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The Cover
from Contact 06
Front cover: A certified copy of the SKA Observatory Convention, which is held at SKA Global Headquarters, bearing the official seal of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (now the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). The necessary ratifications for SKAO to enter into force were reached in December 2020.
Credit: SKAO
Contact – The SKA magazine
Contact is the SKA magazine. Published by SKAO's Communications team, the magazine brings together articles from scientists, engineering, design and construction teams, related facilities and telescopes and government partners.
In this issue, we celebrate the completion of necessary treaty ratifications for the SKA Observatory (SKAO) to enter into force. SKA Director-General Prof. Philip Diamond shares his vision for SKAO, and we look back at some of the crucial design work that happened over the past few years, starting with the software development. On the science front, we dive into the world of exobiology, look at the recent achievements of SKA pathfinder facilities like ASKAP, CHIME, GMRT and LOFAR and announce the 2021 SKA Science Conference. Two in-depth interviews with Federico di Vruno (SKAO) on satellite mega-constellations, and Prof. Tao An (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory) on his career complete this bumper edition.
About Contact
Published by the SKAO Communications team
Editor: William Garnier
Editorial team: Mathieu Isidro, Cassandra Cavallaro
Design: Joe Diamond/Based on an original design from Carbon Creative.
We welcome your contributions to Contact! Email: skao-outreach@skatelescope.org
All images in Contact are courtesy of SKAO unless otherwise indicated.
Contact is produced primarily as a digital magazine.
About the SKA
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Organisation leads an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope. The SKA will be constructed in Australia and South Africa with a later expansion in both countries and into other African countries. Its global headquarters is located at Jodrell Bank in the UK. The SKA will conduct transformational science and help to address fundamental gaps in our understanding of the Universe including the formation and evolution of galaxies, fundamental physics in extreme environments and the origins of life in the Universe.
