Radio Astronomy - Astronomical Sources

Astronomical Sources

Radio astronomy has led to substantial increases in astronomical knowledge, particularly with the discovery of several classes of new objects, including pulsars, quasars and radio galaxies. This is because radio astronomy allows us to see things that are not detectable in optical astronomy. Such objects represent some of the most extreme and energetic physical processes in the universe.

The cosmic microwave background radiation was also first detected using radio telescopes. However, radio telescopes have also been used to investigate objects much closer to home, including observations of the Sun and solar activity, and radar mapping of the planets.

Other sources include:

• Sun
• Jupiter
• Sagittarius A, the galactic center of the Milky Way, with one portion Sagittarius A* thought to be a radio wave emitting supermassive black hole
• Active galactic nuclei and pulsars have jets of charged particles which emit synchrotron radiation
• Merging galaxy clusters often show diffuse radio emission
• Supernova remnants can also show diffuse radio emission; pulsars are a type of supernova remant that shows highly synchronous emission.
• The cosmic microwave background is blackbody radio/microwave emission