Square Kilometre Array - SKA

The SKA will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity, and possibly life beyond Earth. If history is any guide, the SKA will make many more discoveries than we can imagine today.

Radio astronomy has produced some of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. Central to these discoveries have been innovations in technology pushing the observational frontiers of sensitivity as well as spatial, temporal and spectral resolution. One such innovation in technology – radio interferometry – was awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics. The SKA will carry on this tradition of innovation by combining fundamental developments in radio frequency technology, information technology and high-performance computing.

The SKA will be the world’s premier imaging and surveying telescope with a combination of
unprecedented versatility and sensitivity that will open up new windows of discovery.