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South Africa officially inaugurated yesterday, in the Karoo desert (southwest), the radio telescope MeerKAT first element of a network of parables on two continents which, once in operation, will form the world's largest telescope
"This telescope will be the largest of its kind in the world, with a resolution fifty times that of the Hubble Space Telescope" said Vice President South African David Mabuza, at the ceremony in Carnarvon, small arid city of the Karoo desert
The MeerKAT radio telescope is composed of 64 satellite dishes installed around Carnarvon .
These antennas will be connected to some 3,000 instruments installed in Africa ( Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia ) as well as in Australia.
Scientists observe the sky with a virtual parabola of an area of one km2 baptized SKA (Square Kilometer Array).
The SKA must study some of the most violent cosmic phenomena, such as a supernova, the black holes and all the first traces of the "big bang" .
More than 200 scientists, engineers and technicians participated in the development of MeerKAT who needed up to now 240 million dollars in the vast majority of public funds.
The SKA, which could start operating in 2030, is the result of an international agreement that includes, in addition to African countries and Australia, China, India, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Holland and Great Britain.
Once in service, the giant telescope will be connected to an optical telescope that was inaugurated in May 1945 at MeerKAT
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