Plateau de Bure Interferometer

The Plateau de Bure Interferometer is a radio observatory on a mountain near Grenoble equipped with large antennas for sky observation. Multiple antennas were positioned across a wide area in a specific arrangement to work together and capture faint signals from distant objects.

The facility was built in the late 1980s and began observations soon after. After more than two decades of operation, it was replaced by a newer observatory designed for the same type of research.

The facility brought together researchers from multiple European countries working on shared questions in astronomy. This collaborative work shaped how scientists understood the composition and behavior of gas clouds in space.

The site is located high on a mountain and typically requires permission to visit. Anyone approaching the location should expect cold conditions and thinner air at elevation.

The extreme elevation was chosen deliberately because the thin air and lack of water vapor enabled clearer observations. This geographic advantage made the location ideal for detecting faint signals from space.

Elevation above the sea: 2,550 m

Part of: Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique

Website: http://iram-institute.org

GPS coordinates: 44.63389,5.90792

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:01