Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre

Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC) was founded as a structural unit of Latvian Academy of Sciences on 22 July 1994, taking possession over former USSR body property – the object Zvaigznîte (now called Irebene, Ventspils region’s Ances district).

In 1996 VIRAC was reorganized as joint-stock company. Its stock capital was formed of two fully turnable parabolical radio telescope antennas with their main mirror diameter of 32 and 16 meters, as well as all structures, buildings, communications necessary for ensuring the work of these antennas. One of these antennas after its technical parameters is the most precise in Northern Europe.In 2004 VIRAC in Irbene was integrated to Ventspils University College, on its basis scientific institute was founded. The infrastructure of VIRAC was gradually regulated, raising funds of Latvia and EU. In the end of 2005 VIRAC started to buy high-powered space research equipment to expand large-scale scientific and applied research in the future.
The future vision of VIRAC is connected with reaching of 3 aims – development of higher education – especially engineering education, applied space research and basic astrophysics research centre. Presently, active research takes place on localiztion problems of asteroids and space garbage, as well as the Sun. Professional equipment for space research had been delivered lately. The planned work – with students’ help to develop forest fire monitoring in Latvia, to prove the society that research is useful also in national economy.
In all, there are 24 workers in VIRAC. The director of the centre and chief research officer is Dr. hab. phys. Juris Zagars. There are 8 chief research officers working in the centre, 11 specialists in different areas of sciences, 9 of them are Doctors of Science.

You can find detailed information about VIRAC on VIRAC home page http://virac.venta.lv/