繁星秘语，旷野聆听。在南非卡鲁荒漠深处，数十台射电望远镜呈旋臂状铺陈，巡天望远，探索着宇宙 的奥秘——这是中国首个深度参与的国际大科学工程"平方公里阵列射电望远镜"（SKA）。SKA是由全 球多国出资共同建造和运行的世界最大规模综合孔径射电望远镜，被誉为"世界巨眼"。日前，记者深入 该项目南非台址，采访多位科学家及工程人员，了解其最新建设进展及科学发现。 进入SKA南非台址有特殊规定，所有人员从近百公里外的卡那封小镇启程时就需处于"无线电静默"，一 切手机信号、无线网络、蓝牙、热点均须关闭。记者随采访车队向SKA项目现场进发，沿途是看不尽的 荒原景象。当高耸的碟形天线远远出现在视野中时，大家不由得惊呼"终于有了发现"。车行愈近，天线 越多，它们像一把把洁白的撑天巨伞，静静矗立于荒原之上。 "从上空看，它们是一个从中心向外逆时针旋臂展开的阵列，越往中心天线越密集，越向外天线的间隔 距离越大。"SKA中频望远镜总监林赛·马格努斯向记者介绍，"这种阵列布局是为了更好地覆盖信号， 在不同频率和方向上有更好的接收及连接效果。" 走进碟形天线阵列，每台天线支架高约11米，支撑起15米翼展的主反射面，这些"大盘子"时而以设 ...

SKA中频望远镜装配、集成与验证部门负责人奥斯卡·莫约介绍项目情况。 SKA南非台址的碟形天线阵列。以上图片均为本报记者邹松摄 繁星秘语，旷野聆听。在南非卡鲁荒漠深处，数十台射电望远镜呈旋臂状铺陈，巡天望远，探索着宇宙 的奥秘——这是中国首个深度参与的国际大科学工程"平方公里阵列射电望远镜"（SKA）。SKA是由全 球多国出资共同建造和运行的世界最大规模综合孔径射电望远镜，被誉为"世界巨眼"。日前，记者深入 该项目南非台址，采访多位科学家及工程人员，了解其最新建设进展及科学发现。 寂静之地，竖起撑天巨伞 碟形天线通过阵列布局实现更强信号接收与连接 在南非当地语言里，"卡鲁"意为"寂静之地"。这片荒漠与半荒漠地带面积约40万平方公里，零星散落的 村镇动辄相隔上百公里。大自然塑造了这里的荒凉和孤寂，也为天文观测创造了绝佳条件。 SKA采用双台址方案，低频阵列位于澳大利亚西部，中频阵列以南非为核心并扩展至非洲南部8个国 家。"目前南非与澳大利亚是少数受光污染较小的天文观测地，这也是SKA选址于此的重要原因。"国际 天文学联合会主席威利·本茨表示，"在地球表面进行深空探测面临多重挑战，光、声、电磁信号以及建 筑物等都 ...

Core Insights - The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) is a major international scientific project involving multiple countries, aimed at building the world's largest radio telescope to explore cosmic mysteries [1][5][6] Group 1: Project Overview - SKA is a collaborative effort involving ten countries, including China, which plays a significant role in the project [6][7] - The project features two main sites: one in South Africa and another in Australia, chosen for their low light pollution and optimal conditions for astronomical observations [2][4] - The South African site will consist of thousands of 15-meter diameter dish antennas arranged in a spiral pattern to enhance signal reception [2][4] Group 2: Technical Features - SKA utilizes a technique called radio interferometry, allowing multiple antennas to work together to create a larger effective aperture for observing the universe [2][4] - The project is expected to generate massive amounts of data, approximately 8 terabytes per second, which will be processed by supercomputers and shared with scientists worldwide [4][6] - SKA's design allows for high sensitivity and resolution, enabling the detection of previously undetectable faint signals from the cosmos [5][6] Group 3: Scientific Contributions - The MeerKAT telescope, a precursor to SKA, has already achieved significant scientific milestones, including imaging the center of the Milky Way and discovering a giant galaxy [6][8] - The project aims to enhance understanding of cosmic phenomena, such as the evolution of galaxies and the behavior of dark matter [6][8] - Collaboration between SKA and China's FAST telescope is expected to yield new insights into the universe, leveraging the strengths of both facilities [7][8]