2013
Calendar 2014 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 27 28 29 30 30 31
May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 30 The Square Kilometre Array: the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global science and engineering project to build the The project timeline world’s largest radio telescope. Thousands of linked radio wave receptors will be located in Australia and in Southern Africa. Combining the signals from the receptors in each region will 1991 Concept create a telescope equivalent to a dish with a collecting area of about one square kilometre. 2006 Short listing of suitable sites 2008-12 Telescope system design The SKA will address fundamental unanswered questions about our Universe including how the first stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang, how galaxies have evolved since then, the 2011 Establish SKA Organisation as a legal entity role of magnetism in the cosmos, the nature of gravity, and the search for life beyond Earth. 2012 Site selection The new international SKA headquarters are based at Jodrell Bank Observatory, near 2013-15 Detailed design and Manchester in the UK. pre-construction phase 2016-20 Phase 1 construction SKA Organisation 2020 Full science operations with Jodrell Bank Observatory Phase 1 Lower Withington Macclesfield 2020-24 Phase 2 construction Cheshire, SK11 9DL, UK 2024 Full science operations with Phase 2 E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)161 306 9600 Registered in England & Wales, Company Number: 07881918
Front cover caption: The dishes of the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), will extend thousands of kilometres across remote desert landscapes. This artist’s impression shows one of the design concepts. Front cover image credit: SKA Two sites. Two exceptional locations for the world's largest radio telescope. At present, the dishes of the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) (top) and Karoo Array Telescope (KAT-7) (bottom) dot the desert landscapes of the future SKA core sites in Australia and South Africa. Top credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) Bottom credit: Maik Wolleben January 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
30 31 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 1 2
Notes: February 2013 March 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Milky Way stretches across the sky above one of CSIRO's Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) antennas, part of the 36-dish array located in Western Australia. Credit: Alex Cherney/terrastro.com February 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
27 28 29 30 31 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 1 2
Notes: March 2013 April 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31 South Africa’s KAT-7 telescope catches the last rays of light as the sun sets over the Karoo desert. The seven-dish KAT-7 is being used as an engineering test bed to refine South Africa’s SKA precursor telescope MeerKAT. Credit: Rupert Spann
Credit: Rupert Spann March 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
24 25 26 27 28 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Notes: April 2013 May 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 The famous Lovell telescope towers above the brand new international SKA headquarters at Jodrell Bank Observatory in the UK. Credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) April 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
31 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 1 2 3 4
Notes: May 2013 June 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 The silhouette of a lone ASKAP dish strikes a solitary pose in the Western Australian desert - a symbol of the union between timeless nature and cutting edge technology. ASKAP, a technology demonstrator and precursor to the SKA, was officially opened in October 2012. Credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) May 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
28 29 30 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
Notes: June 2013 July 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31 30 Statuesque dolerite rock formations can be found on hills close to the future sites of the MeerKAT and SKA telescopes in South Africa. The Losberg farm, now a construction camp, can be seen in the distance on the right. Credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) June 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
26 27 28 29 30 31 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30
Notes: July 2013 August 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The sun sets upon ASKAP in the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia, the location of all 36 ASKAP dishes and the future site of the SKA in Australia. Credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) July 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
30 1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31 1 2 3
Notes: August 2013 September 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 Artist’s impressions of the three types of radio wave receptor that are being designed for the SKA telescope. Dishes (top), mid frequency aperture arrays (below left) and low frequency aperture arrays (below right). Credit: SKA August 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
28 29 30 31 1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Notes: September 2013 October 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 The first rays of a new dawn fall on the KAT-7 dishes captured from a vantage point on Losberg hill close to the SKA site in South Africa. Credit: Rupert Spann September 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 1 2 3 4 5
Notes: October 2013 November 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27 28 29 30 31 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 The dishes of Australia’s ASKAP telescope gaze up at a stunning night sky at the future site of the SKA in Australia. Credit: Alex Cherney/terrastro.com October 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
29 30 1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 1 2
Notes: November 2013 December 2013 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31 The beautiful but empty plains of the South African Karoo stretch out below a quiver tree on a rocky outcrop. In the future this landscape will be dotted with MeerKAT and SKA antennas. Credit: SKA, Rob Millenaar (SKA/ASTRON) November 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
27 28 29 30 31 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Notes: December 2013 January 2014 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 31 The beauty of art in science. This spiral pattern is a simulated map of SKA sensitivity for the sky directly overhead based on the position of radio wave receptors on the ground. Red indicates highest sensitivity. Credit: SKA/iAntConfig December 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 1 2 3 4
Notes: January 2014 February 2014 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28