Unparalleled access to stars once only dreamed of by astronomers will become a reality as construction officially begins on the Square Kilometer Array Telescope (SKA).
Key Points:
- Construction begins on the $3 billion Square Kilometer Array telescope in outback WA
- The SKA will track low frequency radio waves
- Scientists say it will reveal more about space than any other telescope in the world
Located in the interior of Western Australia, more than 100,000 antennas will be built over 74 kilometers in the Murchison region of Wajarri country as part of the $3 billion project, which involves 16 countries.
The structures are set to provide answers to some of humanity’s oldest and most enduring questions about our universe.
SKA’s director of low-site construction, Antony Schinckel, said the telescope was the first of its kind.
“There’s really nothing else like it in the world,” Dr. Schinckel said.
“There are other radio telescopes, other optical telescopes [but] there is nothing comparable to this, the scale of this telescope in Australia.”
Dr Schinckel said the idea to build a massive telescope to improve our understanding of the universe came in the early 1990s, and by 2003 the SKA project had begun.
“It became clear that to look back to the earliest time in the evolution of the universe, right after the Big Bang, we just needed a very large telescope,” he said.
Workers assemble some of the antennas at the Murchison site. (Provided by: CSIRO)
The data will flow in four to five years
SKA Low Telescope Director Sarah Pearce said planning for the world’s largest telescope had been three decades in the making.
“So we hope to have excavators and such on site early next year, it will take us until about 2028 to build the whole telescope,” Dr Pearce said.
He said scientists would begin dissecting the data halfway through construction.
“We expect the first scientific results to come within four to five years,” he said.
Dr Pearce said the SKA site will run in parallel with a project in South Africa that has 197 dishes. Combined, the two sites will create one of the largest scientific facilities on Earth.
“The headquarters with one telescope is in the UK, we have another telescope being built in South Africa, which will be complementary,” he said.
Artist’s impression of the low frequency radio antennas that will form part of the Square Kilometer Array in Western Australia. (Provided by: SKA)
Sixteen countries from around the world have invested their skills, money and resources in the project.
“Each of the countries is bringing their area of expertise,” Dr Pearce said.
“The antennas are made in Italy, India will lead some of the software work, China is doing part of the signal and timing workflow telescope.
“This is truly a world-class system, and the first time Australia has really hosted one of these major science projects for the international community.”
CSIRO Aboriginal Liaison Officer Leonie Boddington said the site had been given the traditional name, Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, which meant sharing sky and stars in the Vajarri language.
“I’m really excited about it at the moment because you got SKA to come here and you also adopted a Wajarri name, that’s shown us some respect,” she said.
“It’s also putting the people of Wajarri on the map. You know, this is a worldwide international project that’s happening.”
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