre * Pictures of our telescopes (Compact Array, Parkes and Mopra) * Astronomical images formed using the Array * Information on ATCA NASA Tracking (Historical) * Pictures of the sky around Narrabri * Wildlife in the region of the observatory * History, events and major upgrades at the telescope * The home pages of the Compact Array, Parkes, Mopra and our headquarters. * Some frequently asked questions and Fun Facts about astronomy and the Australia Telescope. * Australian Astronomy website is a portal to a variety of sites of interest to both amateur and professional Australian astronomers. * Radio astronomy educational and outreach resources. * The Narrabri district Visitors Information service. WHAT IS RADIO ASTRONOMY? While we normally think of astronomy as being carried out using visible light, modern astronomy now explores a wide range of different wavelengths. This allows the astronomy to study different aspects of the universe. Whereas light is good for studying stars, radio waves allow us to study things like * cold hydrogen gas clouds, * energetic electrons spiraling around near massive black holes, * pulsars (rapidly rotating ''dead'' stars) * the glow left behind by the Big Bang 13-billion years ago. Radio astronomy opens a completely different window on the Universe to that accessible by visible light. WHAT DOES THE ARRAY DO? The ''Compact Array'' is the premier instrument of its kind in the southern hemisphere. It operates 365-days per year, 24-hours per day. Its business is pure science. It is not used for any military activities. These antennae work together using a technique called ''interferometry'' which allows the antennas to mimic a much larger antenna. This gives the telescope the ability to see very fine detail. Effectively ''radio interferometry'' works by replacing the lens of a conventional imaging system with sophisticated electronics, supercomputer-like hardware and complex software. Using this technique, a image of a small section of the sky can be formed in a 12-hour period. Whereas the Array uses six antennas spread over 6km, the same interferometry principles can be applied to antennas spread over a continent. For example, several times a year, the Array is used together with other radio telescopes spread across Australia (such as the Parkes antenna) to make images with extremely fine detail. ABOUT US The Array is operated by CSIRO's Australia Telescope National Facility. It operates three telescopes: the Compact Array, Parkes and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) telescope in the Mid-West of Western Australia. The National Facility supports Australia's research in radio astronomy. The telescopes are used by a broad collection of astronomers. In the case of the Compact Array, about a third of these are from within CSIRO, about another third are from other Australian research institutions, and the remaining third is used by overseas astronomers. In recent years remote observing mode has become the norm, with astronomers accessing the instrument either from Marsfield (in Sydney) or their home institution, rather than visiting the site. On average, two astronomy projects are underway at different times of the day. The average observation duration is about 3 days. Use of our telescopes is based purely on scientific merit. Astronomers make scientific proposals to use them. These are peer reviewed, and the best proposals are then granted time. No charge is made for the use of the telescopes. OTHER OBSERVATORIES ON SITE In addition to the Compact Array, the site hosts two other astronomical or space physics observatories: * Bureau of Meteorology - Space Weather Services * A node of the Birmingham Solar Oscillation Network (BiSON) ABOUT THE NARRABRI AREA The observatory is 25 km from Narrabri township, on a road linking Narrabri and Wee Waa. A separate document gives directions for getting to the observatory. Yarrie Lake, a 1.5km-diameter circular lake, is located about 10 km south-west from the observatory, and is well worth a visit. It is a beautiful spot for a picnic. Narrabri has a population of about 7,250 and is the centre of a large irrigation and dry-land farming district which produces cotton, oilseed, premium grade wheat, grain sorghum, and raises cattle and sheep. Narrabri is situated on the banks of the Namoi River, 420 km north-west of Sydney, 40 km west of the Nandewar Range. It is 120 km from Coonabarabran where Mopra, the eighth Australia Telescope antenna, is located. There are three research stations in the Narrabri District: the University of Sydney's Plant Breeding Institute, the Australian Cotton Research Institute and the Australia Telescope National Facility. The Mount Kaputar National Park is located in the Nandewar Ranges just to the east of Narrabri. The Park, like the Warrumbungle National Park near Coonabarabran (and the Siding Spring optical observatories) is of recent volcanic origin. It covers an area greater than 40,000 hectares and contains about 12 peaks over 1000 m high. The highest is Mount Kaputar at 1511 m above sea level. Camping areas and cabins are located at Dawson Spring and Bark Huts on the Kaputar Plateau. Many walking trails have been developed in the area but much of the Park is being managed as a wilderness area. Between Narrabri and Coonabarabran to the south-west lies the 465,000-hectare Pilliga scrub. A large part of this area is preserved as the Pilliga Nature Reserve and the balance is the source of much of the state's cypress pine timber. The area is a mass of wild flowers in spring and is home to emus, kangaroos and wallabies. Other district attractions include Keepit Dam, upstream on the Namoi River. The sophisticated cotton-growing industry is located downstream from Narrabri, and is based on irrigation from the dam. Across the Nandewar Range to the east are located some of the state's most interesting gem and rock fossicking areas. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original: Bob Sault (27-Nov-2002) Modified: Peter Mirtschin (19-Aug-2022) Contact us | Intranet | About CSIRO | Copyright | Legal Notice and Disclaimer | Privacy