What is Radar?

Radar is an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. Radar systems output large amounts of electromagnetic radiation in specific frequencies and listen for ‘echoes’ of those frequencies. These echoes are reflections from specific objects in the area of scanning. The incoming echoes can be analyzed to gain information about the target. The strength of the returning signal gives approximate size of a target, the amount of time it takes the signal to return to the radar’s receiver dish gives information on the target’s distance, and the change in the specific frequency of returned pulses can even show the speed and direction of an object. This is done by basing targeting calculations off of the doppler effect. If the receiver gets back a higher frequency than the system emitted, that means the detected object is moving toward the radar station. Where a lower frequency means the object is moving away from the radar station.