Astronomers use various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to study the universe. While visible light is just one part, other telescopes capture X-rays, infrared light, and radio waves. However, radio telescopes are facing a problem due to the increasing number of satellites in orbit, which transmit information using radio waves. This radio pollution can interfere with the radio waves used by astronomers to study black holes, stars, and galaxies.
To protect radio astronomy, radio quiet zones have been established in remote regions where ground-based radio transmissions are limited or prohibited. However, as the problem of radio pollution continues to grow, scientists, engineers, and policymakers need to work together to find a solution to share the limited range of radio frequencies effectively. One solution being worked on is creating a facility for testing new technologies to prevent radio interference.
Radio telescopes collect radio waves with wavelengths ranging from millimeters to meters. The Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of eight radio telescopes, produced the first images of accretion disks around black holes. These telescopes are located in radio quiet zones where ground-based transmitters are required to lower their power levels to avoid interfering with sensitive radio equipment.
Radio quiet zones can be found in various countries around the world, including the US, Australia, South Africa, and China. The US has two major radio quiet zones, the National Radio Quiet Zone in West Virginia and Virginia, which is home to the Green Bank Observatory, and the Table Mountain Field Site and Radio Quiet Zone in Colorado, which supports research by several federal agencies.
