14 DAY TRIAL // Starting yesterday, November 18, a large number of space telescopes around the world have begun to map the skies around our planet, with the express goal of creating a new reference system for future space observations. Just like the GPS reports your position depending on latitude and longitude, so too the position of celestial bodies is dictated by the arrangement of other structures around them. The new investigation plans to refine the measurements related to these reference objects, so as to allow for a clearer identification of various locations across the Universe, Space reports.
The endeavor, which sees 35 of the world's largest radio telescopes working together as one gigantic instrument, will be the most accurate such effort ever made. Previous studies also sought to detail reference points in the sky, but used smaller numbers of less powerful telescopes. The current study also employs, among other large space observatories, the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The massive instrument's longest baseline is 8,611 kilometers (5,351 miles) long. The structure is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).
All the 35 scientific instruments will be connected to each other using a process known as the very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). This process, which is responsible for a very large number of astronomical breakthroughs, will allow the telescopes to function as a single instrument, giving astronomers access to unprecedented accuracy and resolution. More than 243 distant quasars will be analyzed during this investigation, as they are so distant that they appear to be relatively still when viewed from the Earth.
Quasars are hyperactive galaxies, which contain supermassive black holes at their core. This makes them clearly visible in radio wavelengths, which is one of the main reasons why the research was not, for example, conducted in visible light. The fact that they appear immobile is a very useful feature for the future map, which requires a few stable “landmarks,” to be taken as reference points for the new grid. Observatories from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America, Antarctica, and the Pacific region will participate in the survey.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) states that 295 quasars need to be analyzed for the new reference frame. Even with all these radio observatories participating, blind spots will still remain, which is why only 243 quasars will be analyzed at this point. The remaining structures will be analyzed at a later date, scientists with the project say. The importance of the grid is far-reaching. With it, astronomers will be able to better measure the relative velocity of objects moving through the skies, which will give them more clues as to their origins, their age and other properties.