Editing Square Kilometre Array (section)

==SKA locations ==
[[File:SKA-scanner.jpg|thumb|An automatic wideband radio scanner system was used to survey the radio frequency noise levels at the various candidate sites in South Africa.]]The headquarters of the SKA are located at the [[University of Manchester]]'s [[Jodrell Bank Observatory]] in [[Cheshire]], England,<ref>{{cite web |date=18 April 2012 |title=Construction starts on SKA Organisation headquarters |url=http://www.skatelescope.org/news/construction-starts-ska-organisation-headquarters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519072853/http://www.skatelescope.org/news/construction-starts-ska-organisation-headquarters/ |archive-date=19 May 2012 |access-date=26 May 2012 |publisher=SKA Organisation}}</ref> while the telescopes will be installed in Australia and South Africa.<ref>[http://www.ska.gov.au/About/Pages/CohostingTheSKA.aspx Co-hosting the SKA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411031202/http://www.ska.gov.au/About/Pages/CohostingTheSKA.aspx|date=11 April 2018}}. SKA</ref>

Suitable sites for the SKA telescope must be in unpopulated areas with guaranteed very low levels of man-made radio interference. Four sites were initially proposed in South Africa, Australia, Argentina and China.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Koenig|first=Robert|date=18 August 2006|title=RADIO ASTRONOMY: Candidate Sites for World's Largest Telescope Face First Big Hurdle|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|publisher=[[American Association for the Advancement of Science|AAAS]]|volume=313|issue=5789|pages=910–912|doi=10.1126/science.313.5789.910|pmid=16917038|s2cid=42969567}}</ref> After considerable site evaluation surveys, Argentina and China were dropped and the other two sites were shortlisted (with New Zealand joining the Australian bid, and 8 other African countries joining the South African bid):<ref>{{Cite web |title=SA's bid to host Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Radio Telescope: briefing by Department & SKA Project Team {{!}} PMG |url=https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/11284/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |website=pmg.org.za |language=en}}</ref>

===Australia===
The core site is located at the [[Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory]] (MRO) at [[Mileura Station]] near [[Boolardy]] in the state of [[Western Australia]], {{cvt|315|km}} north-east of [[Geraldton, Western Australia|Geraldton]]<ref name="bbc">Amos, J. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5388690.stm Nations vie for giant telescope] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929070255/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5388690.stm |date=29 September 2006 }}, [[BBC News]], 28 September 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.sciencewa.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=635&Itemid=587, Science Network WA], 16 February 2007 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427010540/http://www.sciencewa.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=635&Itemid=587 |date=27 April 2014 }}</ref>

===South Africa===
The core site is located at the [[Meerkat National Park]], at an elevation of about 1000 metres, in the [[Karoo]] area of the arid [[Northern Cape]] Province. There are also distant stations in [[Botswana]], [[Ghana]], [[Kenya]], [[Madagascar]], [[Mauritius]], [[Mozambique]], [[Namibia]] and [[Zambia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/EJC127429 |journal=[[Quest (journal)|Quest]] |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=3 |via=Sabinet}}</ref>