South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope has joined forces with the European VLBI Network EVN, the world’s most sensitive array of radio telescopes, to capture the universe in unprecedented detail.
This partnership marks a significant step forward in astronomical research, combining cutting edge technology from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres to push the boundaries of what we can observe in deep space.
MeerKAT, operated by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory SARAO, is one of the most advanced radio telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
Since its inauguration in 2018, it has provided astronomers with stunning images of cosmic phenomena, from massive galaxy clusters to mysterious radio waves emanating from distant black holes.
Now, by linking with the EVN, a network of telescopes spread across Europe, Asia, and Africa, MeerKAT has helped create an even more powerful observational tool.
The key to this collaboration is a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry VLBI, which synchronises multiple telescopes across vast distances to function as a single, giant observatory.
The farther apart the telescopes, the sharper the images they can produce.
By integrating MeerKAT into the EVN, astronomers have significantly boosted the sensitivity and resolution of their observations, allowing them to study cosmic objects in finer detail than ever before.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2025/06/12/south-africas-meerkat-telescope-teams-up-with-european-vlbi-network-to-unlock-new-discoveries/
