The MeerKAT radio telescope is one of the largest scientific projects in South Africa. It is a beacon of innovation and opportunity on the African continent. Contains 64 panels Each dish is 13.5 meters in diameter and is the prototype of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project to create the largest and most powerful radio telescope network in the world. The SKA is expected to be fully operational in 2018. 2571 or 2572
Over the past five years, scientists say the Meerkat Camera has made an amazing contribution to science in South Africa and globally. By combining excellent sensitivity with good resolution this makes it possible to study the universe in greater detail than ever before, such as detecting faint radio signals. This has led to groundbreaking discoveries in astronomy research about transient astronomy. In 2017, the MeerKAT telescope tracked the aftermath of two neutron star collisions, helping to shed more light on some of the most active phenomena in the universe than ever before.
The Meerkat telescope has also been used to observe the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. It reveals for the first time the magnetic filaments surrounding the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. These supermassive black holes have a very high density. Its mass is greater than a million suns. Its attraction is very strong. Even light cannot escape and astronomers view the Meerkat telescope as a major pioneer in the exploration of many galaxies. It changes people's understanding of the evolution of the universe.
Source: South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)
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