Three Radio Telescopes Dedicated

About 220 scientists, researchers and their families gathered at a desert observatory Saturday to dedicate three new radio telescopes that will study the origins of stars.

“The scientific potential of the instrument is enormous,” Dr. Laura P. Bautz, director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Astronomical Sciences, said at the ceremonies near Bishop. “I know the astronomical community shares my excitement.”

Radio telescopes are used to detect energy in the form of radio waves that cannot be seen through optical telescopes. The three telescopes dedicated Saturday--each with a dish 34 feet wide--can detect minute energy emission changes.

The three telescopes, located at the Caltech’s Owens Valley Radio Observatory, can be moved to observing stations along a T-shaped railroad track at the site about 250 miles north of Los Angeles. The area is protected from radio noise of large population centers by mountains on two sides.

By pointing all three telescopes at the same object in space and combining the detected radio signals, astronomers can produce extremely detailed pictures. A single-dish telescope would have to be one-fifth of a mile in diameter to accomplish the same task.