Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory

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The Mid- West Radio Quiet Zone ( RQZ ) is a protection zone of harmful plants in Australia.

It is located in the state of Western Australia, 200 km east of Meekatharra and comprises approximately 70,000 km ². The center of the Mid-West Radio Quiet Zone is formed 116.658889 ° E (date GDA94 ) by the geographic coordinates 26.704167 ° S, the core zone has a radius of 70 km, the buffer zone from 70 to 150 km.

2005 began the Murchison Radio - astronomy Observatory ( MRO) to establish a radio restricted area for the under construction Murchison Widefield Array ( MWA) radio telescope. The protection zone has been applied for 70 MHz to 25.25 GHz in a radius around the radio telescope site for a radio silence in the frequencies set plan in the context of the Australian Radio Frequency Spectrum on 11 April 2005 and 2011 in accordance with the Radiocommunications Act 1992 final. It is thus under the supervision of the Australian Communications and Media Authority ( ACMA ).

With the establishment of such a large protected area in a largely sparsely populated area also created the precondition, Murchison as the site for the South African- Australian- New Zealand Square Kilometre Array (SKA ) to apply for the already telescope, the Australian SKA Pathfinder ( ASKAP ) of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial research Organization ( CSIRO ) is in operation. This is built in Boolardy.

The restrictions are compared to those protected areas that serve military installations, moderate, and limited to the areas of astronomical necessary: For example, while FM radio is not receiving, country radio, emergency radio and the School of the Air - the radio lessons for the Australian outback - are possible. Mobile phones should be switched off.