The Cosmic Savannah - Ep. 59: Construction of the SKA Commences!

The 365 Days of Astronomy

Hosted by Dr. Jacinta Delhaize & Dr. Daniel Cunnama.

The 5th of December 2022 sees the commencement of construction of the long-awaited Square Kilometre Array (SKA)!

We are honoured to be joined by the SKA Observatory Council Chairperson, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky to talk about this momentous occasion.

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is a next-generation radio astronomy facility that will revolutionise our understanding of the Universe and the laws of fundamental physics. Formally known as the SKA Observatory, the SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation bringing together nations from around the world. The observatory consists of the SKAO Global Headquarters in the UK, the SKAO’s two telescopes at radio-quiet sites in South Africa and Australia, and associated facilities to support the operations of the telescopes.

The SKA telescopes:

Composed of respectively hundreds of dishes and thousands of antennas, the SKAO’s telescopes will be the two most advanced radio telescopes on Earth. Together with other state-of-the-art research facilities, the SKAO’s telescopes will explore the unknown frontiers of science and deepen our understanding of key processes, including the formation and evolution of galaxies, fundamental physics in extreme environments and the origins of life.

Dr. Cesarsky was appointed Chair of the SKA Board of Directors in 2017, and her distinguished career spans some of the biggest international astronomy projects of recent years. As Director-General of the European Southern Observatory she oversaw the Very Large Telescope, the start of construction of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and launched the Extremely Large Telescope project, one of the key astronomical facilities of the coming decades along with the SKA. Among her other prestigious roles, Dr Cesarsky was President of the International Astronomical Union and High Commissioner for Atomic Energy in France. She is known for her successful research activities in high energy and in infrared astronomy and is member or foreign member of science academies over the world, including Europe (Academia Europaea), France (Académie des Sciences), United Kingdom (Royal Society), United States (NAS), Sweden (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences).

SKAO: https://www.skao.int/

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