This article is part of a series in which we highlight the key milestones in the development of LOFAR-BG.
23.08.2026
The second group of interns involved in the construction of the first Bulgarian station of the pan-European LOFAR radio telescope has also received their certificates upon successfully completing their two-week work cycle at the site near NAO Rozhen.
Students from various Bulgarian higher education institutions, along with one participant from North Macedonia, carried out the demanding task of assembling and installing the telescope’s high-band antennas on site. Within just a few days, the participants completed training led by Marchel Gerbers, head of the Technical Support Group within the ASTRON department responsible for producing equipment prototypes for the construction of new telescope stations.
The Dutch expert praised the interns for their ability to quickly master unfamiliar skills, their excellent versatility and teamwork, and the speed and quality of their work throughout the entire complex process. Gerbers also expressed his appreciation to the team of the Institute of Astronomy with NAO for the full cooperation and support that the experts from the Netherlands have received from their Bulgarian colleagues since the very beginning of the project.
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Marchel Gerbers, head of ASTRON’s Technical Support Group.
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
A moment from the installation of the 2-metre telescope mirror.
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Kamen Kozarev
Lecture by Assoc. Prof. Petar Petkov from the Technical University of Sofia
Photos: Yanko Nikolov, Dimitar Sotirov
A meteor can be seen on the right side of the image.
This group of interns also had the opportunity to explore various aspects of radio astronomy and its practical applications through a series of lectures delivered by Prof. Dr. Kamen Kozarev, Director of the Institute of Astronomy with NAO, on “Radio Observations of Solar Flares”; Dr. Harish Vedantham from ASTRON; Assoc. Prof. Petar Petkov from the Technical University of Sofia; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Nikolov from the Institute of Astronomy with NAO. The participants also witnessed the installation of the 2-metre telescope mirror, which had returned from Germany with a new reflective coating.
This period of the internship coincided with two major events for the astronomical community — the solar eclipse on 12 August and the subsequent peak of the Perseid meteor shower under moonless night skies. The group therefore had the chance to enjoy exceptional views from the excellent observing locations around the telescopes at NAO Rozhen, and will take home many beautiful memories from this summer at the Rhodopes.
The construction of LOFAR-BG continues with the next phase of the project, involving a new, third group of interns.