LOFAR, Radio telescope network in Exloo, Netherlands
LOFAR is a radio telescope network in Exloo that spans 52 sites across eight European countries with 20,000 connected antennas. The facility collects radio waves from space and transmits the received information to a central processing unit, where it is assembled into images and scientific data.
The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy began building this facility in the early 2000s, developing new methods for observing space at low frequencies. Queen Beatrix officially opened the system in 2010 after the first stations had already begun delivering data.
Research institutions use the facility to observe signals from space and analyze data about pulsars, distant galaxies, and the ionosphere. The name stands for Low-Frequency Array, and the system operates using a technique that requires no moving parts.
The facility uses fiber optic cables to transmit signals from all sites in real time to Exloo for processing. Visitors can check the website for public events and occasional guided tours that offer insights into the scientific work.
The antennas capture radio waves between 10 and 240 MHz, enabling observations of objects that remain invisible to conventional telescopes. These low frequencies allow astronomers to study the formation period of the first galaxies in the early universe.
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