Guided group tours on request – Dwingeloo Radio Telescope

Group interest and background

For groups we can organize a guided tour with a demonstration in the radio telescope. With these group tours, depending on the interest and background of the group, emphasis can be placed on the technology of the telescope, on astronomy or on amateur radio applications. The telescope is also interesting from the point of view of heritage.

Group size

Practice shows that we cannot properly facilitate groups larger than forty visitors. If your group consists of more than forty people, we cannot guarantee in advance that we can receive your group. Please note that the maximum number of visitors we receive simultaneously in the radio telescope is 12 people.

Admission

For tours we ask an entrance fee of:

€ 6.00 per adult
€ 3.00 per youngster (from 10 to 24 years)
children up to 9 years are free
donators and a second participant per donator are free.

ATTENTION

The costs for a tour with a demonstration depend on the number of participants but are always at least € 60.00.
It is not always possible to pay by card for guided tours on request.

With your contribution CAMRAS can maintain the telescope, renew equipment and furnishing, and develop and renew materials for visitors, schoolchildren, and students.

Guideline for requesting a guided tour

– Book at least two weeks in advance

Guided tour and demonstration are by appointment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to arrange a tour on the day of booking. We kindly ask you to book a guided tour at least two weeks in advance.
The chance that we can provide a tour will be greater if you indicate with your application several dates on which you can visit the radio telescope.

– We do not organize guided tours on request

after 18:00 hours (6 PM);
on and around national and generally recognized holidays;
in the weeks surrounding special openings, such as the National Stargazing Days, the Heritage Days, the Science Weekend and the Dark-Sky Night; the radio telescope can then be visited during those special openings;
in the summer months July, August and September, in the first week of October, and on certain days during some school holidays; in those periods the radio telescope will be open on certain permanent opening days.

Disclaimer

The number of CAMRAS volunteers who can operate the telescope and can provide a guided tour with demonstration is limited. They do not all live in Drenthe and many have a regular job. For safety reasons there are always two operators needed on the telescope and with large groups even more. For that reason, it may be that we cannot offer a guided tour, even if it has been booked early.
The maximum number of visitors that we receive simultaneously in the radio telescope is 15 persons. Larger groups are split and receive a tour one after the other. We cannot usually receive groups with more than 30 people.
Payment is preferably on account and in advance. It is not possible to pin.
An astronomical observation program or amateur radio experiment that is in progress during your tour cannot always be cancelled. This may impose limitations on the demonstration we can show, but you will see the radio telescope in action.
Weather conditions (in particular strong wind and strong gusts of wind, thunderstorm, snow and ice) and equipment failures can prevent a demonstration. In that case, we will give a guided tour without a demonstration or cancel the tour.

Confirmation and payment

After confirming the booking with your group and the agreed price, we prefer to receive the payment of your group visit to our bank account in advance

NL60 RABO 0174 3757 78 in the name of Stichting CAMRAS in Dwingeloo (the Netherlands)
(BIC/SWIFT-address of the Rabobank is RABONL2U or RABONL2UXXX for BIC with eleven characters)

stating the date of the group visit, the name of the group and the number of participants.

Booking

With the button below you can apply for a group tour. With your booking you confirm that you have read our Guideline for requesting a guided tour and Disclaimer.

Click here to book a group tour or request information about guided tours

Author(s): CAMRAS coordinators guided tours + translation team