Michiel Brentjens
Senior Observatory Astronomer
Assen, Drenthe, Netherlands
Summary
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Senior🎓
Top SchoolMichiel Brentjens is a Senior Observatory Astronomer with 15 years of experience in low-frequency radio astronomy, instrument commissioning, and polarimetric data analysis, best known for co-developing Faraday Rotation Measure Synthesis. As LOFAR 2.0 commissioning lead and PI of the DISTURB project, he blends strategic systems design with hands-on debugging of tightly coupled hardware–software observatory systems. He has led major backend projects like the COBALT correlator and developed telescope control and reduction software at the Jansky VLA, demonstrating a rare combination of experimental design, rapid prototyping, and production-grade software development. An experienced public speaker and educator, he excels at explaining complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and making decisive choices under pressure. His background ranges from CNC compiler development to PhD-level research in radio polarimetry, giving him both practical engineering chops and deep theoretical insight.
16 years of coding experience
9 years of employment as a software developer
MSc, physics and astronomy, MSc, physics and astronomy at Utrecht UniversityPhD, mathematics and natural sciences, PhD, mathematics and natural sciences at University of GroningenHigh school, Sciences, High school, Sciences at Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Dutch, English, German, French
Stackoverflow
1reputation
0reached
0answers
0questions
Github Skills (9)
python-bindings10
itrs9
gnucash7
python7
git-mirror6
cpp2
computer-vision1
station1
imaging1
Programming languages (3)
Github contributions (5)
brentjens/lofar-antenna-positions
May 2016 - Jan 2021
Python library to easily access LOFAR station- and antenna positions.
Contributions:4 reviews, 30 commits, 11 PRs in 4 years 8 months
python
brentjens/software-correlator
May 2017 - Mar 2019
Contributions:98 commits, 1 push, 1 branch in 1 year 11 months
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