Getting Started in Radio Astronomy

Have you ever looked at the clouds and wanted to throw your expensive equipment in the bin? Here in the UK, much of the time, a cardboard tube would be as effective as a Takahashi – cloud, rain, light pollution: it is enough to make you scream! How about the cost of all that astrophotography gear? Getting it delivered to work or a friend’s house, and sneaking it in to your home when your partner is not looking…..Is there a way to go beyond all of this and revitalise your astronomy hobby? The answer is a spectacular YES! Radio astronomy is relatively CHEAP, surprisingly EASY, and will bring back the EXCITEMENT, if you are feeling jaded. This talk will explain what you can observe using simple radio telescopes made with low-cost off the shelf equipment, and show you how to get started. Come to this talk at your peril: Be Warned! You may find out how to enjoy the night sky in a completely new way.

DR ANDREW MARTYN THORNETT, M6THO
Dr Andrew Thornett is a General Medical Practitioner in Birmingham with an eclectic interest and passion for all things astronomy. He is a member of the BAA Radio Astronomy Group and Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers in the USA, and of Rosliston Astronomy Group in Derbyshire, and the Astronomical Society of Penang in Malaysia.