LOFAR1 operations stopped, telescope gearing up for 2.0 upgrade
August 31st was the last day on which we received data from LOFAR1. With the shutdown of LOFAR1 operations, over a decade of gathering and handling huge amounts of data came to an end. LOFAR1 operations have led to the publication of more than 750 scientific papers so far, and this number is still growing by about two papers per week. The end of LOFAR1 production operations does of course not mean the end of LOFAR (which became LOFAR ERIC last year): right now we are working hard on upgrading the LOFAR telescope to version 2.0, both in software and hardware.
Gargantuan Black Hole Jets Are Biggest Seen Yet
Astronomers have spotted the biggest pair of black hole jets ever seen, spanning 23 million light-years in total length. That’s equivalent to lining up 140 Milky Way galaxies back to back.
Second-Generation Starlink Satellites Leak 30 Times More Radio Interference, Threatening Astronomical Observations
Observations with the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope last year showed that first generation Starlink satellites emit unintended radio waves that can hinder astronomical observations. New observations with the LOFAR radio telescope, the biggest radio telescope on Earth observing at low frequencies, have shown that the second generation ’V2-mini’ Starlink satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves than satellites from the previous generation, potentially blinding radio telescopes and crippling vital research of the Universe.
European grant allows ASTRON astronomer Joe Callingham to study the space weather of other worlds
Dr Joe Callingham has received an ERC Starting Grant worth 1.5 million euros.
The pink hour
© None
Bent over a maquette, the guide of Natuurmonumenten tells about the Dwingelderveld: its history of moving ice masses, sand, forests and the age of men; of what it takes to preserve its diverse beauty. A brief walk takes us along the well-tended garden and the sheep flock to the observing tower. We climb up and breath in the quiet of the horizon-less heath. The footpath leads us across fields, along the heath with its characteristic fens and then into the forest. We learn to spot fox trails and stand in silent admiration by an impressively engineered badger sett.
In the distance, the Dwingeloo radio telescope appears, beaconing us home. With heads full of freshly acquired knowledge and hearts overflowing with beauty, it's time to tackle the working day with a serene smile.
(The two excursions that inspired this Daily Image were organised by the ASTRON-JIVE-NOVA PV (Employees' Association) in September, 2024.)