Skip to main content
ASTRON logo

Telescopes

ASTRON is responsible for the operations of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) and the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR).

Astronomy

The astronomical research at ASTRON is closely aligned with the strengths of our facilities LOFAR and WSRT-APERTIF.

Diversity & Sustainability

ASTRON is committed to achieving a fair, welcoming, and sustainable work environment for all.

Beschermingszones


Met onze radiotelescopen nemen wij de meest zwakke signalen uit het heelal waar. Daardoor zijn zij kwetsbaar voor elektromagnetische storing. Met het tijdig treffen van de juiste maatregelen kan storing worden voorkomen.

Wireless Data Lab


Draadloze techniek lijkt vanzelfsprekend, maar de ontwikkeling ervan gaat niet vanzelf. Daarom hebben we bij ASTRON een proeftuin ingericht; het Wireless Data Lab.

Making discoveries
in radio astronomy
happen.

ASTRON is the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, and is part of the Institutes organisation of NWO.
STORIES

Astronomers pinpoint the source of the brightest one-off fast radio burst ever

An international team of astronomers has localized one of the brightest non-repeating fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever observed to a nearby galaxy.

Astronomy
News
Science
WSRT-APERTIF
Published by the editorial team, 21 August 2025

Astronomers uncover white dwarf system emitting bright radio pulses with strange rhythm

Researchers identify a mystifying Long-Period Transient with 100% polarized radio emission, suggesting new type of cosmic radio source. A team of astronomers at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, has discovered a mysterious new cosmic radio source that challenges current theories about how dead stars can produce such powerful emissions. Using the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope, the team picked up the unusual signal as part of a study led by astronomer Sanne Bloot. This research was published today in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Astronomy
LOFAR
Published by the editorial team, 17 July 2025

Exoplanet Sparks Stellar Fireworks

Astronomers have witnessed a planet causing storms to erupt on its parent star, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how planets and stars interact and evolve together. These findings are published today in the scientific journal Nature.

Astronomy
Published by the editorial team, 2 July 2025

New ‘mini halo’ discovery deepens our understanding of how the early Universe was formed

Astronomers have uncovered a vast cloud of energetic particles – a ‘mini halo’ – surrounding one of the most distant galaxy clusters ever observed, using the LOFAR radio telescope, marking a major step forward in understanding the hidden forces that shape the cosmos.

LOFAR
News
Published by the editorial team, 27 June 2025
IN MEMORIAM
DAILY IMAGE

Summer project: The mysterious hydrogen in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1672

© N/A

NGC 1672 is a barred spiral galaxy located in a relatively isolated environment, with only four smaller satellites in the MeerKAT field of view, and with regular star forming activity for its mass. Despite this, the MHONGOOSE Survey reveals asymmetries and tail-like structures in the low-column density HI of both NGC 1672 and its satellites (left panel). Such features are typically associated with galaxies in denser, strongly interacting environments. Given the low density of the surrounding intergalactic medium, these structures are likely not caused by ram-pressure stripping alone, but rather by tidal interactions and close flybys. In support of this, all satellites show morphological asymmetries (in both stellar and HI emission) as well as dynamical irregularities.

A 3D tilted-ring model of the HI in NGC 1672 was fitted using 3DBarolo (Di Teodoro & Fraternali 2015), revealing a dual-plateau rotation curve with a rapid rise in rotational velocity at a radius of ~20 kpc (upper right panel). The expected rotational velocity from the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation (Lelli, McGaugh, & Schombert 2015) is consistent with the higher outer-disk velocity, suggesting that this represents the true rotational velocity of the galaxy. The dual plateau points to two possible scenarios: either the presence of two rotating discs, or the bar having a large effect on the motion in the inner regions of the galaxy.

ASTRON daily image.
EVENTS

Open Dag 5 oktober 2025 in Exloo

Sun 05 Oct 2025

Ontdek, experimenteer en verwonder tijdens de open dag van ASTRON in Exloo! Nieuwsgierige, jonge (en oudere) avonturiers gezocht! Ontdek en experimenteer erop los bij ASTRON, het Nederlands Instituut voor Radioastronomie, op het plein bij het Hallenhoes en op de Superterp LOFAR. Ontdek de escape room in het Hallenhoes, doe experimenten met echte wetenschappers en ingenieurs, […]

@astron

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

searchclosechevron-downlinkedin-squarebarsyoutube-playinstagramfacebook-officialcross