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General Discussion => Science & Nature => Topic started by: Rik on September 21, 2010, 16:31

Title: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: Rik on September 21, 2010, 16:31

The BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11380203) reports that:

Quote

The UK has officially opened its first station in a new international radio astronomy antenna network.

Lofar (Low Frequency Array) is a European project that incorporates new digital techniques to survey wide areas of the sky all at once.

The station in Chilbolton, Hampshire, joins similar sites in France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: Simon on September 21, 2010, 16:40

Do astronomers wear lofars?  ;D

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: Rik on September 21, 2010, 16:40

We must ask Clive or Sam.  ;D

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: GillE on September 21, 2010, 16:41

Perhaps it was built on a 'you scrub my back, I'll scrub yours' arrangement.

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: Rik on September 21, 2010, 16:42

:groan: :rofl:

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: Clive on September 21, 2010, 17:37

Sam is very heavily into Lofar!   :D

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: sam on September 21, 2010, 23:58

Quote from: Simon on September 21, 2010, 16:40

Do astronomers wear lofars?  ;D

No.

Title: Re: Only the Brits could come up with this name
Post by: sam on September 22, 2010, 00:01

LOFAR is a primarily Dutch telescope, with the vast majority of the array elements in the Netherlands, the UK and Germany provide larger baselines with allows us to get better angular resolution in imaging.

LOFAR is a very important telescope and shows off some of the technology that will be used as part of the SKA too.. and the GMRT (a telescope in India) is pushing to produce a low frequency survey before LOFAR is fully online - nice to see lots of attention on the lower frequencies, what I did my thesis on.