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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

Dutch astronomers prove last piece of gas feedback-feeding loop of black hole

Three astronomers from the Netherlands have proven that gas that was previously heated near a supermassive black hole and flowed to the outskirts of the galaxy and cooled down, is moving back towards the black hole. While there had been indirect evidence for this theory, this is the first time that the cooled gas moving toward the black hole has actually been observed.

Astronomy
News
Published by the editorial team, 7 December 2023

Super sharp images reveal a possible hypernebula powered by a source of fast radio bursts

A team led by astronomers in the Netherlands have confirmed a repeating FRB source to be linked to a potential ‘hypernebula’ – a dense and highly magnetised cloud of plasma that is illuminated by a powerful but still mysterious source.

Astronomy
News
Published by the editorial team, 30 November 2023

Astronomers discover ultra-fast radio bursts in archived data

An international team of researchers led by Dutch Ph.D. candidate Mark Snelders has discovered radio pulses that last only millionths of a second.

Astronomy
News
Science
Published by the editorial team, 20 October 2023

ERC Starting Grant Awarded to Dr. Aditya Parthasarathy

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Dr. Aditya Parthasarathy a prestigious and extremely competitive grant to pursue his research at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy.

News
Science
Published by the editorial team, 5 September 2023

Radio waves leaking from large satellite constellations could jeopardize astronomical exploration

Pulsar clocks open new window on gravitational waves

Astronomers discover Fast Radio Bursts that skewer nearby Galaxy

ERC Advanced Grant for research into the origin of fast radio bursts from space

Animation explaining the workings of LOFAR

DAILY IMAGE

Kootwijk Würzburg restored

© CC-BY-SA 4.0 Museum Vliegbasis Deelen / ASTRON archive

As announced last year, the first telescope of ASTRON has been found. This Würzburg Riese parabola was restored by volunteers of Museum Vliegbasis Deelen into its original form, a radar dish.

Unfortunately the restored dish is not part of an exposition; it is now in storage. We have heard that the restoration took so much effort that they do not want to expose the dish to the weather ever again. The museum does, however, provide good photos of the restored dish, through its archive at archief.museumdeelen.nl (search for 'Riese').

The collage shows, in black an white, an exterior photo of the telescope with Maarten Schmidt and Gart Westerhout, and an internal view featuring Lex Muller. The historic images were taken by Arie Hin. The color photos are from Museum Deelen, showing what the telescope looks like now, in the storage in Elst.

ASTRON daily image.
EVENTS

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell public lecture

Wed 13 Dec 2023

We have the honour of welcoming Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell to the Netherlands. On 13 December 2023, she will give a public lecture in Amsterdam at the Science Park. Recently, ASTRON announced the Bell Burnell Fellowship, named in honour, and with support of, Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell. The Bell Burnell Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed […]

@astron

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