The idea was conceived all the way back in the 1990s, the bulk of the development and design took place in the latter period of the 2010s, and almost two years ago, we reported on the first country that approved participation in the construction of the largest telescope the world has ever known.

It ultimately took several additional years of preparation, but now the ultimate radio telescope has finally been given the green light! for construction

The ska observatory will be able to look deeper into the vastness of the Universe and consequently also look further back in time than ever before. - Image Credit: zalatanya via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci

The enormous project is the result of international cooperation between 16 countries and will be called the 'Square Kilometer Array,' or SKA in short. It will ultimately span two countries/continents (Australia and South Africa).

The telescope will operate over a broad spectrum of frequencies and consist of more than 130.000 antennas in Australia that will work in unison with 197 radio dishes located in South Africa. Costs are projected to be around 2 billion Euros.

How large is the largest telescope in the world?

There are, of course, quite a few radio telescopes located around the world worldwide. But the SKA clearly differentiates itself from those. SKA is larger and more sensitive than any existing instruments. It can look deeper into the vastness of the Universe and consequently also look further back in time than ever before.

The two telescopes in South Africa and Australia operate separately from each other. The one in Australia will operate on the longer wavelengths and the one in South Africa on a somewhat shorter wavelength.

Both installations will act as interferometers, meaning that the observations done by the over 130.000 antennas in Australia will be merged. The same goes for the 197 dishes located in South Africa. Combined, they will simulate a gigantic radio telescope of approximately 1 square kilometer in size! Its unprecedented measurements will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument ever built!

Two elements that together make up the Square Kilometer Array. On the left: South African SKA radio dishes. On the right: Australian SKA radio antennas - Image Credit: SKAO - HDR tune by Universal-Sci (CC BY 3.0)

First activities

The first significant activity on site is due to happen early next year, with the telescope's construction lasting until 2028. Early scientific opportunities are expected to begin in the next few years, taking advantage of the nature of radio telescope arrays, allowing for observations with only a subset of the full array actually working. It is expected that the giant telescopes will have a scientific lifetime of over fifty years!

All in all, an important step has been taken in the world of astronomy. Scientists are going to build not one but two of the largest and most complex radio telescope networks here on Earth, designed to reveal some of the most fascinating secrets of our Universe to us. We, for one, can't wait what the future of radio astronomy will bring. As always, we will keep you updated!

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