The Parkes Observatory is a radio telescope located in New South Wales, Australia. It was completed in 1961 and is known for its large dish, which measures 64 meters in diameter. The observatory is primarily used for astronomical research, including studying pulsars and galaxies. Parkes Observatory gained fame for its role in receiving signals from the Apollo 11 mission, which was the first manned moon landing in 1969. It is part of the Australia Telescope National Facility and continues to contribute to various scientific projects, including the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.