Visitor info

– Special openings

The radio telescope is open during the following public activities. In case of special openings, other entrance fees or free access may apply.

In case of equipment malfunctions, we give a tour without demonstration.
In case of exceptional weather conditions such as thunderstorms and very strong winds and strong gusts of wind, the tours are canceled.

= Annual national public activities 2020

• National Stargazing Days, Saturday evening, 29 February 2020
  Opening time: 18:30-22:30 hour (6:30 PM to 10:30 PM)
  Demonstrations in the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope even in cloudy weather because radio waves pass through the clouds. In clear weather there are optical telescopes next to the radio telescope. Short presentations in the Muller House on various topics including meteor scatter.
  Entrance to the radio telescope: youth € 1 adults € 2 and donors free for 2 visitors. Outside the radio telescope everything is free of charge.
• Heritage Day, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2020
  Opening hours: Saturday 10:00-17:00 hour (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM), Sunday 10:00-16:00 hour (10:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
  Every 30 minutes a tour starts in the Muller House (municipal monument). Each tour ends with a demonstration in the radio telescope (national monument).
  Admission is free. A maximum of 25 visitors per tour.
• Science Weekend, Sunday, October 4, 2020
  Opening time: will be announced later
  In the Muller House various activities. In the radio telescope continuous demonstrations of a pulsar (neutron star) and/or hydrogen in the Milky Way.
  Admission is free. A maximum of 25 visitors at a time in the radio telescope.
  These CAMRAS activities coincide with the ASTRON/JIVE open day.
• Dark-Sky Night, Saturday, October 24, 2020
  Opening time: 18:30-22:30 hour (6:30 PM to 10:30 PM)
  In the radio telescope we give continuous demonstrations of a pulsar (neutron star) and or hydrogen in the Milky Way. In clear weather there are optical telescopes next to the large radio telescope and we tell you about the stars that can be seen there. Short lectures are given in the Muller Houde.
  Admission in the € 2 radio telescope (youth € 1), outside at the optical telescopes and in the Muller House is free.

– Permanent opening days

The radio telescope is open on all Sundays from July 5 to August 30, subject to sufficient volunteers.
The first tour starts at 11:30 hour (11:30 AM), the last starts at 15:30 hour (3:30 PM). The tours do not last longer than an hour.

The tours begin at the Muller House, Oude Hoogeveensedijk 6.
There you pay your entrance fee and you get a short story about the radio telescope.
Then you go to the radio telescope under the supervision of a tour guide.
In the radio telescope, the guides and telescope operators give explanations with a demonstration.

There is room for up to twenty-five visitors per guided tour.
You cannot make a reservation.

In case of equipment malfunctions, we give a guided tour without a demonstration.
In case of exceptional weather conditions such as thunderstorms and very strong winds and strong gusts of wind, the tours are canceled.

The Sundays May 3 is cancelled and February 23 is passed.

– Schools and students

Special guided tours are possible for schools. For more information and requesting a guided tour, please read the page about guided tours. If you want to ask another question please contact us via the contact form.

High school students can do their own research or experiment with the radio telescope, for example for a practical assignment. For more information and requesting this, read the education page.

– Guided group tours on request

Guided tours for groups are possible on request. Real observations are made during a tour. For example, it is possible to listen live to a pulsar or to measure the velocity of hydrogen clouds.

In group tours, depending on the interest of the group, the emphasis can be placed on the technique of the telescope, on astronomy or on applications for radio amateurs. The telescope is also interesting from the point of view of heritage. For more information and to request a tour, read the page about guided tours.

ATTENTION:

• The entrance fee depends on the number of group members together but is always at least € 50.00.
• We do not organize guided tours on request:
  • after 18:00 hours (6 PM);
  • on national and generally recognized holidays;
  • in the last two weeks of February 2020; the radio telescope can then be visited during the opening on Sunday 23 February and during the National Stargazing Days on Saturday 29 February;
  • in the last week of April and the first week of May 2020; the radio telescope can then be visited during the opening on Sunday 3 May;
  • during the months July, August and September 2020, and in the first week of October 2020. In that period the radio telescope can be visited during the permanent Sunday openings, the Heritage Days and the Science Weekend.