Onsala Space Observatory

Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), the Swedish National Facility for Radio Astronomy, provides scientists with equipment to study the Earth and the rest of the Universe. The observatory operates two radio telescopes in Onsala, 45 km south of Göteborg, and takes part in several international projects. Examples of activities:

  • The 20 and 25 m telescopes in Onsala: Studies of the birth and death of stars, and of molecules in the Milky Way and other galaxies.
  • LOFAR station: The Swedish station in the international radio telescope LOFAR is located at the observatory.
  • VLBI: Telescopes in different countries are linked together for better resolution ("sharper images").
  • ALMA, e-VLBI, Herschel Space Observatory, SKA: Developing and using new radio astronomical facilities.
  • APEX: Radio telescope in Chile for sub-millimetre waves. Research about everything from planets to the structure of the Universe.
  • Odin: Satellite for studies of, e.g., the Earth's atmosphere and molecular clouds in the Milky Way.
  • Space geodesy: Radio telescopes (VLBI) and satellites (GPS) are used to measure movements in Earth's crust and water vapour in the atmosphere.
  • Receiver development: Laboratories for development of sensitive radio receivers.

Onsala Space Observatory was founded in 1949 by professor Olof Rydbeck. The observatory is hosted by Department of Earth and Space Science at Chalmers University of Technology, and is operated on behalf of the Swedish Research Council.

Read more about Onsala Space Observatory:  25-metre Telescope, 20-metre Telescope, LOFAR Station, Nordic ALMA Node

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