Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)
ASKAP, or the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder, is a next-generation radio telescope being developed by CSIRO that will incorporate novel receiver technologies and leading-edge ICT systems. It will be made up of 36 identical antennas, each 12 metres in diameter, working together as a single instrument. When complete, ASKAP will be one of the world’s premier radio telescopes and will help to answer fundamental questions about our Universe.
As well as being a world-leading telescope in its own right, ASKAP will be an important testbed for the Square Kilometre Array, a future international radio telescope that will be the world’s largest and most sensitive.
Take a Look at ASKAP
- Watch an animation of ASKAP by Swinburne Astronomy Productions [42MB .mov]
- See the three-axis movement of the first ASKAP antenna filmed in June 2010 [41MB .m4v]
- Download a video of the first ASKAP antenna during construction on site in January 2010 [17MB .mov]
- View the first ASKAP antenna during factory acceptance testing in September 2009 [6.5MB .m4v]
Latest News
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June 2010: CSIRO has signed a Statement of Intent with ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, to cooperate on developing and testing phased array feed technology for the SKA. Read more. |
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June 2010: The Federal Government has announced that CSIRO will receive $47.3 million for the development of solar and geothermal energy technologies to power the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory and the Pawsey High Performance Computing Centre for SKA Science. Read more. |
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May 2010: Six radio telescopes across Australia and New Zealand, including the first ASKAP antenna, have joined forces to act as one giant telescope, linking up over a distance of 5,500 km for the first time. Read more. |
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