January 28, 2026
Array jokes go supernova
Thirty Years of the Square Kilometre Array
First images land, 2028 launch looms — pun wars, coder jokes and Cambridge secrets
TLDR: The SKA, a mega radio telescope split between Australia and South Africa, has shown its first images and targets full science in 2028. Commenters love the plain‑English name, a coder turns “array” into a programming gag, and a local dishes on hidden Cambridge prototypes — hype with humor.
Thirty years in the making, the world’s biggest radio “ear” — the Square Kilometre Array — has hit first images, and the comments went full sitcom. One camp is cheering the no‑nonsense name. “Square Kilometre Array? Finally a science thing that explains itself,” laughs one fan, basking in the rare clarity. Cue the plot twist: a coder crashes the party and turns “array” into a programming joke, asking how many bytes a square‑kilometer array needs. Astronomers facepalm; everyone else giggles.
Meanwhile, locals flex. A Cambridge commuter casually drops that there are hidden prototype antennas behind trees near the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory — complete with early SKA‑Low gear and HERA test dishes — turning the thread into a treasure map for science nerds. Amid the banter, people are genuinely hyped: this two‑continent telescope (Australia for low frequencies, South Africa for mid) aims to probe galaxy birth, dark matter, and even signs of life, with 197 dishes and 131,072 antennas planned by 2028. Its precursors like MeerKAT have already served up jaw‑dropping images of the Milky Way’s center. Verdict from the crowd? Big science, big vibes — and even bigger puns.
Key Points
- •SKA achieved first light in 2024 and aims to begin science observations in 2028.
- •The observatory spans South Africa (SKA-Mid) and Australia (SKA-Low) with 197 dishes and 131,072 antennas.
- •Fifteen pathfinders and four precursor telescopes (MeerKAT, HERA, ASKAP, MWA) have tested technologies and shaped SKA’s trajectory.
- •MeerKAT, operating at 350 MHz–15.4 GHz with 64 dishes, produced the clearest radio image of the Milky Way’s center and later an even more detailed image.
- •SKA-Mid will integrate larger 15 m dishes with baselines up to 150 km, significantly increasing sensitivity over MeerKAT alone.