


LOFAR is the Low Frequency Array for radio astronomy, built by the Netherlands astronomical foundation ASTRON and operated by ASTRON's radio observatory.

LOFAR will be the largest connected radio telescope ever built,[citation needed] using a new concept based on a vast array of omni-directional antennas. The project is based on an interferometric array of radio telescopes using about 20,000 small antennas and at least 48 larger stations. 40 of these stations are distributed across the Netherlands, five stations in Germany, and one each in Great Britain, France and Sweden. Further stations may also be built in other European countries. The total effective collecting area is up to approximately 300,000 square meter, depending on frequency and antenna configuration. The data processing is performed by a Blue Gene/P supercomputer situated in the Netherlands at the University of Groningen.
