By comparing the normal signal intensity to that currently being received, one can get a very good idea about conditions in the ionosphere. The photo above is of a 64 element imaging riometer which is currently being tested just outside Potchefstroom on the farm Nooitgedacht. The farm is situated on the banks of the Vaal River to the south-east of Potchefstroom. The antenna has the capability of detecting radio signal intensities from 64 distinct regions of the sky, making it ideal for the study of structures in the ionosphere. As soon as testing has been completed, the structure will be dismantled before being shipped to Antarctica.
Studies are currently underway, correlating imaging riometer and optical auroral data.
To the right is an example of digitized allsky optical auroral data, taken over a few minutes. False colour has been added to enhance the intensities, with red being highest and blue lowest. The circles in the middle have been added to indicate the relative viewing regions of the imaging riometer's four inner beams. This is a figure of the ionospheric projection of the imaging riometer beams at a height of 90 km. The scale at the bottom is in kilometer.