Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique

The Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (IRAM), founded in 1979, is Europe's leading centre for radio astronomy at millimetre wavelengths, running two major high-altitude observatories in France and Spain.

About IRAM

IRAM is an international research institute whose mission is exploring the universe's origins and evolution using two of the most advanced millimetre-wave facilities in the world. It is headquartered on the campus of Université Grenoble Alpes near Grenoble, France, with support offices and laboratories in Granada, Spain, and more than 120 scientists, engineers, technicians and administrative staff across the organisation.

History

The institute was founded in 1979 and has since built out two flagship observing sites, both placed at high altitude specifically to reduce absorption of millimetre signals by atmospheric water vapour.

Telescopes & research

The NOEMA observatory (NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array) comprises eleven 15-metre antennas on the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps, at over 2,550 metres, making it the most powerful millimetre observatory in the Northern Hemisphere. The IRAM 30-metre telescope, sited at 2,850 metres on Pico Veleta in Spain's Sierra Nevada, is the world's premier single-dish facility for millimetre-wavelength astronomy.

Location & getting there

IRAM's headquarters are near Grenoble in the French Alps region; its two observing sites are the Plateau de Bure in the French Alps and Pico Veleta in Andalucia, Spain.

Visiting IRAM

As active research facilities at extreme altitude, IRAM's sites are not general tourist attractions; check the institute's official website for any public outreach opportunities before planning a visit.

See your named star from here

IRAM's high-altitude sites were chosen for the clearest possible view of the sky — the same clarity that makes it easy to find a named star once you have its coordinates. Look up your star in the star catalogue any time.