Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory
The Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) was established by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) in 2009. It lies in a designated radio quiet zone located near Boolardy Station in the Murchison Shire of Western Australia, about 800 kilometres (500 mi) north of Perth on the traditional lands of the Wajarri people.
Close up of an ASKAP antenna with several more in the background | |
| Alternative names | MRO |
|---|---|
| Location | Boolardy, Western Australia, AUS |
| Coordinates | 26°42′11″S 116°40′14″E |
| Established | 2009 |
| Telescopes | |
Location of Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory | |
| Related media on Commons | |
It is one of two core sites for the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, the other being located in South Africa. As part of this project, there have been two technology and science pathfinders, both established by 2012:
- the radio telescopes known as the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), a low-frequency array operating in the frequency range 80–300 MHz; and
- the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP).
Construction on the main large SKA telescope started in December 2022. The SKA site has been officially named Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, meaning "sharing sky and stars" in the Wajarri language.
Several smaller experiments (CORE, EDGES, PAPER and SCOPE), unrelated to SKA, are also sited at the MRO.