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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 Discover Fast Radio Bursts That Skewer Nearby Galaxy

Astronomers have found five new Fast Radio Bursts with the upgraded Westerbork radio telescope array. The telescope images revealed that multiple bursts had pierced our neighbouring Triangulum Galaxy. This allowed the astronomers to determine the maximum number of otherwise invisible atoms in this galaxy for the first time.

Astronomy
News
telescopes
WSRT-APERTIF
Published by the editorial team, 12 April 2023
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ERC Advanced Grant for research into the origin of fast radio bursts from space

Jason Hessels, Professor of Observational High-Energy Astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam and Chief Astronomer at ASTRON, has been awarded a €3.5 million ERC Advanced Grant to search for the origin of fast radio bursts. Among other things, the research money will be used to develop new hardware to set up a coordinated network of European radio telescopes to study repeating FRBs in more detail.

Astronomy
News
telescopes
Published by the editorial team, 30 March 2023
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Animation explaining the workings of LOFAR

We have created an animation, which briefly explains the workings of our LOFAR radio telescope.

LOFAR
News
telescopes
Published by the editorial team, 23 March 2023
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NAC 2023 to be held in Leeuwarden in May

The 78th edition of the Nederlandse Astronomen Conferentie (NAC) will be held this year in the Westcord WTC hotel in Leeuwarden from 15 to 17 May.

Astronomy
News
Published by the editorial team, 6 March 2023
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ASTRON astronomy groups focus on LOFAR and SKA

Major upgrade of International LOFAR Telescope approved

Michiel Brentjens wins Teacher of the Year 2022 award

Jessica Dempsey nominated for Drenthe Woman in the Media Award

People of ASTRON: Klaas Kliffen

DAILY IMAGE

Guest lessons at Stad&Esch Diever

© Bibliotheek Diever

On Wednesday 31 May, we gave a few guest lessons at Stad&Esch Diever, to second-year high schoolers of havo/vwo, and to the second years of vmbo TL.

Both lessons started with Elfi Dijkstra giving a short introduction about ASTRON and NOVA, and her work there. After that, the classes were divided into four groups which visited and participated in the following experiments: laserlight and mirrors, vacuum chamber, doppler-ball, and black-hole experiment.

Although we weren't able to get every single high schooler excited, we did manage to get some of them interested in astronomy and what we do. We also were also able to tell them something about the internships we have to offer.

We set out to become more visible to these children (and their teachers) and to show them a bit about the work that we do here. In that, we succeeded, having fun along the way.

ASTRON daily image.
DETAILS
EVENTS

Cursus: Toegepaste RF-techniek

Mon 06 Nov 2023 - Thu 09 Nov 2023

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.

CAREERS

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

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