The research activities at Metsähovi are concentrated on radio observations done at millimetre waves and microwaves (2-150 GHz). The main areas are solar millimeter and microwave radiation, variable quasars and active galaxies, and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). Metsähovi's main instrument is the 14-metre radio telescope, which is used around the clock, every day of the year. In addition to operating and developing radio telescopes and their receivers, Metsähovi also runs extremely accurate atomic clocks and specialized computers for interferometric observations.
Metsähovi Radio Observatory is the only astronomical radio observatory in Finland. Metsähovi operates multiple instruments for studying the universe in radio frequencies, including active galaxies, the Sun, and rotation of the Earth. Metsähovi is also the only place in Finland, and one of the few in the world, where students can study and practice making radio-astronomical observations hands-on. Metsähovi hosts researchers and students from different universities and departments, and from the Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO.
The Infrastructure is open for all users.