The Dwingeloo Radio Observatory (near Dwingeloo, m. Westerveld, in the northeastern Netherlands), is a single dish radio telescope with a diameter of 25 m. Construction started in 1954, the telescope was completed in 1956. At that time it was the largest radio telescope in the world. As of 2000, it was no longer in operation in an official capacity and since August 2009 is officially a Dutch industrial heritage monument.
The "C.A. Muller Radio Astronomy Station" foundation ("CAMRAS" for short), established on January 29, 2007, restored the telescope to working order, with the consent of ASTRON, the owner of the telescope. More information about CAMRAS can be found at [1].
Paul Boven (JIVE, CAMRAS), along with radio amateurs and amateur astronomers, use the telescope for projects, one being EME (communications). EME, also known as moonbounce, allows for people on different parts of Earth to communicate via the Moon. In this technique, radio wave signals are aimed at the Moon by one location, bounce off the Moon's surface, and are detected by an antenna at a different location on Earth.
The site of the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory also houses most of the staff of ASTRON, and a test site for LOFAR.
Two galaxies are named after this telescope: Dwingeloo 1 and Dwingeloo 2.