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European Radio Astronomy ConsortiumNewsletter Issue 05/2025
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Using the MeerKAT radio telescope, astronomers have mapped enormous bow shock structures created by jets from the black holes GRS 1915+105 and Cygnus X-1. The findings reveal that black holes can influence their environment across tens of light-years, far beyond their immediate surroundings. These powerful, high-energy jets generate shockwaves that reshape the interstellar medium, offering new insights into how even stellar-mass black holes may contribute to galaxy evolution. For the first time, MeerKAT has mapped the bow shock of Cygnus X-1 at two radio frequencies, uncovering intricate structures shaped by multiple jet outbursts over thousands of years. Read more here. Image: © Zoom-in of the jet–ISM interaction region. The bow shock structure is marked by the cyan region, which has been defined by eye. The position of GRS 1915+105 and IRAS 19132+1035, as well as the jet direction, are marked. Motta et al 2025
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An international team led by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy has released new high-resolution images of the supermassive black hole in galaxy M87, using data from the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) and ALMA. The observations, made in 2018 at 86 GHz and reanalysed with advanced imaging algorithms, reveal both the ring-like structure—often referred to as the black hole's "shadow"—and the base of its powerful relativistic jet. The results confirm earlier findings and provide sharper, more precise views of the black hole’s immediate surroundings. Read more Kim et al. (2025).
Image: © J-S.Kim/MPIfR |
Astronomers have detected a radio counterpart to M82 X-1—one of the best-known intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) candidates—using archival data from the e-MERLIN and EVN radio telescopes. This detection marks the first radio identification of this ultra-luminous X-ray source in the starburst galaxy M82. The faint, variable radio signal aligns with the X-ray source position and matches typical emission patterns of black holes, supporting the IMBH interpretation. The findings suggest a black hole mass of around 2,650 solar masses, consistent with earlier estimates. This study highlights the potential of deep radio monitoring to uncover rare and exotic cosmic sources. Read more in Williams-Baldwin et al. (2025). Image: © Williams-Baldwin. The image shows in magenta the error region of M82 X-1 with an X marking the centroid of it. The radio asource is the one with the black "+", which is alos the EVN position. The blob to the south west is a different source. |
The Effelsberg 100m and APEX 12m telescopes - operated by the Max-Planck-Institute für Radioastronomie - have achieved first fringes at 3.5 mm wavelength (86 GHz), observing quasar 3C273 from sites 9637 km apart! Effelsberg (Germany) and APEX (Chile) have vastly different designs, yet thanks to upgrades at APEX (N3AR), they now share a common band. In April 2025, both joined the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) and successfully detected the same wave. Adding APEX to the GMVA greatly improves the array's north-south resolution, resulting in much more enhanced images of quasars and black hole environments. Read more. Caption: First interferometric fringes between both MPIfR telescope, Effelsberg (left) and APEX (right) at a baseline of 9637 km length, as detected by the MPIfR correlator in the GMVA Session from April 2025. Credits: Norbert Tacken/MPIfR, G. Paraschos/MPIfR, C. Durán/ESO/APEX (MPIfR/ESO/OSO) |
On 15 May 2025, Onsala Space Observatory celebrated 75 years of groundbreaking science and innovation. As Sweden’s national facility for radio astronomy, Onsala has been at the forefront of global efforts to explore the universe and understand our planet. Since its founding in 1949, Onsala has contributed to major scientific advances in astronomy, geodesy, and Earth sciences. Read more. Image: © A. Slowikowska |
ASTRON has joined the Breakthrough Listen projects to enhance the search for technosignatures—potential signs of extraterrestrial intelligence—through the use of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT). This collaboration marks a significant step forward in monitoring the radio sky. Read more. |
JVS 2025 will take place simultaneously at JIVE in Dwingeloo (NL) and the University of Pretoria (SA) on 15-19 Sep 2025. Online attendance will also be available for lectures and expert Q&A, though hands-on sessions will primarily be held on-site. Aimed at students and professionals in radio astronomy, JVS 2025 offers in-depth training on VLBI data processing. Read more. |
IVTW2025 will take place October 21-25, 2025 at Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg/SE). The scope of the workshop is to encompass all areas of VLBI hardware and software development and techniques on station updates, frontends, backends, recorders, correlation, image processing, potential space VLBI missions and RFI monitoring, mitigation and other strategies in today’s rapidly changing environment. Read more. |
The SFXC workshop wil take place in Dwingeloo/NL on 21.–23. Sept. 2025. It is aimed at individuals interested in using the Super FX Correlator ("SFXC") for software correlation of data from their own VLBI instruments (or other long-ish baseline radio interferometers), as well as scientists who want to exploit SFXC's advanced features by doing their own correlation. The workshop will take place over of two days, mixing theory and practical hands-on sessions. Read more. |
POLICY NEWS The European Commission has published the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025, covering key funding lines such as Research Infrastructures, the six thematic Clusters (e.g. Health, Climate, Digital), EU Missions, European Innovation Ecosystems, Widening Participation & Strengthening the ERA, and the New European Bauhaus Facility. In addition, the 2023–25 work programme for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) has been updated. According to the European Commission, efforts were made to reduce the length of the work programme by decreasing the overall number of topics and shortening their descriptions. Finde more here. The European Commission has published a communication—accompanied by a detailed working document—on the mid-term evaluation of Horizon Europe. With over 15,000 funded projects and a budget of €43 billion, the programme drives innovation, delivers scientific breakthroughs, and significantly boosts Europe’s economy. One euro invested Horizon Europe generates up to €11 in economic gains. Read the press relese here The European Commission is developing a strategy to position Europe as a global leader in quantum technologies, covering computing, communication, sensing, and metrology. Led by DG CNCT, the initiative invites feedback from research and innovation stakeholders to ensure the strategy is balanced, ethical, and supports innovation and global cooperation. Deadline for submissions: 3 June 2025.
The European Commission invites European research organisations and institutions to submit nominations for membership in the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC), which defines the ERC’s funding strategy and modalities. The Council, composed of 22 members appointed by the Commission based on recommendations from an independent Identification Committee, must fill nearly a quarter of its seats within the next 12 months. Organisations may nominate candidates (with their consent) by 23 June 2025 (12:00 CEST). Read more here. |
The EVN call for proposals is now open and the proposal submission deadline June 1, 2025 at 16:00 UTC See the full call here. |
The East Asian VLBI Network (EAVN) invites proposals for open-use observations for the 2025B semester. Read more. Proposal submission deadline: 2025 June 2, 8:00 UT |
Proposals for the: ASKAP; ATCA; Murriyang, the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope Tidbinbilla 70-m and 34-m antennas; and Long Baseline Array (VLBI). The deadline for all proposals is 07:00 UT on17 June 2025. |
The European ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) provides the interface between the ALMA project and the European science community. The ARC is staffed by scientists with expertise in radio astronomy and interferometry and it supports its users throughout the lifetime of a project, from proposal preparation to data analysis. |
ALTA offers to the world-wide astronomical community free virtual access to data and scientific products produced from all sky surveys of the Northern sky that will be conducted with the new Apertif frontend of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), as well as tools to query, further exploit and perform data mining of these products adaptable to diverse research goals. . |
LTA is a long-established archive and access facility supporting the international LOFAR telescope. It is currently the largest radio astronomical archive in the world already exceeding 45 PB from LOFAR’s past 10 years of operations. The LTA provides a central and key resource for all observed LOFAR astronomical science programs where the data become public within 12 months of first creation. |
RadioNet - European Radio Astronomy Consortium
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