There is also a region above the farside lunar surface where radio emissions from Earth and Earth-orbiting satellites, would be blocked by the Moon, called the “Quiet Cone”, as illustrated in the diagram below. The crater Daedalus, near the center of the lunar farside, has been suggested as the best location for a radio astronomy facility on the Moon (Pagana et al. At a libration zone radio observatory, data would be collected and stored until each time libration allows a direct line-of-sight to Earth. West virginia radio silence zone series#It would then re-transmit that data to Earth while it is traveling over the Earth-facing nearside.Īnother (probably more expensive) approach would be to have a series of radio relay towers spaced at intervals from the radio observatory around to the lunar nearside where a transmitter could send the data back to Earth.Ī third choice would be to locate the radio observatory in a libration zone along the border between the lunar nearside and farside. How would data from a lunar farside radio observatory be transmitted back to Earth? One way would be to have a dedicated lunar satellite that receives data from the radio observatory while it is traveling over the lunar farside. Maybe infrared or optical lasers would be a better way to communicate? Of course, the Moon itself will need to be designated as a radio quiet zone so that any lunar colonies, rovers, or satellites operate at frequencies and times that will not interfere with scientific work. And some radio telescopes could be quickly and easily deployed (think long-wire antennas rather than radio dishes). The solid body of the Moon (and its lack of an atmosphere) would completely block all radio signals and noise emanating from the Earth and Earth orbit. Radio telescopes deployed on the lunar farside could “listen” to the universe with absolutely no interference from Earth. The best place in the world to do radio astronomy is not on our world at all but instead on the far side of the Moon.
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