One observatory, two telescopes, three continents

Background

The SKA Observatory, SKAO for short, is an intergovernmental organisation that brings together nations from around the world, and its two radio telescopes are being built now. Its stated mission is to build and run cutting-edge radio telescopes, to change what is known about the Universe, and to bring gains to society by working across borders. Its Global Headquarters are in the United Kingdom, on the Jodrell Bank site in Cheshire, beside the Jodrell Bank Observatory and Centre for Engagement of the University of Manchester, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once in operation it will be a single global observatory running two telescopes on three continents for its Member States and partners. The SKA-Low telescope is in Australia, where its Science Operations Centre is at Perth and its Engineering Operations Centre at Geraldton in Western Australia. The SKA-Mid telescope is in South Africa, with the Science Operations Centre at Cape Town and the Engineering Operations Centre at Klerefontein near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape province. The two telescopes are made up of hundreds of dishes and thousands of antennas respectively, and each is supported by a Science Operations Centre and an Engineering Operations Centre in its host country.