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.
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.
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.
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.
Summer Project: Multi-frequency Scintillometry Study for Precision Pulsar Timing
© Juno Choi
The plots shown depict one of the extracted values I analyzed this summer, the scattering timescale (τ) over time. This is the duration that a pulsar’s pulse is broadened due to the ISM. Both plots show results from obtaining τ from PSR J1730-2304 via the autocorrelation function using a Lorentzian fit. The plot to the left compares the values extracted from each respective data set, noting the differences in the bandwidth and frequency resolution of the instruments. MeerKAT has a significantly better resolution. The plot to the right then shows the τ values when the MeerKAT data is matched in both bandwidth and frequency resolution to those of Nançay’s. This illustrates Nançay’s bias towards lower frequencies. Extractions from other pulsars show similar results.
8th LOFAR Data School
Wed 16 Sep 2026 - Wed 23 Sep 2026
We are happy to announce that the 8th LOFAR Data School (LDS2026) will take place at ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (Dwingeloo, The Netherlands) from 16 to 23 September 2026. RATIONALE The goal of the school is to assist the participants in the generation and analysis of LOFAR science ready data. The school will cover the […]