Sensitivity Limit of The VATLY Radio Telescope: Observing the Moon

Abstract

Abstract. The Moon has been observed using the VATLY radio telescope at frequencies of 1420.4 and 1417.6 MHz in order to study the behaviour of the instrument in a domain of flux density close to the limit of its sensitivity. Drift scans have revealed a Moon flux density of 0.83 ± 0.16 kJy corresponding to a Moon black body temperature of 207 ± 40 K. From these results, a limit sensitivity of ∼ 300 Jy has been inferred in agreement with earlier coarser estimates.