Allen Telescope Array
The Allen Telescope Array (ATA), formerly known as the One Hectare Telescope (1hT), is a radio telescope array dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The array is situated at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in Shasta County, 290 miles (470 km) northeast of San Francisco, California.
The Allen Telescope Array (ATA-42), October 11, 2007. | |
| Alternative names | ATA |
|---|---|
| Named after | Paul Allen |
| Part of | Hat Creek Radio Observatory |
| Location(s) | California, Pacific States Region |
| Coordinates | 40°49′04″N 121°28′24″W |
| Organization | Radio Astronomy Laboratory SETI Institute |
| Altitude | 986 m (3,235 ft) |
| Wavelength | 60, 2.7 cm (500, 11,100 MHz) |
| Telescope style | Gregorian telescope radio interferometer |
| Number of telescopes | 42 |
| Diameter | 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in) |
| Secondary diameter | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Collecting area | 1,227 m2 (13,210 sq ft) |
| Website | www |
Location of Allen Telescope Array | |
| Related media on Commons | |
The project was originally developed as a joint effort between the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory (RAL) at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), with funds obtained from an initial US$12.5 million donation by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Nathan Myhrvold. The first phase of construction was completed and the ATA finally became operational on 11 October 2007 with 42 antennas (ATA-42), after Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) had pledged an additional $13.5 million to support the construction of the first and second phases.
Although overall Allen has contributed more than $30 million to the project, it has not succeeded in building the 350 6.1 m (20 ft) dishes originally conceived, and the project suffered an operational hiatus due to funding shortfalls between April and August 2011, after which observations resumed. Subsequently, UC Berkeley exited the project, completing divestment in April 2012. The facility is now managed by SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), an independent, nonprofit research institute. As of 2016, the SETI Institute performs observations with the ATA between the hours of 6 pm and 6 am daily.
In August 2014, the installation was threatened by a forest fire in the area and was briefly forced to shut down, but ultimately emerged largely unscathed.