SKA Observatory

In case you missed it: Earlier this month we released the first images from one SKA-Low telescope station. Read more about them here: https://loom.ly/3H2CyNw Our team is now working hard on connecting another station to prepare for the next step: interferometry using two stations together. When all of SKA-Low's stations are operational, we expect the resolution to be around 100,000 times higher than in these images! ✨ This data was obtained at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. We acknowledge the Wajarri Yamaji as the Traditional Owners and Native Title Holders of the observatory site. CSIRO, Wajarri Yamaji Group

📷 Lots of activity on the SKA-Mid telescope site in South Africa! For each SKA-Mid dish, the #SKAconstruction teams pour a concrete base to support the pedestal, raise the pedestal, and assemble the structure that will hold the 66 panels of the main reflector, in readiness for its "big lift". While the activities continue on the first dishes, preparatory work is also underway for power and fibre connections to more distant dish sites tens of kilometres away from the core. SARAO - South African Radio Astronomy Observatory The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) Adenco Construction (PTY) Ltd. Power Construction (Pty) Ltd #construction

NEWS: We're pleased to welcome Tianlai 🇨🇳, a hydrogen intensity mapping experiment, to the SKA pathfinder family! The science and technology of pathfinders across the globe continues to inform and help refine the SKAO’s science cases. The Tianlai experiment consists of two arrays: a cylinder array and a dish array. Though of relatively small scale, they can test the technique of hydrogen intensity mapping, which could be applied to larger arrays such as the SKA telescopes. Read more: https://loom.ly/G1zgCGo #science #collaboration Chinese Academy of Sciences

WATCH: The first SKA-Mid telescope dish tests its synchronisation with the MeerKAT telescope! MeerKAT, built and operated by SARAO - South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, will eventually be integrated into the SKA-Mid array, so it's important to test that the dishes are able to simultaneously point at the same objects in space. Enjoy their dance! 💃 The National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF) #SKAconstruction

🌍 Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, which we marked at our Global HQ in the UK with a guided wellness walk for our #TeamSKA colleagues. The group walk provided an incentive to step away from our desks, get some fresh air, and talk to each other in a relaxing environment. The route took in the beautiful arboretum belonging to our neighbours, the historic Jodrell Bank Observatory 🌳, a haven for nature right on our doorstep! #WorldMentalHealthDay #OfficeLife

Have you ever seen a real life time machine? With our partners at CSIRO we took the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) journalist on an adventure deep into the Australian outback to see one that’s under construction. Watch Tom’s experience visiting Inyarrrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory on Wajarri Yamaji Country, where we’re building the SKA-Low telescope. SKA-Low will look back in time to the infancy of the Universe, when the first stars and galaxies were born.

What do the “first fringes” mean for a radio telescope? This EarthSky article dives deep into recent SKAO developments and explains why we are so excited about recently achieving first fringes using two SKA-Low stations! 🗞️ https://loom.ly/0VS9pBI #science CSIRO SIRIO Antenne

NEWS: We have released our 2023 Annual Report detailing the significant progress across the SKAO last year! The report highlights: 🔧 Infrastructure developments at the telescope sites 🔭 Activities in our science community 💻 Operations teams' planning 📊 Recruitment and EDI statistics 🌳 Our commitment to sustainability 🔗 Download the full report: https://loom.ly/YYqW6ZY #AnnualReport

🎧🇸🇪 Swedish national radio Sveriges Radio recently visited the SKA-Low telescope site, speaking to members of #TeamSKA about our science goals and the latest construction progress! Click below to listen to the broadcast (in Swedish). https://loom.ly/Fd-DMTE Did you know: Swedish companies are providing feeds and digitisers for the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa. Learn more about Sweden's contributions here 👉 https://loom.ly/-n59Nnk #collaboration #construction Qamcom, AAC Clyde Space , Chalmers University of Technology Big Science Sweden • The Swedish ILO

"This marks the day that the SKAO as a scientific facility was born.” – Prof. Phil Diamond, SKAO Director-General. These graphics from the SKAO’s low frequency telescope in Australia represent a huge milestone. It is the first data showing that SKA-Low is working as an interferometer, an instrument that uses many individual antennas to form a large virtual telescope. Interferometry is a technique which makes use of the interference of electromagnetic waves to extract information; and we will use it to make images of objects in the Universe. So what are you looking at? These graphics show the correlated signal from two stations of 256 antennas each. You can also see a shift in the signal as the radio galaxy Centaurus A passes through the observation. These are the first SKA-Low data obtained at Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. We acknowledge the Wajarri Yamaji as the Traditional Owners and Native Title Holders of the Observatory site.