Daily Image
17-10-2022
Radio quiet zones
| Submitter: | Henk Mulder |
| Description: | As you know we have some amazing radio telescopes which can observe even the weakest signals from the universe. Giving us insight on many big questions humanity has been asking itself for a very long time. Because these instruments are so super sensitive it also makes them vulnerable to electromagnetic interference. (Basically, looking at the light from a candle, from 10 meters away, in a dark forest, and then someone shines a flashlight in your face) To make sure we get the most out of our telescope time we have to plan ahead for anything that might cause interference. This can be anything from lawn-mowing to tours. Sometimes even take a whole station out of production taking into account how many stations are needed and which baselines are essential. That way we can make sure to observe all projects and also keep normal daily work going. But even then when you think you have a good observing strategy we have to keep watch for anything unplanned that might happen from busted electric fences, stray tourists with mobile phones or even our own antenna failing and creating oscillations. Of course we also have dedicated colleagues who make sure no permanent sources of RFI get constructed and we can keep delivering groundbreaking science. Astron tries to work with and advise other people and companies with the knowledge we have learned over the years. Well known sources of interference are inverters in solar parks, wind turbines, but also LED lamps and large-scale air conditioning. That is why there are certain radio free zones in the Netherlands and specific zones for solar parks, wind turbines and small windmills. In these zones certain standards must be met, maps of these zones can be found on our website. There you can also find a form where you can request permission, advice or further information from Astron. To make things easier for everyone (including ourselves) we have now created a group box for the radio quiet zones, to have one place people can send questions and requests. So please help us help you if you plan on causing RFI or have a question about one of the Radio quiet zones use: storingsvrijezone@astron.nl www.astron.nl/beschermingszones |
| Copyright: | Henk Mulder / Ilse van der Waaij / Astron |
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