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Masterclass on Radio Astronomy and Data Visualization

IAC, Tenerife, Dec 1st to 4th 2025

 

We are pleased to announce that the Masterclass on Radio Astronomy and Data Visualization will take place during the week of 1–4 December 2025, at the Pleyades room.

We are delighted to confirm that the sessions will be led by Raffaella Morganti, Tom Oosterloo, and Thijs van der Hulst,  from ASTRON / University of Groningen. 

In response to the feedback and expressions of interest collected last month, the program has been tailored to better reflect participants’ interests and needs. A new data visualisation component has also been added, offering participants hands-on experience with modern visualisation tools and approaches.

We strongly encourage participation from researchers at all career stages — the Masterclass is designed to be accessible to beginners in radio data analysis, while still offering valuable insights to those with some experience. The workshop will place a special emphasis on radio observation of galaxies, but the content will be broadly relevant to many research areas in Astronomy. 

Program and online material

Monday 01/12

14:00 - 15:30 – Introduction to Visualization ( PDF , YouTube )

  • Short lecture (1–1.5h): why visualisation is important, what we use it for, and an overview of available software.

  • Followed by a short practical session experimenting with various packages (not necessarily limited to radio/HI data).

Tuesday 02/12

10:00 - 11:30 – Masterclass 1: Radio Astronomy Fundamentals ( PDF , YouTube )

  • Radio Astronomy 101 — introduction to basic concepts (radio continuum processes, HI line, etc.).

  • What can we do with radio data? Overview of scientific topics and measurements:

    • Interferometry vs single dish: resolution, uv-coverage, bandpass, calibrators, continuum vs line.

    • Overview of physical processes: radio continuum (synchrotron, free-free, spectral index) and line emission (HI, OH, CO, recombination lines).

          11:30 - Coffee break at cafetería

14:00 - 15:30 – Practicum 1: Radio Continuum Data

  • Data quality assessment — identifying good and bad data using example images.

  • Overview of major radio continuum surveys (resolution, sensitivity, etc.) — resources will be shared with participants.

  • Hands-on work with CARTA on downloaded survey images: measuring fluxes, deriving spectral indices, and working with multi-frequency data.

Wednesday 03/12

14:00 - 15:30 – Visualization Practicum 

  • Hands-on experience with visualisation packages (CARTA, KARMA).

  • Introduction to Virtual Reality (VR) for exploring 3D data cubes and object catalogues. Participants are encouraged to bring their own data if applicable.

Thursday 04/12

10:00 - 11:30 – Masterclass 2: Line Data and 3D Analysis ( PDF , YouTube )

  • In-depth session on spectral line data: continuum subtraction, moment map creation, and limitations.

  • Discussion of analysis tools (e.g. Sofia, 3D-Barolo), including the use of 3D representations to interpret data cubes.

          11:30 - Coffee break at cafetería

14:00 - 15:30– Practicum 2: Line Data Analysis ( PDF  on Sofia demo)

  • Hands-on tutorial on creating moment maps, source finding, and verifying results using VR visualisation.

  • Complementary discussion on the availability of radio telescopes and observing opportunities for researchers based in Spain. ( PDF on radio facilities)

We hope this Masterclass will provide a rich, collaborative environment for learning, discussion, and exploration of radio astronomical data and visualisation techniques.