| Description: | Since LOFAR was proposed about 10 years ago, low-frequency radio astronomy has become a "hot" subject, especially because of the possibility of detecting signals from the Era of Reionization (EoR), a mere 300 million years after the Big Bang. Therefore, in addition to LOFAR, other low-frequency telescope projects were started in different countries: PAST (China), MWA (Australia), LWA (USA), etc. LOFAR is by far the largest, and designed for the widest range of observing programs. The other projects are smaller, and focussed on more specialised programs, which usually include EoR detection. All this activity introduces a healthy element of competition. At the very least, it stimulates us all to work as fast as our various cultures allow.
The image shows the first production tile of the MWA (Murchison Widefield Array), which is being built in Western Australia. It has many of the same goals as LOFAR, despite being a smaller and more focused instrument. It aims to have "first light" for all its 512 tiles by early 2009. |
