I took a ride on a moving radio telescope

Summary by Krater

Tom Scott visits the Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia, exploring its control room, wiring, and history while riding the dish as it tilts toward the ground.

From the video

Answers: What is it like inside the Parkes Radio Telescope and how does it operate?

• Radio astronomy
• Parkes Radio Telescope
• Telescope control systems
• Astrometric calibration
• Telescope maintenance and safety

What it concludes

• The Parkes Radio Telescope is capable of handling heavy equipment in and out of its central part much more easily by letting the dish do the lifting.
• The polar axis calibration technique invented by Barnes Wallis allowed single-dish antennas to point very accurately across the sky.
• Radio telescopes must be exceptionally large to collect the extremely weak radio energy emitted by stars.