Telescope Specifications

November 26th, 2024

This page provides quick access to some of ASKAP’s key technical specifications. Further detail can be found in the system description paper.

  • Number of antennas: 36
  • Antenna diameter: 12 m
  • Focal ratio f/D: 0.5
  • Total collecting area: 4071.5 m2
  • Maximum baseline: 6 km
  • Angular resolution at 1 GHz: 10″
  • Observing frequency range: 0.7 to 1.8 GHz
  • Processed bandwidth: 288 MHz
  • Maximum frequency channels: 15552
  • Frequency resolution:
    • 1 MHz continuum mode
    • 18.5 kHz (standard) to 0.58 kHz (zoom) spectral line modes
  • Effective system temperature: 75 K
  • Sensitivity: 54 m2/K
  • Dual-polarisation beams: 36
  • Field of view at 800 MHz: 31 deg2
  • Field of view at 1700 MHz: 15 deg2
  • Survey speed at 800 MHz: 91400 m4 deg2 K−2
  • Survey speed at 1700 MHz: 44200 m4 deg2 K−2

A sensitivity calculator is available online. Be aware that the robustness parameter of the weighting scheme used during image processing will have an impact on the expected noise as follows:

  • Noise increases by a factor of 2.5 for robust -0.5
  • Noise increases by a factor of 1.5 for robust 0.0
  • Noise increases by a factor of 1.2 for robust 0.5