The Westerbork radio telescope (WSRT) is currently being transformed into an efficient 21cm L-band survey facility by replacing the front-ends in 12 telescopes by Phased Array Feeds (PAFs). The new APERTIF system significantly increases the field of view and thereby the survey speed of the WSRT. This upgrade is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
geographic longitude: | 06° 36′ 15″ |
geographic latitude: | 52° 55′ 01″ |
altitude above sea level: | 16 m |
diameter telescope: | 14 telescopes of 25 m diameter on 3 km baseline (in tight array mode: single dish diameter equivalent = 96 meter) |
minimum elevation: | 0° |
Available observing mode: single dish, local interferometry, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).
Frequencies used currently:
Frequency band | Observing mode |
250 – 460 MHz | single dish, local interferometry |
310 – 390 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
560 – 610 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
700 – 1200 MHz | single dish, local interferometry |
1150 – 1750 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
2215 – 2375 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
4770 – 5020 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
8150 – 8650 MHz | single dish, local interferometry, VLBI |
Research programs: galactic radio astronomy (spectral line and continuum), extra-galactic radio astronomy (spectral line and continuum), VLBI, geodetic VLBI, pulsars.