Dozens of people today took a look at the oldest rotating radio telescope in the world. Normally the doors of the telescope in Dwingeloo only open in spring and summer, but volunteers from the CAMRAS foundation think the Christmas holidays are also suitable for this.
The telescope has now been retired, but it is still suitable for guided tours. In a space under the enormous saucer – a national monument – visitors can catch a glimpse of the universe.
“All tours are full today,” says volunteer Hans van der Meer. “People always find it interesting to come and have a look here and the volunteers enjoy talking about it.”
Volunteers can rotate the telescope in all directions to capture radio emissions from different celestial bodies. For example, measurements are coming in of the black hole at the center of our solar system and of the remains of stars that are millions of light years away.
During the winter months, different parts of the starry sky can be observed during the day and at night than in the summer. People who take the tour in both seasons can therefore observe different celestial bodies each time.
The volunteers are happy with the arrival of their winter visitors. With the proceeds from the tours they pay for the maintenance of the telescope and create study material about radio astronomy. Van der Meer: “Maybe we will open another day next weekend.”
Watch the video to see how the radio telescope measures radiation from space