The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world’s largest radio telescope, which will revolutionise our understanding of the Universe. This incredible technological challenge is being pursued, by a collaboration of 10 countries across 5 continents. The SKA will be an extremely versatile instrument that will allow us to observe the Universe from several different angles. We will observe distant planets beyond our Solar System and look for the presence of life; we will understand how gravity works by studying black holes and pulsars; we will investigate the evolution of galaxies and stars by looking at them at different times, from the “cosmic dawn”, and when they first formed, to now. Finally, by putting together all the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle, we will be able to study the Universe as a whole.

Presented by Anna Bonaldi

Image courtesy SKA Organisation/Swinburne Astronomy Productions