LOFAR is one of Southampton University's 60 at 60 Achievements

The University of Southampton celebrates it's 60th birthday this year. As part of the celebrations for this, they have made a list of 60 world changing achievements, and LOFAR is number 21 on that list.

Celebrations for this event will include installations around the Southampton campus to celebrate the achievements (for details see here). LOFAR will be celebrated by the installation of an antenna outside the physics building. This antenna will have a QR code which people can use to learn more about the project. 

The University of Southampton will also hold a public open day on June 30th to celebrate. Tickets are not required for the public open day, but if you sign up in advance you can be entered into a competition to win an iPad. The Soton Astrodome will take part, running a specially designed 45 minute planetarium show about LOFAR every hour from 11am-4pm. This show is free to members of the public, but will have limited spaces. Sign up sheets will be available on the campus from 11am. 

Over 800 People Visit LOFAR Telescope in the Netherlands

News item copied from ASTRON website: (please visit there for more pictures).

Visitors getting a tour of one the many LOFAR LBAs in The Netherlands.

Over 800 people visited the LOFAR telescope last Saturday during the open day at ASTRON. The day was organized in the context of the socalled EU Kijkdagen, an initiative of the Northern Netherlands Provinces (SNN). On these viewing days organizations in the Netherlands that received funding from the European Union (EU) can open their doors to the public.

ASTRON invited visitors to come and see LOFAR, the largest radio telescope in the world. Here they could feel like astronomer or engineer and perform an observation with the telescope, get a tour at the telescope in the field, learn about an even larger telescope than LOFAR and lie back and relax during a virtual tour through the universe.

For ASTRON, this day was also important with respect to the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). This is a global project in which twenty countries worldwide cooperate to build an even larger and more sensitive radio telescope than LOFAR. The SKA will be built in South Africa or Australia. Internationally, ASTRON is one of the major players in this project. In the Netherlands, ASTRON has set up the SKA Northern Netherlands project (SKA-NN) to, in cooperation with industry, strengthen its position in the race to build the SKA.

The activities on the open day were suitable for young and old. Many children participated in the fun lab where they could solder together a disco broche or a walking light.

There was also a workshop where children made their own pulsars (the remnants of exploding stars). The most beautiful creations were made here!

 

Children and adults could sit back on soft cushions in the mobile planetarium of the University of Groningen and enjoy a journey through the universe. Already after two hours the planetarium was completely booked for the whole day.

Astronomers and engineers gave tours at the ASTRON and LOFAR talked about astronomical research with this telescope LOFAR why is important for the Square Kilometer Array.

There was a good and friendly atmosphere during the day; visitors were very interested in the activities at ASTRON and waited patiently if there is a waiting line, for example at the solar telescope, when the sun sometimes took a while to come out from behind the clouds. The tour guides in the field also got a few showers but happily, this did not spoil the fun. Many thanks for all the hard work of the volunteers!

You can find more information about these Kijkdagen on: http://www.europaomdehoek.nl/

Open Day at LOFAR Core

Post taken from: LOFAR news, ASTRON.

On Saturday 12 May, ASTRON is organising a LOFAR open day during the 'SNN EU Kijkdagen'. During this event, organised by the Northern Netherlands Provinces (SNN), organisations in the Netherlands that received funding from SNN open their doors to the public. It is not necessary to sign in for the open day.

Theme

ASTRON organises fun activities for young and old near the LOFAR field. The theme SNN has for this day is "Innovation". A theme that suits ASTRON perfectly! On this open day you can find out how LOFAR exactly works and how this innovative idea for a giant telescope was developed.

Activities

The LOFAR open day committee is in full swing organising activities. The activities range from a mini-fun lab where kids make their own flash light (for a small charge), workshops 'make your own pulsar' (exploded star) and a journey through the Universe in the mobile planetarium of the RuG to tours on the LOFAR field and 'looking' at the sky yourself with a small radio telescope and a solar telescope. Free posters are also available for kids. You can see preview here.

The activities during the LOFAR open day are all free of charge and parking is possible on the location (free). Keep an eye on this web page to stay up to date!

Location

The open day takes place at the Exloërweg 13. There will be signs near the location that you can follow to the open day premises.

For more information, keep an eye on the ASTRON website on www.astron.nl.