DSS-43 is a 70m diameter radio telescope at Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. This location is in a valley to protect from man made radio signals.

It is the largest steerable antenna in the Southern Hemisphere. Because of the cost to build antennas of this size accurately, technology has changed & now to have a large array of dishes and mathematically process the signal from this array.

Construction commenced in 1969 as a 64m diameter antenna, but was upgraded in 1987 to 70m diameter for the Voyager flyby of Neptune in 1989.

The rotating section weighs over 4,000 tons

When I took this image it was blowing a gale and at 3C with intermittent rain. Later dropped to +0.5C & sleet. Coldest day (not night though) in the region for 9 years. My coffee was cold after a slurp. One disadvantage of an expresso coffee.