Australia launches world's fastest radio telescope to study the origins of the universe

Australia has launched world's fastest radio telescope in the remote Australian outback, which will exponentially increase astronomers' ability to survey the universe, mapping black holes and shedding new light on the origins of galaxies.

The Australia Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (Askap), with an array of 36 antennas each 40 feet across, started peering into the universe on Friday from a far-flung cattle station in Western Australia state.

The A$152 million (£96m) telescope will "listen" to radio waves from the cosmos that might give astronomers insights into the beginnings of the universe.

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Using new "radio cameras" called phased array feeds, the telescope will be able scan the sky much more rapidly than existing radio telescopes and will give the telescope a field of view about 150 times the area of the full Moon.

Read more: The Telegraph

Posted in: Astronomy, Australia, Exploration, Galaxies, Radio Telescope, Science, Space, Technology, Universe, World's Fastest Radio Telescope