Bulgaria is on track to acquire the ultra-modern LOFAR-BG radio telescope

The first radio telescope in Bulgaria and Southeast Europe, known as LOFAR-BG, is scheduled to be completed in 2025. It will be part of the Dutch Institute for Radio Astronomy ASTRON, BNR reporter Dobromir Videv reported. The facility, the size of a

By: bnr.bg

Jan 05 2025
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Bulgaria is on track to acquir

The first radio telescope in Bulgaria and Southeast Europe, known as LOFAR-BG, is scheduled to be completed in 2025. It will be part of the Dutch Institute for Radio Astronomy ASTRON, BNR reporter Dobromir Videv reported.

The facility, the size of a football field, is located next to the Rozhen Observatory in Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountain.

Bulgaria's Rozhen observatory will have the largest telescope in the Balkans

The astronomer responsible for the project, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kamen Kozarev from the Institute of Astronomy with the National Astronomical Observatory of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, is worried that if the necessary funds are not included in the state budget for 2025, construction will be delayed.

The ultra-modern LOFAR telescope is unique in its ability to both observe a large part of the sky and be used to study many different phenomena, unlike traditional optical telescopes. There are currently a total of 40 LOFAR stations in the Netherlands, and another 13 stations in Europe.

The large distance of the station in Bulgaria will allow the telescope to significantly increase its angular resolution.