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Webpage text about “meerKAT”, a South African mid-frequency radio astronomy project
Listed as “Meerkat”
Official source
Source domain: karoohoogland.gov.za
Collected on 16 July 2026
Always confirm details on the official source before acting.
What this means
This document is a webpage text about “meerKAT”, a South African mid-frequency radio astronomy project. It states that the telescope will be built in phases: a one-dish prototype at Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO) in Gauteng, an engineering testbed KAT-7 between Carnarvon and Williston in the Northern Cape commissioned towards the end of 2009, and a full array of 50+ dishes ready for science by 2012. It also describes the Karoo’s suitability for radio astronomy, the science goals (e.g., cosmic magnetism, galaxy evolution, dark matter, pulsars), and notes that the Department of Science and Technology funds meerKAT via the National Research Foundation, with the South African government committing R860 million to the SKA effort in South Africa including meerKAT.
What this document offers
Read out of this document by Govermate's AI, in its own words. Each one quotes the line it came from — confirm on the official source before acting.
public information resourceOngoing
meerKAT
The municipal webpage makes information available about the meerKAT mid-frequency radio astronomy facility, its phased construction, scientific goals, participating institutions and funding.
- Who it is for
- People seeking information about the meerKAT project
- How to act on it
- Read the meerKAT listing on the Karoo Hoogland Municipality website.
Show the line this came from
MeerKAT will be one of the world’s premier mid-frequency radio astronomy facilities that will put South Africa at the cutting edge of radio astronomy.
Facts
Places
Gauteng, Northern Cape, City of Cape Town, Western Cape
Amounts
R 860 000 000
Key Takeaways
- Project: meerKAT (mid-frequency radio astronomy facility)
- Prototype: one-dish prototype constructed at Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), Gauteng
- Engineering testbed: KAT-7 (seven-dish) between Carnarvon and Williston, Northern Cape
- KAT-7 commissioning: towards end of 2009
- Full array: 50+ dishes; science readiness by 2012
- Data network: links Karoo telescope site to remote operations facility
- Karoo rationale: remote, sparsely populated, very dry climate; minimal radio frequency interference
- Science topics: cosmic magnetism, evolution of galaxies and large-scale structure, dark matter, transient radio sources, pulsars, astrophysics and astrobiology experiments
- Institutions: Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory and South African Astronomical Observatory participate
- Head office: Pinelands, Cape Town
- Funding: Department of Science and Technology funds via National Research Foundation
- Government commitment: R860 million to SKA effort in South Africa including meerKAT
- meerKAT
- Karoo Hoogland Municipality
- Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO)
- South African Astronomical Observatory
- Department of Science and Technology
- National Research Foundation
- SKA (Square Kilometre Array) effort
- KAT-7
- Pinelands (Cape Town)
- Williston
- Carnarvon
- Hartebeesthoek
- Gauteng
- Northern Cape Province