Francisco Colomer; a Valencian Star Gazer

JIVE, the Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC, is the central organisation in the European VLBI Network implementing the core data processing and user services that turn the network of distributed telescopes into a single observatory to study the radio sky at the highest possible resolution. The Institute is located in Dwingeloo, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, and the new director is Valencian astro-physicist, Dr. Francisco Colomer.

The Institute also carries out a broad range of Research and Development activities in VLBI-related fields, such as radio astronomy data processing, and innovative applications of VLBI and radio astronomy technologies. JIVE staff, consisting of about 20 PhD scientists, carry out a range of cutting-edge research in various fields of galactic and extragalactic radio astronomy, planetary and space sciences.

If there’s anybody out there, the people at JIVE will be among the first to know.

Colomer will be responsible for co-ordinating 18 giant telescopes from all around the world, although not at Quart de Poblet, where he was born.