The SKA Meerkat Project

By Hana Manjra and Shana Daniels

About SKA• SKA stands for Square Kilometer Array• They have made 7 telescopes• Will be the worlds biggest telescope

and biggest scientific project • Project will be finished by 2024• Will cost $20 billion• Ten thousand times faster than a

normal telescope frequincy.

The Meerkat telescopes

• Many different countries are working together to build - and pay for - the SKA.

• At least 13 countries and close to 100 organisations are already involved, and more are joining the project.

• The MeerKAT array, currently taking shape in South Africa's Karoo region, is a world-class radio telescope designed to do ground-breaking science.

Who is doing this project?• At least 13 countries and close to 100

organisations are already involved, and more are joining the project.

• Dr Bernie Fanaroff is the Project Director of the South African SKA Project.

• Dr. Fanaroff has a PhD in radio astronomy from Cambridge University.

• There are also about 100 engineers and radio astronomers designing and building South Africa's 64-dish radio telescope - MeerKAT.

• Almost the whole countries government had donated money to this project. (13 countries)