Very-long-baseline interferometry

Algonquin Radio Observatory Co-Detects Source of Fast Radio Burst

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Deities, Science and technology in Canada, Radio telescopes, Gods, Radio astronomy, Astronomical imaging, Observational astronomy, Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, Astronomical interferometer, Very-long-baseline interferometry, Galaxy, Aro

The co-detection of this event, twenty thousand light years from Earth, is a remarkable achievement given the history of our 10 meter dish, said Brendan Quine, a co-author, Thoth CTO, and the director of ARO.

Key Points: 
  • The co-detection of this event, twenty thousand light years from Earth, is a remarkable achievement given the history of our 10 meter dish, said Brendan Quine, a co-author, Thoth CTO, and the director of ARO.
  • FRBs are extremely bright cosmic flashes, emitted from point sources in the galaxy that last only milliseconds and appear to repeat.
  • First discovered in 2007, their source has remained a mystery until now.
  • ARO and DRAO have done it again, said Caroline Roberts, President and CEO of Thoth, referring to the sites invention of Very Long Baseline Interferometry in 1967.

NASA Awards the Follow-on for the Very Long Baseline Interferometry Systems Contract

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Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Radio telescopes, Astronomy, Observational astronomy, Measurement, Interferometry, Space geodesy, Very-long-baseline interferometry, Haystack Observatory, Geodesy, NASA, European VLBI Network

GREENBELT, Md., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded the follow-on contract for the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Systems to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory (MIT/HO), Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Key Points: 
  • GREENBELT, Md., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded the follow-on contract for the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Systems to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory (MIT/HO), Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • This is a sole source, cost-no-fee completion-type contract, with a base value and four 1-year options totaling $14,824,588 and a period of performance from June 22 through June 21, 2025.
  • Under this contract the MIT/HO will provide the personnel, materials, facilities and equipment to support the continued enhancement and maintenance of NASA's VLBI stations, the processing of the data, and support for the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry and related services for the NASA Space Geodesy Project located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
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Orolia Technology Synchronizes Black Hole Photo Telescopes

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Monday, April 15, 2019
Physical sciences, Astronomy, Natural sciences, Astronomical imaging, Maser, Telescope, Supermassive black hole, Radio astronomy, Very-long-baseline interferometry

As the world leader in maser atomic clock technology, Orolia provided the critical timing solution to synchronize telescopes around the world and create a virtual telescope the size of Earth to observe this deep space, supermassive object.

Key Points: 
  • As the world leader in maser atomic clock technology, Orolia provided the critical timing solution to synchronize telescopes around the world and create a virtual telescope the size of Earth to observe this deep space, supermassive object.
  • Some of the world's most advanced telescopes, located at challenging high-altitude sites, were synchronized with T4Science Masers to capture the sharpest image possible.
  • This technology requires synchronization, phase stability and phase coherence between different telescopes within a few femto-seconds, and leverages the Earth's rotation to form one Earth-size telescope.
  • "Orolia has been a proud supporter of space research and missions for more than forty years," said Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois.

EU-funded scientists unveil first ever image of a black hole

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Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Physical sciences, Natural sciences, Astronomy, Astronomical imaging, Heino Falcke, Interferometry, Luciano Rezzolla, Very-long-baseline interferometry, Max Planck Society, Astronomical interferometer, Radio astronomy, Black hole

Brussels, 10 April 2019The EU's European Research Council has provided funding to scientists involved in the EHT collaboration through the following projects under the EU's Horizon 2020 and 7th Framework Programme:The €14 million BlackHoleCam project which aims at capturing the image, measuring and understanding black holes. Since 2014, this six year research project is being carried out by three lead scientists and their teams; namely Professors Heino Falcke from Radboud University Nijmegen (also Chair of EHT Science Council), Michael Kramer from the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, and Luciano Rezzolla from Goethe University Frankfurt.  The RadioNet project supports a consortium of 27 institutions in Europe, the Republic of Korea and South Africa that aim to integrate world-class infrastructures for research in radio astronomy. This includes radio telescopes, telescope arrays, data archives and the globally operating European Network for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EVN). The project is coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy. In the past 15 years, the EU invested €30.3 million in RadioNet.The first image of a black hole successfully captured was unveiled in six simultaneous press conferences across the globe today.

Key Points: 


Brussels, 10 April 2019

  • The EU's European Research Council has provided funding to scientists involved in the EHT collaboration through the following projects under the EU's Horizon 2020 and 7th Framework Programme:
    • The €14 million BlackHoleCam project which aims at capturing the image, measuring and understanding black holes. Since 2014, this six year research project is being carried out by three lead scientists and their teams; namely Professors Heino Falcke from Radboud University Nijmegen (also Chair of EHT Science Council), Michael Kramer from the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy, and Luciano Rezzolla from Goethe University Frankfurt.  
    • The RadioNet project supports a consortium of 27 institutions in Europe, the Republic of Korea and South Africa that aim to integrate world-class infrastructures for research in radio astronomy. This includes radio telescopes, telescope arrays, data archives and the globally operating European Network for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (EVN). The project is coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy. In the past 15 years, the EU invested €30.3 million in RadioNet.
    • The first image of a black hole successfully captured was unveiled in six simultaneous press conferences across the globe today.
    • Today, thanks to the contribution of European scientists, the existence of black holes is no longer just a theoretical concept.
    • This black hole is located 55 million light-years from Earth and has a mass 6.5-billion times larger than our sun.