Karoo radio telescope passes its first real science test
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The Square Kilometre Array Observatory has completed an important early test of its South African SKA-Mid radio telescope. The instrument, under construction in the Karoo, is designed to operate at mid-range radio frequencies. Once finished, SKA-Mid will consist of 197 dishes, including those of the existing MeerKAT array, which is being incorporated into the new system.
The test involved two of the seven SKA-Mid dishes currently installed. For the first time, they operated together as an interferometer, observing a radio galaxy approximately 2.6 billion light-years from Earth. This marked the first occasion on which multiple SKA-Mid components functioned as a single scientific instrument rather than as independent antennas.
Interferometry combines signals from separate dishes pointed at the same object, producing data equivalent to that from a much larger telescope. When the signals are successfully combined, astronomers refer to the result as “fringes”. Achieving these “first fringes” indicates that the telescope’s core systems are working together as intended.
Construction of the SKA is proceeding in parallel in Australia, where the low-frequency SKA-Low instrument is being built. SKA-Low uses large numbers of simple antennas grouped into stations. In 2025, it produced its first image using four stations, or 1 024 antennas, representing less than 1% of its planned final size.
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