The radio galaxy 3C31, observed with LOFAR by Heesen et al (2018), is shown in red on top of an optical image. — dpa
Hobby astrologers rarely have the opportunity to look through a radio telescope. But only these kinds of telescopes can detect certain cosmic sights like extremely distant galaxies, which often remain invisible to optical telescopes.
With the help of a gigantic radio telescope network called LOFAR, an international team of researchers has now been able to image many galaxies that were previously undiscovered because they were so far away – and you can see all the images online for free.
Among the pictures with detailed explanations you can click through on Lofar-Surveys.org is 3C31, a reddish galaxy observed with LOFAR and said to be more than three million light years in size.
The LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) is a European consortium of radio telescopes connected by a high-speed fibre-optic network. Their signals are combined by a supercomputer into one single signal. In Germany alone there are six measuring stations operated by various scientific institutions. – dpa
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