Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center
The Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center ( VIRAC , Latvian Ventspils Starptautiskais radioastronomijas centrs ) is a research facility for radio astronomy in Irbene , Latvia .
The facility is a former Soviet facility that was used for military purposes . It is located in a former military restricted area about 30 kilometers north of Ventspils on the Baltic coast . Since the withdrawal of the Soviet troops in 1994, the Latvian Academy of Sciences has used the facility for research purposes. However, extensive repairs had to be carried out to remedy deliberate destruction.
In its current configuration, the radio telescope mainly consists of two fully movable parabolic antennas with a diameter of 32 and 16 meters, one of which is one of the most precise in Northern Europe in terms of technical parameters.
Web links
- Ventspils High-Technology Park: The International Center for Radio Astronomy in Ventspils
Coordinates: 57 ° 33 ′ 29 ″ N , 21 ° 51 ′ 28 ″ E