Rick Forster, Univ. of California at Berkeley, on-camera
QuickTime Movie (2.2 MB);
Sound File (1.1 MB);
Text
The BIMA array's many receiving dishes act as a single telescope, searching the heavens for clues to such questions as:
Is space really empty?What lies between the stars?Can molecules, including those we're made out of, form in space?How are stars born?What determines the shapes of galaxies?Buried in the radio signals that the BIMA array collects from space are the answers to these intriguing questions. First, though, scientists must turn the mountains of data produced by the telescope into images, especially radio maps, that yield insight. Important advances in computing technologies and high speed telecommunications are now enabling them to do this much more quickly. As a result, the pace of discovery from the BIMA array and other radiotelescopes promises to quicken by leaps and bounds.
You might like to take a two-minute video tour of this exhibit's contents. However, the Quicktime movie is rather large (12.1 MB!), so be patient when downloading. It'll take a few minutes. (Further information on downloading movies can be obtained from the Technical Corner and Navigation Tips.)
Alternatively, you can get a good idea of what the video shows and tells by looking at the video script and thumbnails. The script also offers links into the exhibit itself.
If you prefer, you can enter the exhibit via the menu below. A hierarchical map of all main documents will help you navigate.
Seeing the Invisible
The BIMA Array: Today and Beyond
Computers: The Image Forming Elements
BibliographyCheck here for further reading about radioastronomy and the BIMA Array.
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