Carbon monoxide (12CO) interstellar clouds are widely distributed while clouds of 13CO, HCN, CS and HCO+ are generally more compact. Additionally the molecular lines of the former species tend to be more intense than that of the latter. High resolution and high sensitivity maps of interesting interstellar clouds are, at present, time consuming when a single beam telescope is used. Multiple beam telescopes are therefore required to undertake these mapping tasks during the periods when the precipitable water vapour content of the atmosphere is low; for sites near sea level these periods can be short.

The first version of this mission was approved by the European Space Agency (ESA) Council in 1973 but did not infact start its Phase B study until 1977. The early baseline design had been constrained by the requirement to make the spacecraft compatible in size and weight with the performance of a NASA Delta rocket, since this was seen as a necessary back-up to Ariane, then at an early stage of development. The mission payload then evolved with time due to the changing role dictated by the technical successes and observations made by the series of well-known X-ray satellites. The final spacecraft has emerged to have a unique capability since all the other X-ray satellites except the small Hakucho have now expired.

Observations of CO emission (Kutner et al. 1977) have delineated a molecular cloud extending over several square degrees in the Orion region, and extensive surveys have been made of several other molecules (e.g. CN, CS, HCN, H2CO, H2H+) in the densest regions of this cloud.

The relationship between the observed magnitude of a star and the air-mass takes the shape of a loop. These loops are caused by the zero-point drift of the photometer in use and by the variations of the atmospheric extinction taking place during the observation (Kviz 1979). From observations where the temperature drift of the photometer and of the photomultiplier were recorded, it is evident that the sense of the loops is correlated with the physical temperature of the photo-multiplier. Measurements have been made with the Swiss telescope and the 7-colour Geneva photometer P 7 using pulse counting with PM tube EMI9798 — described in Burnet (1976) and Burnet, Rufener (1979) — at La Silla, Chile.

The amplitude scintillations of pulsars and the broadening of their profiles are different manifestations of the scattering of the signal by fine structure in the ionized interstellar gas.

Most of the recent advances in X-ray astronomy have resulted from satellite observations in the low energy (< 20 keV) range. The Einstein X-ray Observatory in particular has been responsible for a dramatic increase in our knowledge of the X-ray sky, in that all major classes of astronomical objects have been detected.

Observations of pulsar radio-emission at high time resolutions are severely constrained by interstellar dispersion.

Most plates taken with the UK Schmidt Telescope are hypersensitized before use. The technique for the hyper-sensitization of IIIa-type emulsions has been described by Sim et al. (1976), and for the IV-N emulsion by Hartley and Tritton (1979). Photographic calibration is provided by two sensitometers, a seven-step linear array at the N-W corner and a 4 × 4 spot array in the S-E. During the calibration of this latter sensitometer (Dawe and Metcalfe 1981), which is a copy of a design by Schoening (1976), it became apparent that the sensitivity of the hypersensitized IIIa-emulsions in use was decreasing as a function of time in the plateholder.

A K-band (18-25 GHz) reflected-wave ruby maser (Moore and Clauss 1979) has been borrowed from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory for radio astronomy use on the NASA 64-m antenna of the Deep Space Network at the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station, near Canberra. The purpose of the installation is to provide additional sensitive spectral line, continuum, and VLBI capabilities in the southern hemisphere. Previous measurements at 22.3 GHz (λ = 13.5 mm) determined that the Tidbinbilla 64-m antenna has a peak aperture efficiency of ˜22%, a well-behaved beam shape and consistent pointing (Fourikis and Jauncey 1979). Before installing the maser on the antenna a cooled (circulator) switch was added to provide a beam-switching capability, and a spectral line receiver following the maser was incorporated. The system was assembled and tested at JPL in late 1980 and installed at Tidbinbilla early in 1981. We give here a brief description and present some of the first line observations made in February and March 1981. Extensive line and continuum observations are planned with the present system and a program is under way to determine the telescope pointing characteristics.

There is reasonably strong evidence to suggest that the periodic X-ray, radio and optical variable Cir X-1 is a highly eccentric orbit (e ~ 0.8), binary system comprising an OB supergiant primary and a compact object, probably a neutron star (Whelan et al. 1977; Haynes, Lerche and Murdin 1980).

The arrangement whereby the front end of a radio astronomical receiver is located at the focal plane of a paraboloidal telescope causes the incoming waves to be reflected between focal plane and vertex. The result is a sometimes simple, sometimes complex wave pattern on the output of an associated spectrometer and is known as baseline ripple.

The U.K. 1.2 metre Schmidt Telescope acquired its first full aperture objective prism in 1975. This was a very low dispersion prism (2400 Å/mm at 4300 Å) which has been found to be particularly useful in searching for faint QSO’s.

The ground level event (GLE) observed on November 22, 1977, is of interest because of the spread of onset times observed by various cosmic ray neutron monitors. Previous reports (Fenton, Fenton and Humble 1978, 1979) have discussed this matter without being able to reach definite conclusions. We have now obtained data from a further seven neutron monitors, and also some from the Imp 8 spacecraft. These data combine to suggest that the event may have been more complex than we initially supposed.

A great deal has been written about the mechanical design and the electrical characteristics of the Parkes radio telescope, but very little has been written about the pre-history — the factors leading up to the construction of that instrument. I want to spend a little time today describing some of the events which led to its being built.

Despite its superb optical and radio observatories, Australia is essentially blind to the entire submillimeter and far-infrared spectrum. The importance of this spectral region can perhaps best be illustrated by reference to Figure 1, which shows the flux of the galaxy NGC253 as a function of frequency.

Work on the development and use of optical fibres as light guides in astronomical spectroscopy has been underway at the AAO for over a year now. The fibres used are step-index polymer-clad silica with a core size of 200 microns giving an aperture size of 1.3 arcsec at the AAT f/8 focus. They are optimised for data transmission with losses below 5dB/km at a wavelength of 800 nm. The blue transmission is somewhat lower, typically 500dB/km at 300nm and 90dB/km at 400nm but over the short 2m length used these attenuations give transmissions of 79% and 96% respectively.

The passage of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun is an astronomical spectacle which no living person is likely to have seen. The phenomenon has played an important role in the history of astronomy and in stimulating world science and geographical discovery during the 18th century. But to Australia the transit of 1769 is of truly momentous significance: during the course of an expedition to the South Seas specially organized to observe it, Lt. James Cook discovered and chartered the east coast of Australia, hoisted the English flag, and took possession in the name of King George III.