Why South Africa would be home to the longest telescope in the world
Space study has long been one of the most promising and fascinating fields in the history
of human research.
The concept of studying galaxies, stars, and planets in order to deduce information about
them has enormous potential.
Africa was a trailblazer in space study, according to documented history, as the ancient Library
of Alexandria in Egypt attests.
The town was the first space research center more than two thousand years ago.
While there has yet to be an African-born astronaut in space, programs across the continent,
particularly in the fields of satellites and telescopes, are on the rise.
In the last 20 years, countries such as Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Ethiopia,
and Rwanda have established and expanded their space agencies, valuing space programs on
the continent at more than $7 billion dollars.
The Karoo, which covers 400,000 square kilometers and is known as "the land of thirst" in Khoisan,
is a huge and sparsely populated plateau of scrub, grassland, and occasional farmsteads
in South Africa.
Towns are uncommon in this area, and residents frequently travel hundreds of kilometers between
villages.
However, a group of experts — astronomers — finds the sparseness of human existence
compelling.
Low levels of light pollution and scarce mobile phone signals and radio microwaves make it
the perfect home for two world-class telescopes: the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT)
and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).
SALT is the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, and when the SKA project
is completed in 2030, it will be the world's largest telescope system, with installations
in Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.
SALT has made numerous discoveries since it began full operation in 2011, including planets
outside our solar system and dying stars, or supernovae.
Although the South African section of the SKA will not be completed until 2030, the
first of 64 telescopes that will be used as part of a precursor to the SKA was presented
in March.
Bernie Fanaroff, the director of SKA South Africa, is convinced that the initiative will
one day deliver Nobel Prize-winning astrophysics research.
Welcome to THINKRICH MEDIA the community which brings to you entrepreneurial, business and
personal development content to inform, motivate and inspire you!
We also want to introduce you to our special african development playlist because we strongly
believe Entrepreneurship rather than global pity is the key to Africa’s growth and development
so if you’re African and you aren’t subscribed to our community you’re missing out!
South Africa is in a bidding war with Australia for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a multibillion-dollar
radio telescope that will be 50 times more sensitive than today's most powerful observatories.
According to the deputy science minister, South Africa is well positioned to host the
world's largest telescope because the costs would be lower.
Many of you are probably curious as to why South Africa is taking part in this initiative.
In 2010, a number of countries expressed interest in winning the proposal for this project.
The square kilometer array organization was founded as an intergovernmental organization
in November 2011, and the project was moved from collaboration to a nonprofit corporation.
In a confidential report the following year, the square kilometer array side advisory group
judged that the South African bid was more substantial.
South Africa and Australia were chosen as the Project's locations because they had the
finest view of the Milky Way galaxy and the least amount of radio interference.
On a trip to the Karoo, a semi-desert region in the isolated Northern Cape province, deputy
science minister Derek Hanekom said the global economic crisis might provide South Africa
an advantage.
"The cost will almost certainly rise to two billion dollars," he told media, adding that
funding countries' resources are already stretched.
"Because it's a big one, South Africa is a terrific place to be."
Engineers will connect antennas in the barren Karoo region to a network of dishes reaching
throughout southern and eastern Africa, as far as Ghana, if South Africa wins the auction.
One such effort is the square kilometer array, which intends to place Africa on the map of
space exploration.
Thanks to the partnership of South Africa's scientific societies and the country's government,
this project will allow us to survey our skies faster than ever before.
The square kilometer array is a multi-national radio telescope project planned for the Australia-South
Africa region.
The project was first conceived in the late 1990s, with the final design completed in
late 2010.
When completed, this project will be capable of working over a wide frequency range, making
it 50 times more sensitive than any previous radio device.
The operation of the project will demand the employment of high-performance large computer
engines with a capacity greater than global internet traffic.
Radio astronomy's ability to provide the most detailed images in all of astronomy will be
used.
If all goes according to plan, the initiative will survey the sky 10,000 times faster than
before, according to the project's founders.
Thanks to this improved telescope technology, astronomers will be able to better examine
the skies and evaluate their constituents.
According to reports, the entire region that these telescopes will occupy once completed
will be 11 million square feet, which is massive.
With receiving stations extending out to 3,000 kilometers, radio astronomy will be fully
utilized to study celestial bodies in the skies and beyond.
