Radio astronomers like a bit of peace and quiet, so they're sending an historic first radio telescope to the Moon. To block out Earthside radio signals, the Lunar Surface Electromagnetics Experiment (LuSEE-Night) will set up shop on the far side of the Moon.
Radio astronomy has revolutionized our understanding of the universe by opening up the vast electromagnetic spectrum that is invisible to the human eye. With giant radio telescopes to help, we have discovered pulsars, quasars, radio galaxies, interstellar molecules, supermassive black holes, and the microwave echoes of the Big Bang.
Unfortunately, listening to the music of the spheres is a frustrating task because Earth isn't exactly a quiet neighborhood when it comes to radio waves. Never mind terrestrial radio and television broadcasts, or even satellite signals or the ubiquitous presence of cell phones. There are also sparking car engines, microwave ovens, lightning strikes, GPS signals, reflections off the ionosphere, and even bird poop on the antenna to muck things up.
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