Metsähovi Radio Observatory

Metsähovi 50 years

This year, Aalto University’s Metsähovi Radio Observatory will celebrate its 50th anniversary. To celebrate five decades, we are organising many special events this year.

Metsähovi 50 years

The Tähtitiistai lecture series brings the astronomy close to everyone's everyday life

The open lecture series will cover the study of restless black holes, Earth-sized telescopes and what the historic 50-year history of solar research can tell us about ourselves and our future on Earth. The lecture series is open to all and will take place online and in person in Otaniemi in autumn 2024. The event series is held mainly in Finnish. Welcome!

News
Metsähovin tutkimusaseman alue rakennuksineen kuvattuna ylhäältä päin syksyisessä maisemassa metsän keskellä.

Unravelling the mysteries of space

Located in Kirkkonummi, southern Finland, Metsähovi Radio Observatory collects information on the Sun, quasars, and black holes, while training space scientists of the future.

News
Aalto-yliopiston valaistu logo. Juhlavieraita logon takana tarkastelemassa radioantennia.

Metsähovi radio observatory's 50th anniversary - check out pictures of the event

Aalto University's Metsähovi radio observatory turns 50 this year. On Observatory's birthday, Thursday 11. April, guests gathered together to celebrate the past decades and the development of radio astronomy in Finland.

News

Research

The research activities at Metsähovi are concentrated on radio observations done at millimetre waves and microwaves (2-150 GHz). The main areas are solar millimeter and microwave radiation, variable quasars and active galaxies, and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI).

The research in technology includes development of data acquisition, data processing, receivers and receiving methods. Metsähovi hosts researchers and students especially from the Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering and the Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO.

Radio lightcurve of quasar 3C279 observed at Metsähovi Radio Observatory.

Active galaxies

The backbone of Metsähovi's observations are the long-term lightcurves of radio-bright active galaxies at high radio frequencies. Our 37 GHz light curves span four decades for many sources.

Metsähovi Radio Observatory
A radio telescope dedicated for solar observations at Metsähovi Radio Observatory.

Solar research

The Sun is the nearest star and thus a premium target for observations to understand how stars work.

Metsähovi Radio Observatory
Radio telescopes participating in the European VLBI Network.

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI)

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is a technique where radio telescopes all over the world are all observing the same source at the same time at the same frequency, thus operating as one gigantic virtual telescope.

Metsähovi Radio Observatory

Studies and open positions

Metsähovi staff supervise and instruct all kinds of student theses from a wide variety of fields, from mechatronics to software engineering and photography to machine learning. Cross- and multidisciplinary student projects often involve supervising professor from an applicable field, and an instructor from Metsähovi.

If you are interested in applying the tools and skills of your own field in an astronomical project, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected] to discuss how the project could be realised!

Learn more about Metsähovi Instruments

Metsähovi operates multiple instruments for studying the universe in radio frequencies. In addition to operating and developing radio telescopes and their receivers, Metsähovi also runs extremely accurate atomic clocks and specialized computers for interferometric observations.

metsahovi_milo_saarinen_fi_fi.jpg

Metsähovi's main instruments

Metsähovi operates multiple instruments for studying the universe in radio frequencies. In addition to operating and developing radio telescopes and their receivers, Metsähovi also runs extremely accurate atomic clocks and specialized computers for interferometric observations.

Services
Metsähovi's receiver

Metsähovi's main receivers

The essential feature of a radio astronomy receiver is the capability to detect very weak radio signals as sensitively as possible. In radio telescopes and antennas, the receiver is the central part, doing the actual data collecting.

Services
Metsähovi on map

Coordinates of Metsähovi

The location of a radio observatory needs to be known precisely. The Metsähovi 14-metre radio telescope's coordinates are one of the most accurately known in Finland. In fact, the Finnish coordinates are partly based on measurement done in Metsähovi.

Services

News

Metsähovi radio observatory
Cooperation Published:

The kick-off of the Astrophysics Centre for Multimessenger studies in Europe

ACME is an EU-funded project built by and for the astroparticle and the astronomy communities.
Metsähovin tutkimusaseman alue rakennuksineen kuvattuna ylhäältä päin syksyisessä maisemassa metsän keskellä.
Aalto Magazine Published:

Unravelling the mysteries of space

Located in Kirkkonummi, southern Finland, Metsähovi Radio Observatory collects information on the Sun, quasars, and black holes, while training space scientists of the future.
Metsähovi 50 years
Campus, University Published:

The Tähtitiistai lecture series brings the astronomy close to everyone's everyday life

The open lecture series will cover the study of restless black holes, Earth-sized telescopes and what the historic 50-year history of solar research can tell us about ourselves and our future on Earth. The lecture series is open to all and will take place online and in person in Otaniemi in autumn 2024. The event series is held mainly in Finnish. Welcome!
Aalto-yliopiston valaistu logo. Juhlavieraita logon takana tarkastelemassa radioantennia.
Awards and Recognition Published:

Metsähovi radio observatory's 50th anniversary - check out pictures of the event

Aalto University's Metsähovi radio observatory turns 50 this year. On Observatory's birthday, Thursday 11. April, guests gathered together to celebrate the past decades and the development of radio astronomy in Finland.

Where to find us

Metsähovi radio observatory

Metsähovi Radio Observatory

Metsähovintie 114, 02540 Kylmälä

Locations

Metsähovi people

Contact details for all people working at the radio observatory.

Metsähovi Radio Observatory
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