MeerKAT (originally Karoo Array Telescope ) is a radio telescope located in the North Cape Province of South Africa . It will become the largest and most sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere until the completion of the Square Kilometer Array around 2024 [1] . The telescope will be used to study cosmic magnetism, the evolution of galaxies, the large-scale structure of the Universe , dark matter and the nature of transient astronomical radio sources [1] [2] . The work began on July 16, 2016, [3] [4] at that time 16 antennas with a diameter of 13.5 meters each [5] were built and put into operation, the completion of the remaining 48 is planned for 2017 [5] [6] . The official opening took place on July 13, 2018. [7]
| MeerKAT | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | radio interferometer |
| Location |  South Africa |
| Coordinates | |
| Wavelengths | 3-30 cm |
| Start Date | 2016 |
| Diameter | 13.5 m |
| Effective area | 18 thousand m² |
| Site | ska.ac.za |
Features
The 64 antennas of the MeerKAT telescope are divided into two groups:
- The denser inner group contains 70% of the antennas. Their location on the plane corresponds to a two-dimensional normal distribution with a dispersion of 300 meters. The shortest distances are 29 meters, the largest - 1 kilometer.
- The outer group consists of 30% of the antennas. The dispersion of their distribution is 2.5 km, the largest distance between the antennas is 8 kilometers. This group is located around the inner one at an average distance of about 4 km from it.
For phase 2, it is planned to build 7 additional antennas to increase the largest base to 20 kilometers.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 About MeerKAT . SKA South Africa. Date of treatment June 30, 2009.
- ↑ Campbell, Keith An array of technology spin-offs emerges as the 'MeerKAT' radio telescope gains traction . Martin Creamer Engineering News (April 3, 2009). Date of treatment June 30, 2009.
- ↑ The MeerKAT telescope “opened its eyes” and opened thousands of new galaxies . RIA Novosti (July 16, 2016). Date of treatment July 17, 2016.
- ↑ MeerKAT joins the ranks of the world's great scientific instruments through its First Light image , SKA Africa (July 16, 2016). Date of treatment July 28, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 Cofield, Calla . MeerKAT Telescope Opens Its Eyes to Hundreds of New Galaxies , Space.com (July 28, 2016). Date of treatment July 28, 2016.
- ↑ MeerKAT showed the first photo
- ↑ MeerKAT radio telescope inaugurated in South Africa - reveals clearest view yet of center of the Milky Way - SKA SA . www.ska.ac.za (July 13, 2018). Date of treatment July 13, 2018. Archived July 13, 2018.