RN wrote:

A few questions from an ignorant layman:

I've heard of terms such as 'galactic noise', 'solar noise', and 'cosmic
microwave background'. From what I've been told, CMB can be heard as the
static between stations. What about the other two? In fact, what are
they? Do they affect reception? Are they easily identifiable?


Do a net search on "amateur radio astronomy" for lots of material
describing emissions and how to detect them.

Also, what other 'extra terrestrial' phenonema can be heard on the
average receiver? (Besides ET calling home!) Can the aurora
borealis or meteorites be heard?

Certainly they affect propagation; hams have worked aurora skip on high
bands for years, and meteor scatter systems were used during the cold
war for data transmission in areas without infrastructure.

When Jupiter has strong active magnetic storms, they can be heard on
a variety of bands using a variety of modes; years ago during a
particularly strong period, characteristic sounds of these emissions
could be heard on ordinary FM radios (in a quiet part of the band).

Michael