It is a supercomputer: the new telescope LOFAR 2.0 in Exloo. This week scientists are building the new installation that was temporarily used for tests in Dwingeloo. The goal: to take even better pictures and images of space and that at great speeds. It is useful if the computer does not shut down in extreme heat. This has been possible since this summer.
The measuring instrument is used in radio astronomy, for example for research into black holes. But also for research into solar flares and lightning. “LOFAR is often used by many scientists. We have a new paper of it almost every week,” says Mark Ruiter System Engineer at ASTRON. “So we’re discovering a lot.”
However, the telescope is already fifteen years old and according to scientists, it needs an upgrade. ASTRON has therefore been working on a new system in recent years. “Because the new system has more inputs, we can simultaneously take measurements with all the antennas that are here on the field,” says Ruiter. “That makes us much more sensitive and allows us to make even better results from the sky.” So it can handle faster speeds and take sharper pictures.