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The image shows the large white dish of the 100-meter Effelsberg radio telescope, which is clearly visible in the foreground.
The Effelsberg Radio Observatory is located in a valley with wooded slopes in the Eifel region. The telescope and a number of observatory buildings are also visible in the image. An almost cloudless blue sky stretches across the landscape.
The photo was taken in summer by Norbert Tacken, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy.

Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy

Auf dem Hügel 69
D-53121 Bonn - Endenich

Research Departments

Fundamental Physics in Radio Astronomy
(Michael Kramer)

Radio astronomical measurements allow the study of a variety of questions in fundamental physics. Those questions range from the equation-of-state of super-dense matter to the investigation of fundamental forces such as gravity and magnetism.

Star Formation and Galaxy Evolution
(Amélie Saintonge)

Galaxies grow and evolve through successive episodes of star formation; central to this picture are therefore the flows of gas that feed the interstellar medium, the processes that regulate the formation of stars, and the energetic feedback that returns material and energy to the larger scale environment.

Radio Astronomy / VLBI
(Anton Zensus)

By employing radio-interferometry, extragalactic objects and their centres are investigated in great detail. The Very Long Base Line Interferometry (VLBI) method is applied by correlating data from telescopes distributed worldwide and using them as a “giant“ combined telescope within the framework of coordinated arrays as the the European VLBI network (EVN). In addition, global VLBI experiments are conducted in cooperation with telescopes in the USA.

Research News

First Close Pair of Supermassive Black Holes Detected

April 07, 2026

At the center of the galaxy Markarian 501, there appears to be not just one supermassive black hole, but two. Radio observations over several years suggest that the duo could merge in as short as 100 years.

Radio Signals from the Edge of Extreme Stars

March 25, 2026

A team of German and Australian astronomers found evidence that some of the fastest-spinning stars in the Universe broadcast radio waves from far beyond where scientists thought possible.

Announcements

Blazars as a Possible Origin of the Most Energetic Neutrino Ever Detected

March 13, 2026

An international team of researchers from the KM3NeT Collaboration has investigated the origin of the most energetic cosmic neutrino ever observed, detected on 13 February 2023 by the KM3NeT/ARCA deep-sea neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea ...

Prof. Dr. J. Anton Zensus concludes his tenure – a defining figure in international radio astronomy

January 31, 2026

Job Offers

Software Engineer (m/f/d)

March 25, 2026

Scientific Coordinator (m/f/d)

March 19, 2026