New Books in Popular Culture Emma Chapman, "Radio Universe: How to Explore Space Without Leaving Earth" (Hachette UK, 2026)
Mar 19, 2026
Emma Chapman, award-winning astrophysicist and Royal Society Research Fellow, explains how radio waves reveal the unseen cosmos. She contrasts radio and optical astronomy. She traces radio breakthroughs from Jansky to the Event Horizon Telescope. She explores radar mapping of planets, pulsars, SETI’s radio searches, and the Square Kilometre Array’s time-machine reach.
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Occultations Let You 'Listen' Through Atmospheres
- Occultation uses a known radio signal passing through a planet's atmosphere to measure atmospheric properties when the transmitter is briefly hidden.
- Chapman describes satellites whose signals alter as they pass behind Mars, revealing dust, water vapor and atmospheric structure.
Radar's Practical Limit Ends Near Saturn
- Planetary radar weakens with distance, making Saturn roughly the practical outer limit for useful radar imaging from Earth.
- Chapman explains return signal strength and Earth's radio noise limit radar's reach beyond the gas giants.
Lovell Turned War Radar Into Lasting Observatory
- Bernard Lovell repurposed wartime radar hardware at Manchester, discovered intense meteor radio pings, and built the Lovell Telescope despite budget controversies.
- His work enabled tracking Sputnik and left the Lovell Telescope as a lasting facility still used today.
