Skip to main content
ASTRON logo

Events

Upcoming events

ASTRON hosts several events and organises weekly colloquia. 

We are proud to present a new edition of the LOFAR Development Newsletter. A lot is happening right now, so this edition is fully packed with good stuff!

The development of LOFAR2.0 is nearing completion and our focus is now almost fully on verification and validation of the design (only the software development continues). The hardware components for LOFAR2.0 have been purchased and we are waiting for the delivery of the first batch of electronics by early 2024. In the meantime, the second phase of the LOFAR2.0 test station will be ready for field testing in June. In this second phase, all LBA and HBA antennas will be connected, allowing us to test the LOFAR2.0 design at its full capacity. In the meantime, dynamic scheduling is introduced in LOFAR. It allows to optimize the telescope’s time on sky and reduces the effort to operate the telescope. Thanks to the dynamic scheduling, less time is needed for operators to set up the observation program, and the telescope can respond more agile and with less manual work to unforeseen events like windmill stand-still time, station availability and ionospheric conditions.

Work has also started on the technical specifications to replace the Central Systems in Groningen (CEP4, COBALT2 and the network infrastructure). Apart from the technical challenges, one of the biggest puzzles is to align the CEP upgrade with cycle 20 observations and the LOFAR2.0 commissioning. More on this topic in future editions of this Newsletter.

Happy reading!

Wim van Cappellen

Mon 06 Nov 2023 - Thu 09 Nov 2023

Cursus: Toegepaste RF-techniek

De cursus Toegepaste RF-techniek bestaat uit een theoriegedeelte (75%) en hands-on sessies in ons eigen lab (25%).
Deelnemers aan deze cursus dienen een hbo werk- en denkniveau te hebben. De deelnemer kent de basisbegrippen van elektronica. Parate kennis van wiskundige concepten is niet vereist, maar komt wel aan de orde bij de transmissielijntheorie. In de cursus wordt ook complexe rekenwijze toegepast.

Past events

ASTRON hosts several events and organises weekly colloquia. 

We are proud to present a new edition of the LOFAR Development Newsletter. A lot is happening right now, so this edition is fully packed with good stuff!

The development of LOFAR2.0 is nearing completion and our focus is now almost fully on verification and validation of the design (only the software development continues). The hardware components for LOFAR2.0 have been purchased and we are waiting for the delivery of the first batch of electronics by early 2024. In the meantime, the second phase of the LOFAR2.0 test station will be ready for field testing in June. In this second phase, all LBA and HBA antennas will be connected, allowing us to test the LOFAR2.0 design at its full capacity. In the meantime, dynamic scheduling is introduced in LOFAR. It allows to optimize the telescope’s time on sky and reduces the effort to operate the telescope. Thanks to the dynamic scheduling, less time is needed for operators to set up the observation program, and the telescope can respond more agile and with less manual work to unforeseen events like windmill stand-still time, station availability and ionospheric conditions.

Work has also started on the technical specifications to replace the Central Systems in Groningen (CEP4, COBALT2 and the network infrastructure). Apart from the technical challenges, one of the biggest puzzles is to align the CEP upgrade with cycle 20 observations and the LOFAR2.0 commissioning. More on this topic in future editions of this Newsletter.

Happy reading!

Wim van Cappellen

Mon 22 Mar 2021 - Fri 26 Mar 2021

6th LOFAR Data School

6th LOFAR Data School. The aim of the school is to introduce the LOFAR system to new members of the LOFAR community who will analyse both interferometric and high time resolution beamformed LOFAR data. Students, postdocs, and staff are all encouraged to attend.

Thu 07 Oct 2021 - Tue 12 Oct 2021

Info sessions about proposing LOFAR2.0 Large Programmes

The International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) is preparing for a significant upgrade, LOFAR2.0, for which a Large Programme Portfolio will be composed. The online information sessions will take place on: Thursday, 7 October 12-15 UT Tuesday, 12 October, 7-10 UT Hour 1: Welcome word - René Vermeulen (5min) LOFAR2.0 expected observing capabilities - Jason Hessels + Cees […]

Mon 07 Nov 2022 - Thu 10 Nov 2022

Applied RF technology course

The RF course is an excellent introduction for Digital / Analog engineers who are or will be involved in the development of RF systems.

Mon 19 Sep 2022 - Fri 23 Sep 2022

ERIS 2022

ERIS 2022 is a week-long training in techniques of radio interferometry via lectures and tutorials. This school is the ninth of a series of summer schools sponsored by RadioNet and is hosted by JIVE - Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC & ASTRON – Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. The topics covered by the lectures/tutorials will […]

Fri 13 May 2022

NL Radio Astronomy Community Day

Dear Colleagues, The NRAAC (Netherlands Radio Astronomy Advisory Committee) is pleased to announce the NL Radio Astronomy Community Day 2022 - the first in what we intend to be an annual event.  After two years of Covid pandemic it will be especially nice to see each other in person! The Community Day will be May […]

Mon 17 Oct 2022 - Wed 19 Oct 2022

Next Generation Space VLBI workshop

The third edition of the Next Generation Space VLBI workshop (ngSVLBI-2022), co-organised by JIVE and ASTRON in Dwingeloo (The Netherlands) will be held on 17-19 October 2022. The ngSVLBI-2022 workshop will focus on the future of high-resolution radio interferometry. Next-generation Space VLBI missions would be natural extensions of advanced Earth-based facilities such as global VLBI networks, (ng)EHT, […]

Sun 02 Oct 2022

Open Dag: 2 oktober/Open Day: October 2nd

English follows Dutch   Bezoek ons tijdens onze open dag op 2 oktober Wij zijn gemakkelijk bereikbaar met de (elektrische) fiets. Kom je met de auto? Deze kunt je parkeren op het veld aan de Oude Hoogeveensedijk/Bosrand. Onze shuttlebus brengt je vervolgens gratis naar ons toe. Tijdens de open dag leer je van alles over […]

Mon 15 May 2023 - Wed 17 May 2023

Nederlandse Astronomen Conferentie 2023

The 78th Dutch Astronomers' Conference (“Nederlandse Astronomenconferentie”) will be organized by ASTRON the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy under the auspices of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Astronomenclub/Royal Netherlands Astronomical Society (KNA/RNAS) from 15 to 17 May 2023. The conference venue is the WestCord WTC hotel in Leeuwarden.

Mon 03 Apr 2023 - Thu 06 Apr 2023

Applied RF technology course

The RF course is an excellent introduction for Digital / Analog engineers who are or will be involved in the development of RF systems.

Latest tweets

Our congratulations go out to Anna Bilous and her colleagues, for this intriguing paper, which was published in Nature.

Every year on May 4th we put our Westerbork telescopes into mourning mode, to remember all the victims who fought for our freedom. Watch the video that we made a couple of years ago in cooperation with @kampwesterbork, demonstrating this. #4mei #Memorial

Our radio telescopes don't need the darkness to function, but they do need quiet skies, free from radio interference. This month is Dark and Quiet Skies month. What can you do to keep our skies dark and quiet?
https://www.iau.org/public/darkskiesawareness/
#DarkAndQuietSkies

Daily Image of the Week: Blast from the past

Subscribe to our newsletter. For previous editions, click here.

searchclosechevron-downtwitter-squarelinkedin-squarebarsyoutube-playinstagramfacebook-officialcrosschevron-right