Around 55 students arrived to ESAC from Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV) and participate in a special visit and an introduction to Radioastronomy.

They lunch at the canteen and made an ESAC Tour through the main road talking about the ESA history, the missions, operations, science, etc.

After that the students know more about the two projects CESAR and SMOS directly from M. Castillo from SMOS and M.B. Breitfellner from CESAR.

CESAR Control Room introduction, telescopes and Vil1 antenna

New ESASky tool (Michel Breitfellner)

The visit finish with a class of Introduction to Radioastronomy by Cristina Miro (MDSCC radioastronomer).

Introduction to Radioastronomy (Cristina Garcia)

During this introduction the students learn how to use a communication antena to observe the sky and made a real observation.

Real observation (Manuel Castillo)

Programme schedule:
13:30 - 13:45 M.G.Breitfellner, M.Castillo, C.Garcia Miro Arrival at ESAC
13:45 - 14:45 Lunch at the canteen bringing own food
14:45 - 15:30 M.G.Breitfellner, M. Castillo
Tour ESAC up and down the main road (background, history, sci. operations, etc.)
15:30 - 16:00 M.G.Breitfellner, M. Castillo
Visit to CESAR and SMOS facilities
16:00 - 17:30 M.Castillo, C.Garcia Miro (room A.041b)
Radio Astronomy and the former Vil-1 antenna as CESAR ESAC Radio Telescope, CERT including demo

More photos from the visit

Visiting SMOS control room

Observation during the class