Overview
Learmonth Solar Observatory is jointly operated by Bureau of Meteorology - Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre and the US Air Force. The observatory is the site of one of six solar velocity imagers in the world-wide GONG (Global Oscillation Network Group) network operated by NSO (US National Solar Observatory).
Observing instrumentation includes:
- a Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) instrument which provides data for helioseismological studies of the interior of the Sun
- an optical telescope to monitor sunspots and solar activity
- a radio telescope with three parabolic dish antennae to monitor solar radio flux on 8 discrete frequencies in the range 245-15400 MHz
- a solar radio spectrograph which sweeps through a frequency range of 25-180 MHz every three seconds, used to monitor solar radio bursts