KAT-7
KAT-7 is a radio telescope situated in the Meerkat National Park, in the Northern Cape of South Africa. Developed as the precursor engineering test bed to the larger MeerKAT telescope, previously known as Karoo Array Telescope (KAT), it has become a science instrument in its own right. The construction was completed in 2011 and commissioning in 2012. It also served as a technology demonstrator for South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array. KAT-7 is the first Radio telescope to be built with a composite reflector and uses a stirling pump for 75 K cryogenic cooling. The telescope was built to test various system for the MeerKAT array, from the ROACH correlators designed and manufactured in Cape Town, now used by various telescopes internationally, to composite construction techniques.
Five antennas of KAT-7 in 2014 | |
| Part of | South African Radio Astronomy Observatory |
|---|---|
| Location(s) | Northern Cape, Meerkat National Park, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 30°43′16″S 21°24′40″E |
| Organization | Department of Science and Innovation National Research Foundation |
| Altitude | 1,100 m (3,600 ft) |
| Wavelength | 3 cm (10.0 GHz)–30 cm (1,000 MHz) |
| Built | –2011 |
| First light | 2009 |
| Telescope style | radio interferometer |
| Number of telescopes | 7 |
| Diameter | 12 m (39 ft 4 in) |
| Collecting area | 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft) |
| Website | www |
Location of KAT-7 | |
| Related media on Commons | |