The primary location for Australia's bid is Mileura station, which is around 100 kilometers
(60 miles) west of Meekathara in western Australia.
Other antennae will be placed throughout Australia and New Zealand.
The final decision is anticipated to be made by the SKA steering committee, which represents
a consortium of 17 countries interested in the project.
However, South Africa has an advantage over Australia in terms of labor, building, and
electricity, according to Justin Jonas, the engineer and astronomer in charge of the project.
The SKA, a giant new radio telescope with 3,000 antenna dishes, is expected to offer
new insight on fundamental concerns about the cosmos, such as how it began, why it's
growing, and whether it includes life beyond our planet, according to scientists.
Near Sutherland, a village in the southwest of the country, South Africa possesses the
largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere.
Namibia's High Energy Stereoscopic System, the world's largest cosmic ray telescope,
is located 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Windhoek, the country's capital.
The project aims to serve as a catalyst for science, technology, engineering, business
opportunities, employment, and innovation, with the potential to establish Africa as
a hub for macro data transfer and analytics.
Another main reason South Africa was chosen for this project, besides its location, is
its research capacity in astronomy, which has become more advanced in terms of human
resources and can support world-class research and strong new ideas from all over the world.
The cost of construction of the Square kilometer arrays is estimated to be around 2.2 billion
dollars, including $780 million for Phase 1, which will account for 10% of the array's
total capacity.
Numerous delays have proven to be impediments to the project, which has been in the works
for 30 years.
Contracts for initial construction began in 2018, with completion of the array not expected
until 2030.
The first phase will be constructed between 2023 and 2027, providing an operational array
capable of conducting the initial round of scientific studies.
Phase two is expected to be completed around 2030, providing full sensitivity for frequencies
up to 14 GHz.
Finally, a third phase will be constructed to increase the frequency range to 30 gigahertz.
However, the first two phases are the primary focus, with completion expected around 2030
if all goes well.
The square kilometer array is being designed with the understanding that a doubt will require
clarification from fields such as astrophysics, fundamental physics, and cosmology.
It will be implemented in a variety of fields upon completion of the project.
Astronomers will examine the limits of general relativity, such as the behavior of spacetime
in highly curved regions, by using pulsers as gravitational wave detectors.
The sensitivity of the square kilometer array in the 21 cm hydrogen line will map billions
of galaxies at the edge of the observable universe, providing researchers with a large
scale of study and comparison.
Imaging hydrogen throughout the Universe will provide a three-dimensional view of the initial
ripples of structures that help galaxies and structures form.
Additionally, the hypothetical effects of dark energy will be investigated.
Additionally, the square kilometer array will aid in the investigation of the nature of
cosmic magnetism and its role in the ever-evolving universe.
However, the most alluring study will be the square km array's potential for detecting
extremely weak radio emissions known as leakage from nearby extraterrestrial civilizations,
assuming they exist.
The pipeline operations have everyone excited, as they ensure that the entire project is
completed on time.
Though this project has a lot of potential, it does have some drawbacks.
The amount of sensory data collected poses a massive storage problem and will necessitate
flawless real-time signal processing to reduce the entire raw data set to relevant arrived
information.
China has also pushed for a unified beam forming design, allowing other major countries to
withdraw from the project.
On a completely different note, the project has been met with strong opposition from farmers,
businesses, and individuals alike.
According to the advocacy group "save the Karoo," the quiet radio Zone would increase
unemployment in the South African region, where the unemployment rate is already above
32%.
Farmers have also stated that if they were forced to sell their land, the agriculture-based
economy in the Karoo region would collapse.
In its 30 year history, the Square Kilometer Array project has seen many ups and downs.
Though it is becoming clear that the project will go ahead, there are concerns about further
delays.
Whether or not the project is completed on time remains to be seen, but the lengths to
which the human race will go to explore the unknown are astounding, and that in itself
is a victory.
If this project is successful, it will be an even sweeter victory because there is so
much unexplored space in the sky.
Thank you for watching.if there are any tips you think should be on this video but is not,
leave a comment let us know.
Help our channel grow.
We hope this video has been helpful to you.
Support us by liking the video, subscribing and turning on your notification.