The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a joint effort of the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. The ATA is a radio interferometer that is dedicated to cutting-edge astronomical research and a simultaneous search for signals of intelligent, extraterrestrial origin. It is being constructed at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, California and will be composed of 350 antennas at completion.

Photo: The Allen Telescope Array.

ATA is a leg of Around the World in 80 Telescopes tour: Click to play; click  (lower right) to view video full screen Next stop: Parkes Observatory (previous stop: ORM)

Gathering DATA

The ATA advances the field of radio astronomy. The ATA is a new, innovative research telescope with unique capabilities, including:

• Collecting and analyzing an unprecedented, large amount of data (4.5 octaves of frequency).
• Scanning a much larger area of the sky with a wider view of focus than existing telescopes.
• The ATA can be easily upgraded as computer and telecommunications technology improve.
• An innovative use of many inexpensive, small radio dishes linked together creating the equivalent of a very large telescope.
• Conducting radio astronomical research and SETI research simultaneously.

Implications

For scientists at the SETI Institute, the ATA offers not only its inherent speed, but also the simple advantage of being usable 24/7 for research and data collection. For radio astronomy, the ATA can scan more of the sky very rapidly and create precise measurements of distant celestial objects. ^[1] 

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