radio astronomy

American  

noun

1. the branch of astronomy that utilizes extraterrestrial radiation in radio wavelengths rather than visible light for the study of the universe.

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radio astronomy British  

noun

1. a branch of astronomy in which a radio telescope is used to detect and analyse radio signals received on earth from radio sources in space

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radio astronomy Scientific  

1. The study of celestial objects by measurement of the radio waves they emit. Radio astronomy has enabled the detection and study of objects such as pulsars, quasars, radio galaxies, and other objects, some of which emit considerably less radiation at other wavelengths. Radio astronomy has contributed to the discovery of cosmic background radiation and has enhanced the understanding of solar activity and the structure of galaxies.

2. See also radio telescope

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Etymology

Origin of radio astronomy

First recorded in 1945–50

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

radio astronomy

Australia's radio astronomy facilities have a long history of supporting some of NASA's most important space missions.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

Before radio astronomy was pioneered by people like Lovell, most observatories used visible light to detect objects in space.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The site was first established in 1945 and pioneered radio astronomy and the study of galaxies beyond our own.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

This strategy has been highly successful in radio astronomy because radio waves have long wavelengths, making it feasible to precisely synchronize signals collected by widely spaced sensors.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 10, 2026

That Jupiter is a source of radio emission was discovered accidentally in the 1950’s, the early days of radio astronomy.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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