Parkes Observatory is a radio astronomy observatory, located 20 kilometres 12 mi north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales , Australia. The 64 m dish was one of several radio antennae used to receive live television images of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Its scientific contributions over the decades led the ABC to describe it as "the most successful scientific instrument ever built in Australia" after 50 years of operation.
It is frequently operated together with other CSIRO radio telescopes, principally the array of six metre 72 ft dishes at the Australia Telescope Compact Array near Narrabri , and a single metre 72 ft dish at Mopra near Coonabarabran , to form a very long baseline interferometry array. The Parkes Radio Telescope , completed in , was the brainchild of E.
During the Second World War , he had worked on radar development in the United States and had made connections in its scientific community. Calling on this old boy network , he persuaded two philanthropic organisations, the Carnegie Corporation and the Rockefeller Foundation , to fund half the cost of the telescope.
It was this recognition and key financial support from the United States that persuaded Australian prime minister, Robert Menzies , to agree to fund the rest of the project. The Parkes site was chosen in , as it was accessible, but far enough from Sydney to have clear skies.
Additionally the mayor Ces Moon and landowner Australia James Helm were both enthusiastic about the project. The telescope continues to be upgraded, and as of is 10, times more sensitive than its initial configuration.
