Ground Telescopes

Teresa Anderson

Teresa Anderson
Credit: Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre,
The University of Manchester

Occupation: Director of Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Year born: 1962

Research Areas: Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy, Public Engagement

Anna Scaife

Anna Scaife
Credit: SKA Organisation

Occupation: Astrophysicist

Year born:

Research Areas: Radio-Astronomy, Artificial Intelligence

William Herschel

William Herschel
Credit: L F Abbott

Occupation: Astronomer & Musician

Year born: 1738

Research Areas: Astronomy, Radiation

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE in the NSO's
Dark Matter garden, RHS Chelsea 2015
Credit: Science and Technology Facilities Council

Occupation: Space Scientist and Science Communicator

Year born: 1968

LIGO

The Laser Interferometry Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) detects gravitational waves from the surface of Earth. LIGO consists of two observatories in the USA, one in Louisiana and one in Washington.

The SKA is a multi radio telescope project, designed to be built in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Once built, it will have a collecting area of roughly one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies, and it will be 50 times more sensitive than any existing radio telescope. It will be able to survey the sky 10,000 times faster than ever before.

Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)

The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be the world's largest telescope seeing visible and infra-red wavelengths. It is currently under construction, and is due to be completed in 2024. The primary mirror is 40 metres in diameter, and will collect 100 million times more light than the human eye.