Parkes Radio Telescope (listening to sounds of creation)
Just north of the small country town of Parkes Australia stands a heritage listed structure - an architectural wonder that stands in contrast to the brush of Eucalyptus trees and grassy paddocks that surrounds it. More majestic than any cathedral, it was not erected in homage of a creator but as an ear to the universe, listening for the breath of galaxies, the heartbeats of pulsars and the echoes from creation itself. This is the Parkes Radio Telescope. Although built in 1961, its 64 metre dish still captures important information about the universe around us. In early February 2023 the Radio Astronomy section of the Astronomical Society of Victoria arranged a visit to the telescope facility. I was fortunate to be able to join the tour. I have visited many cathedrals in Europe but none have filled me with such awe and wonder as this "ear to the gods"! The video is a compilation of shots taken with a GoPro and an iPhone during the tour, which included a walk around the top of the support building and watching the telescope dish moving from this vantage point. In writing the music for the video I wanted to pick up on the theme of a scientific "cathedral" built to inspire and educate. It expresses my feelings at the time. Many thanks to the science and technical directors of the CSIRO Parkes Observatory for their wonderful hospitality.
Just north of the small country town of Parkes Australia stands a heritage listed structure - an architectural wonder that stands in contrast to the brush of Eucalyptus trees and grassy paddocks that surrounds it. More majestic than any cathedral, it was not erected in homage of a creator but as an ear to the universe, listening for the breath of galaxies, the heartbeats of pulsars and the echoes from creation itself. This is the Parkes Radio Telescope. Although built in 1961, its 64 metre dish still captures important information about the universe around us. In early February 2023 the Radio Astronomy section of the Astronomical Society of Victoria arranged a visit to the telescope facility. I was fortunate to be able to join the tour. I have visited many cathedrals in Europe but none have filled me with such awe and wonder as this "ear to the gods"! The video is a compilation of shots taken with a GoPro and an iPhone during the tour, which included a walk around the top of the support building and watching the telescope dish moving from this vantage point. In writing the music for the video I wanted to pick up on the theme of a scientific "cathedral" built to inspire and educate. It expresses my feelings at the time. Many thanks to the science and technical directors of the CSIRO Parkes Observatory for their wonderful hospitality.