After the Storm!

Image of anti-cyclone over the UK on the morning of January 3rd 2012 from NASA's Aqua Satellite
(Credit: NASA)

Gale force winds which exceeded 60 mph and battered the UK on the 3rd and 5th January 2012 unfortunately didn’t spare the LOFAR UK 608 station at the STFC Chilbolton Observatory. The LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), a “next generation” radio telescope working at the lowest frequencies accessible from Earth (30 – 240 MHz), suffered damage with 14 broken antenna and 6 damaged antenna. Luckily, the design of the station meant that the remaining 82 functioning LBA’s (86% of the antennas) were still able to operate and make successful observations, albeit with reduced sensitivity.

During the build of the station, in June 2010, an Army of undergraduate and post graduate students, along with Professors from the LOFAR-UK's consortium of universities, assisted with the installation of the antennas. These volunteers were recalled to help with repairing the station and on the 15th February 2012, the LOFAR station at Chilbolton again became a hive of activity.

Derek McKay-Bukowski shows students from Portsmouth and Southampton University how to repair an LBA antenna

With sturdy boots, safety gloves and a willingness to help, twenty-eight students from Portsmouth, Southampton, Oxford and Manchester Universities arrived on site ready to assist. Overseen and directed by LOFAR Chilbolton Station Manager, Derek McKay-Bukowski, the students were able to make repairs and rectify the damage caused by the extreme weather, setting the station back on track for full observational sensitivity.

During the day the students also had the opportunity to see at firsthand how a radio-telescope works, get involved in a research project and observe how the data is collected and shared with other LOFAR stations.