Beyond the Milky Way

Provided with 3D glasses, chairs that swivelled, we had a 360- degree view of the skies and countryside where the Square Kilometre Array Observatory is being built on part of the 3,500 sq. kilometres that make up Boolardy Station, in the Murchison. When complete the Low SKA will consist of an array of 131,072 "Christmas tree" shaped antennas, each grouped in 512 stations with 256 antennas. Some will be placed in the centre and the rest in three spiral arms stretching 65 kilometres end to end, operating at frequencies between 50 and 350 MHz.