ASTRON observing facilities

ASTRON operates the LOw Frequentie ARray (LOFAR) and the Westerbork Radio Observatory (WSRT), one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. The WSRT and LOFAR are dedicated to explore the universe at radio frequencies, from GHz down to very low frequencies.

ASTRON is the host institute for the Joint Institute for VLBI (JIVE) in Europe. Its primary task is to operate the EVN MkIV VLBI Data Processor (correlator). JIVE also provides a high-level of support to astronomers and the Telescope Network.

Biggest single dish telescopes

• Arecibo (300 m) situated in Puerto Rico (see the picture), more...

• Effelsberg (Germany, 100 m), more...

• Parkes (Australia 64 m), more...

• the Green Bank (100 m) radio telescope, more...

Biggest telescopes using interferometry

Apart from the WSRT (that is 2.7 km), the most important are:

• The LOw Frequentie ARray (LOFAR), a new generation telescope which consists of 25000 little antennas spread over the North of the Netherlands and several other European countries, more...

• The Very Large Array (VLA), situated close to Socorro (USA) where the 27 antennas can be separated up to a distance of about 36 km (see picture). more...

• The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) located in the southern hemisphere, close to Narrabri in Australia, in which six antennas are separated up to 6 km. more...

• The Giant Metrewave Radio Telscope (GMRT) in India consists of thirty dishes of 45 meters each separated by a distance up to 25 km. more...

Next generation radio telescopes

SKA, the Square Kilometre Array, a million square metres of collecting area, the next major radio telescope to be built, more...

Go further: What do radio astronomers see?