Astronomically Onderzoek in Nederland
The Astronomisch Onderzoek in Nederland (abbreviated ASTRON ) is a Netherlands- based institute that conducts research in the field of astronomy , in particular radio astronomy .
The headquarters of this organization is located near Dwingeloo , a village belonging to the municipality of Westerveld .
history
The institute was founded in 1949 under the name Stichting Radiostraling van Zon en Melkwegstelsel (SRZM) . The task was to build and operate radio telescopes to research radio emissions from the sun and the Milky Way . At the start of operations the institute had around 20 employees.
In 1956 what was then the largest radio telescope in the world, the so-called Dwingeloo telescope with a diameter of 25 meters, was put into operation. In the 1960s, it was decided to build the telescopic chain WSRT near Westerbork and it was implemented in the 1970s. At this time the institute received its current name. WSRT was also one of the largest radio telescopes ever built.
ASTRON has also been involved in the operation of optical telescopes since the 1980s.
Today ASTRON is leading the development of new types of telescopes: LOFAR and SKA.
Facilities operated by ASTRON
Radio telescopes
With the radio telescope Dwingeloo, the two galaxies Dwingeloo 1 and Dwingeloo 2 , which are part of the so-called Maffei group , were discovered in 1994 . After the telescope was out of service for a few years, a foundation was established in 2007. With financial support from sponsors and the commitment of many volunteers, the telescope is now available to amateur astronomers.
ASTRON operates the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) , which is located near Westerbork and is one of the world's largest facilities of its kind.
The LOFAR facility under construction with many partners in several countries is also managed by ASTRON. Both institutions are to examine the radio emissions of the universe in the range from 8 GHz to 10 MHz in more detail.
ASTRON also hosts the JIVE project , the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, and is also in charge of the development of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA).
Optical telescopes
In cooperation with Great Britain and Spain, ASTRON operates optical telescopes in La Palma : the William Herschel telescope with a diameter of 4.2 meters (WHT), the 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescope (INT), and the Jacobus Kapteyn -Telescope. They belong to the Roque de los Muchachos observatory .
In Hawaii, ASTRON operates the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) together with Great Britain and Canada.
In Chile, ASTRON is involved in the construction and operation of the European Southern Observatory , especially the Very Large Telescope (VLT).
Web links
- Institute website (Dutch)