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Europe's most efficient radio telescope is located near Bad Münstereifel
Since 1972, the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) has used the 100-m radio telescope Effelsberg next to Bad Münstereifel to observe scenes from outer space that trigger the imagination as much as any Hollywood film.
The radio telescope erected on the Effelsberg valley near Bad Münstereifel counts among Europe's most efficient telescopes. The enormous surface of the antenna (about 7,850 square metres) is crucial for detecting extremely weak radio signals. With its large diameter of 100 metres the telescope reaches a comparably high angular resolution. It has a steel construction which weighs 3,200 tons in total. It takes twelve minutes to rotate the telescope's parabolic reflector around by 360 degrees, and in about six minutes the telescope can change its elevation angle by 90 degrees. This guarantees that the whole sky above the horizon is accessible to the telescope.
Visitors come from all over the world
Since its completion in 1972, the radio telescope has attracted many visitors from all over the world. The visitor centre near the Radio Telescope Effelsberg offers slide shows and presentations on a regular basis.
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Radio Astronomy as a way to explore the universe
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© 2010, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Bonn |
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