Africa needs scientists for SKA telescope
African countries need more scientists for research on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope to succeed, an official said in Pretoria on Monday. Head of astronomy at the National Research Foundation (NRF), Nithaya Chetty, said it was essential for the continent to start investing in human capacity
Bernie Fanaroff: star of the SKA show
When Bernie Fanaroff graduated in physics from the University of the Witwatersrand, he went to his department head and said he would like to be a cosmologist. “I was always interested in the universe but I was never very practical, so I never built a telescope or looked at the stars or anything,” he said
South Africans in hunt for Higgs
On Wednesday, scientists at the European Laboratory for Nuclear Research (Cern), announced that data from two separate experiments independently confirmed that a new particle had been observed. The Higgs-like boson, which is consistent with a theory put forward by physicist Peter Higgs almost 50
SKA sets universities abuzz
SA universities have welcomed the establishment of the world’s most powerful radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Following the SKA Organisation’s announcement late last month that SA, Australia and New Zealand would share the R26bn project, local academics have spoken enthusiastically about
SKA funding hangover looms
The multibillion-rand Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project has landed in SA hands, but it might be just a notional victory for the country as funding remains in limbo. With an estimated budget of €1,5bn (R16bn) and most developed countries facing their own debt and funding crunch, it is unclear at
TalkCentral: Episode 65 – ‘Soap opera’
TalkCentral is back for another episode. This week, your hosts Duncan McLeod and Craig Wilson sit down to chat about a wide range of issues. We cover everything from Friday’s big Square Kilometre Array announcement to the battle between Cell C and Vodacom over tariffs. Also on the agenda this
SKA will probe universe’s secrets
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is unlikely to win a Nobel prize, but will give deeper understanding to phenomena such as dark matter and how the universe started. Vishnu Vejjala, research chair in theoretical particle cosmology at the University of the Witwatersrand, said the US$2bn SKA
SKA to create N Cape jobs
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project will provide work opportunities in the Northern Cape, the provincial government said on Monday. “This gigantic project has and will create both direct and indirect opportunities for the people and businesses in the region and province as a whole,” said spokesman
SA wins lion’s share of SKA
SA will host the largest part of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, science & technology minister Naledi Pandor said on Friday. The SKA committee met in the Netherlands on Friday to decide whether SA or Australia (with New Zealand) would get to host the core site of the project. The committee
SKA decision: official statement
The members of the SKA Organisation today agreed on a dual site solution for the Square Kilometre Array telescope, a crucial step towards building the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope. The ASKAP and MeerKAT precursor dishes will be incorporated into Phase I of the SKA which
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