Sardinia got ears!

Finally the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is ready to start its scientific mission, the inaugural ceremony will take place on September 30th (next Monday) in the presence of the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research, Prof. Carrozza.

The Sardinian Radio Telescope based in San Basilio

SRT is located in Sardinia near San Basilio, a small village about 35km from Cagliari, my hometown. SRT is the largest radiotelescope in Italy (diameter: 64 meters) and one of the most advanced in the world.

SRT will join the first Very Large Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) network in Italy, meaning that these 3 facilities will operate as a huge interferometer whose effective dimension is comparable to the size of our country! This allows to reach angular resolutions which would be simply impossible with a single instrument. As one of the most advanced radiotelescopes worldwide, SRT will also contribute as a node of the European VLBI Network.

But so, what is a radiotelescope? 

Sardinia Radio Telescope

Live cam on the SRT site, 35 km northeast of Cagliari ( my hometown, btw...) in Italy.
See the press release here (in italian)