Conversation Corner

MWA Articles in the Conversation

Starlink satellites are ‘leaking’ signals that interfere with our most sensitive radio telescopes

In new research accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters, we discovered Starlink satellites are also “leaking” radio signals that interfere with radio astronomy.

 

‘City killers’ and half-giraffes: how many scary asteroids really go past Earth every year?

Asteroids are chunks of rock left over from the formation of our Solar System

 

The largest structures in the Universe are still glowing with the shock of their creation

Astronomers have detected a radio glow caused by shockwaves in the gigantic filaments between galaxy clusters in the ‘cosmic web’ which pervades the Universe.

 

We found some strange radio sources in a distant galaxy cluster. They’re making us rethink what we thought we knew

One of the objects is a ‘fossil’ radio source – a leftover from the death of a supermassive black hole that once shot out huge jets of plasma.

 

This object in space flashed brilliantly for 3 months, then disappeared. Astronomers are intrigued

A mysterious repeating signal from our galactic backyard is a reminder the universe is full of unexpected surprises, if only we should look.

 

Silence please! Why radio astronomers need things quiet in the middle of a WA desert

Visitors are discouraged from the remote desert location where powerful telescopes are listening to the universe.

 

Science needs true diversity to succeed – and Australian astronomy shows how we can get it

A determined approach to improving diversity will also lead to better science.

 

Evidence of aliens? What to make of research and reporting on ‘Oumuamua, our visitor from space

We will never see ‘Oumuamua again, and we may never know exactly what it is. But with the right kind of media coverage it could inspire some kids to take up a career in science.

 

Signal detected from the first stars in the universe, with a hint that dark matter was involved

Signals from the first stars to form in the universe have been picked up by a table-sized detector in a west Australian desert. The find also hints at an early interaction with dark matter.

 

Curious Kids: what started the Big Bang?

What caused the Big Bang is still a mystery. And that’s just one of the many unanswered questions, in spite of everything we do know about the birth of the Universe.

 

What the universe looks like when viewed with radio eyes

To the naked eye the universe we can see on a clear night is dotted with thousands of stars. See through radio eyes, then things look very different.

 

How to capture the violent tumult of our roiling universe, moment by moment

Stargazing seems such a quiet, calm activity. But whether our eyes can see or not, those stars out there are in constant flux. Time-domain astronomy studies how cosmic objects change with time.

 

Gravitational waves discovered: top scientists respond

The long awaited discovery of gravitational waves has sent ripples through the scientific world. Here top experts respond to the historic announcement.

 

Tuning in to cosmic radio from the dawn of time

The Murchison Widefield Array sits in remote Western Australia far from noisy civilisation so it can help us understand the universe by tuning into radio waves from the distant cosmos.

 

How an undergraduate discovered tubes of plasma in the sky

Cleo Loi was an undergraduate when she made a startling discovery. Her story shows how brilliance, dedication and imagination drive science.

 

Unlocking the mystery of the first billion years of the universe

 

Monster telescope needs mind-bending mathematics to uncover secrets of the universe

 

From galactic pile-ups, stars are born: a crash course in clusters

 

Australia’s astronomy future in a climate of cutbacks

 

Planning for survival is not enough for success in Australian research

 

All the way with MWA: a big new telescope to unlock Big Bang secrets

 

Aspiration vs delivery: the long road to the Square Kilometre Array

 

More than mining: why Western Australia is perfect for radio astronomy and the SKA

 

Supercomputer readies scientists for world’s most powerful telescope