Part 4/10:
Located within the National Radio Quiet Zone—a vast area of over 1,300 square miles—these observatories operate in an environment free from human-made electromagnetic interference. With restrictions on cell phones, Wi-Fi, and microwaves, scientists ensure that their sensitive instruments are not drowned out by Earth's own technological noise. The analogy often used describes radio waves as a form of light, but with far less energy—sometimes a billionth of a billionth of a watt—making the detection process incredibly challenging.