South Africa Begins Building Telescope to Study Universe's Formation & First Stars
South Africa Begins Building Telescope to Study Universe's Formation & First Stars
Project & Location
▫The SKA-Mid telescope site is located in South Africa’s Karoo desert at around 1,000 meters above sea level.
▫It is under construction as part of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory project.
Construction Progress
▪Since 2022, eleven antennas have been installed.
▪The full system is planned to include around 150 antennas.
▪This will make it one of the most advanced radio telescope arrays ever built.
Scientific Goal
The project will allow scientists to detect signals from the first stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago after the Big Bang.
⏳ Timeline & Technology
▫The international observatory aims to have nearly 150 antennas operational by 2032.
▫Using a technique called interferometry, all the data captured will be combined and harmonized.
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