Image: I-LOFAR telescope
Description: The Irish Low-Frequency Array (I-LOFAR) at Birr Castle in Ireland is a radio telescope that observes the universe at low radio frequencies during the day and night. It is part of the largest telescope in the world, with telescope stations in the array stretching across Europe between Ireland and Poland. This effectively gives the combined virtual telescope a continent-sized baseline aperture of almost 2,000 km. In this location there are 96 high-band antenna assemblies (110–240 MHz) contained within the large, black mosaic of tiles in the foreground, and 96 low-band dipole antenna assemblies (10–90 MHz) - the array of poles resembling tall sewing pins in the background held in place by ground anchors, or guy wires; visually, the low-band array resembles a swarm of tripods. Within these assemblies are around 3,000 antenna units. The data from this and the other telescopes in the LOFAR array are sent by high-bandwidth fibre optic cables to Groningen in the Netherlands where they are integrated and analysed by an IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer.
Title: I-LOFAR telescope
Credit: Own work
Author: O'Dea
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes
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