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Australia Telescope Compact Array

telescope, Narrabari, New South Wales, Australia

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The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) is a radio telescope array located in Narrabri, New South Wales, Australia. Operated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), it is designed for studying the southern skies, including nearby galaxies like the Magellanic Clouds. The ATCA consists of six elements that work together to achieve high resolution, similar to how multiple antennas combine their signals to act as a single, much larger telescope. This allows astronomers to observe celestial objects in radio wavelengths, providing insights into phenomena not visible with optical telescopes.1

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