This is a self-extracting file and will install itself when you run it on your computer. Students are given control of a simulated radar telescope. They point it toward Mercury and send off a narrow pulse of radio waves. The received echo, frequency versus intensity, is displayed for 5 time slices, which correspond to echoes from surface elements progressively further from the subradar point. This, in turn, gives the period of rotation of the planet.
Students use off- line calculators to reduce the data.
Options include the ability to speed up the return pulse, reducing the waiting time.