22-Aug-2018, 10:54
No, it just a linked array of about 120 radio telescopes. Some European Union agency is sponsoring it. The budget increases annually. It is currently €1.2 billion
Each of the telescopes must be aimed at exactly the same point in space. One of my friend's tasks was calculating the time difference between telescopes that might be up to 1.4km apart, since radio waves from space arrive at different times (millionths of a second) at different dishes. There was a lot of maths involved. I thought I was good at Calculus and advanced maths but got lost on page one
A big problem is "noise" from television and mobile phone signals. That is a why a large unhabited area was chosen. It is 40km from the nearest small town, yet there are bands in the 120MHz to 500MHz range and also 1900MHz range that cannot be used. It has taken an act of Parliament to shut down these transmitters
I have been there twice. The staff there seem to speak a different language
http://www.ska.ac.za/
Each of the telescopes must be aimed at exactly the same point in space. One of my friend's tasks was calculating the time difference between telescopes that might be up to 1.4km apart, since radio waves from space arrive at different times (millionths of a second) at different dishes. There was a lot of maths involved. I thought I was good at Calculus and advanced maths but got lost on page one
A big problem is "noise" from television and mobile phone signals. That is a why a large unhabited area was chosen. It is 40km from the nearest small town, yet there are bands in the 120MHz to 500MHz range and also 1900MHz range that cannot be used. It has taken an act of Parliament to shut down these transmitters
I have been there twice. The staff there seem to speak a different language
http://www.ska.ac.za/
Cape Town - South Africa, the home of good wine
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