What is KNRO?
The Kuwait National Radio Observatory is the first radio telescope facility in the Middle East. Unlike optical telescopes, the radio telescope receives and process radio waves emitted by celestial objects. Radio waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, just like visible light but at a much lower frequency. In fact, the visible light spectrum only occupies a tiny section of the electromagnetic spectrum as illustrated below:
 Electromagnetic Spectrum
What are the goals of KNRO?
1. Study the evolution of Milky Way galaxy.
2. Analysis of rotational curves of galaxies to infer possible distribution of dark matter.
3. To enable research in Astronomy & Astrophysics for scientists and students alike.
4. To develop national technology in astronomical instrumentation.
5. Educational outreach to encourage youth in science and engineering.
What does KNRO consist of?
KNRO is a large and ambitious project that is divided to several phases. The first phase of the project is to construct a 5 meter dish along with a robust control system to observe and track celestial objects. Constructing Phase I of the project will take place in Kuwait and will span a period of 6 months starting from January 2007.
Radio telescopes consist of a radio dish to collect and concentrate radio waves. These radio waves are very weak, and thus they need to be amplified by many orders of magnitude using a Low-Noise amplifier (LNA). Input from the LNA is fed to a receiver to extract data about the nature of the celestial source being studied. The receiver is connected to a computer which analyzes and saves the data received.
 Radio Telescope Basic Components
Scientists study these radio waves to study the physical properties of the objects emitting them. Radio astronomy has fundamentally changed our view of the universe. The first neutron star was discovered by analyzing its radio pulses. Furthermore, astronomers detected the Microwave Background Radiation, the very after glow of the Big Bang.
Phase I will employ a super heterodyne total power hydrogen line spectrometer from Radio Astronomy Supplies.
Several components of KNRO will be developed in Kuwait, including:
1. Electromechanical closed loop control system.
2. L-Band Waveguide.
3. Distributed Control and Data Acquisition infrastructure powered by INDI and Linux.
When will work begin on KNRO?
We expect to officially start the project in December 2006.
How can I help in KNRO?
We welcome any volunteers who are willing to work on this exciting project. Specifically, we require the following professions:
1. Mechanical Engineers.
2. Programmers.
3. Safety Engineers
4. Electronic Engineers
5. Electrical Engineers
6. Communication Engineers.
KNRO Research Proposal
The KNRO research proposal document which conforms to the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences specifications is now available.
Source: (KNRO Proposal  )
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