The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) is a synthetic radio telescope that is being built in the eastern parts of the Netherlands near the village Borger-Odoorn. LOFAR will primarily be used for radio astronomy, studying the very early phases of the universe, shortly after the Big Bang.
Moreover, the telescope will also be used to search for radio signals emitted by cosmic rays propagating through the atmosphere of the Earth. The cosmic-ray induced radio signals may help understanding the chemical composition of high-energy cosmic rays. LOFAR represents a distributed sensor network that will also be used by agricultural sciences.