Visit ASTRON during the open day on October 4
How do you make a radio telescope that receives signals from the universe? And how do you convert those radio signals into usable data? And what kind of equipment do you need for that? During ASTRON’s open day on Sunday 4 October, visitors will get a look behind the scenes. With more than 30 experiments and activities, ASTRON wants everyone to experience how fun and interesting science actually is.
May 11: 75 years of the hydrogen line in the Netherlands — from Kootwijk to Westerbork and SKA
On 11 May 1951, the predecessor of ASTRON (the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy) observed the 21-centimeter radiation of neutral hydrogen for the first time in the Netherlands. Since then, this radio emission has become one of the most important tools in modern astronomy.
Innovative radio receiver sees its first light on the Westerbork telescope
In the continuing quest to observe the sky as never before possible, ASTRON develops novel technologies for radio telescopes that allow astronomers to see farther, faster, and at more frequencies. These same innovations are leveraged for satellite tracking and other remote sensing applications. With the development of the Ambient L-band Feed (ALF), ASTRON is charting a new course where such measurements can be done using less power and requiring less maintenance of the equipment. Recently, first light measurements using the ALF prototype receiver demonstrated the power of this novel technology by revealing a pulsar across a broader range of radio wavelengths than Westerbork has ever measured before.
Geoffrey Bower appointed as new director of ASTRON
The Board of NWO-I has appointed Prof. Dr. Geoffrey C. Bower as the new director of ASTRON, Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy. Effective 1st of September 2026, Prof. Dr. Bower will succeed Prof. Dr. Jessica Dempsey. With this appointment, ASTRON welcomes a strategic leader with a wide range of scientific and technical work in the field of Physics and Astronomy.
