1 minute read
The cover
from Contact 09
Detail from the quilt “Sun spare my children” by South African indigenous artists attached to the Bushman Heritage Museum, formerly known as the Bethesda Arts Centre.
Photo: Leiden Observatory/Elinoor Veldman Photography
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 of Contact, we take stock of the big push towards starting construction at the telescope sites in the southern hemisphere next year. Science and art are not often mentioned in the same breath, but this issue illustrates how well they can go together. You can also enjoy depictions of radio astronomy telescopes on postage stamps around the world to celebrate World Post Day. As for science, the results of the second Science Data Challenge are in. We also review how galaxies evolve and what astronomers hope to discover as part of this SKA science goal. Enjoy!
About Contact
Editor: William Garnier
Editorial team: Mathieu Isidro, Cassandra Cavallaro, Anim van Wyk
Design: Joe Diamond, based on an original design by Carbon Creative
All images in Contact are courtesy of SKAO unless otherwise indicated.
About the SKAO
The SKAO, formally known as the SKA Observatory, is a global collaboration of Member States whose mission is to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe, and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation. Headquartered in the UK, its two telescope arrays will be constructed in Australia and South Africa and be the two most advanced radio telescope networks on Earth. A later expansion is envisioned in both countries and other African partner countries. Together with other state-of-the-art research facilities, the SKAO’s telescopes will explore the unknown frontiers of science and deepen our understanding of key processes, including the formation and evolution of galaxies, fundamental physics in extreme environments and the origins of life. Through the development of innovative technologies and its contribution to addressing societal challenges, the SKAO will play its part to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and deliver significant benefits across its membership and beyond.
