The Dish
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The Dish is a 2000 Australian historical comedy-drama film that tells the story of the Parkes Observatory's role in relaying live television of humanity's first steps on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It was the top-grossing Australian film in 2000.
Theatrical release poster
Specially constructed 'control console' as used on the set of the film. As on public display at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory visitors' centre, March 2020.
The Parkes 64-metre radio telescope at the Parkes Observatory in New South Wales, Australia (the bigger of the two) Picture credit: CSIRO
Parkes Observatory
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Parkes Observatory is a radio astronomy observatory, located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. It hosts Murriyang, the 64 m CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope also known as "The Dish", along with two smaller radio telescopes. The 64 m dish was one of several radio antennae used to receive live television images of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Its scientific contributions over the decades led the ABC to describe it as "the most successful scientific instrument ever built in Australia" after 50 years of operation.
The Parkes 64m Radio Telescope
The 64-metre (210 ft) diameter dish with the 18-metre (59 ft) dish in the foreground (mounted on rails and used in interferometry)
The radio telescope's focus cabin
The 64-metre (210 ft) radio telescope at Parkes Observatory as seen in 1969, when it received signals from the Apollo 11 Moon landing