Maltese scientist involved in mega telescope project

A Maltese scientist is among 100 experts from around the world working on an EU project to design the world's largest telescope.

This project will help put Malta on the map both in terms of radio astronomy and also in possibly permitting its involvement in producing some of the telescope's components, Kristian Zarb Adami, a lecturer at the University of Malta, explained.

Once built, the telescope - the Square Kilometre Array - will provide the most rigorous tests of general relativity, measure the properties of every single galaxy in the universe and investigate the possibility of life beyond the solar system.

The SKA will allow scientists to trace the building blocks of life in galaxies, including stars and planets, from their earliest origin until today. This will help scientists understand the future of the solar system.

Over a two-day conference held last week at the Old University Building in Valletta, European scientists discussed the SKA's future design and specific costs. The EU has just agreed to renew its funding commitment towards the SKA under the FP7 programme.

When it is built, all scientists will be able to use the same telescope for global communication.

Head of Astrophysics at Oxford, Steve Rawlings, said: "Astronomy used to be a subject where you looked and found out. Nowadays, it's much more quantitative. We can make solid predictions."

With costs for such projects being astronomical (€1.5 billion), it makes sense that these predictions can be made before the scientists are given funding.

Because of the large number of high quality components required by the telescope, the scientists need to step into commercial ground - mass manufacturing. Thus, the project is also working closely with industry, something which was not common between scientists and industry.

In the past five to 10 years, developments in astronomy have led to the discovery of several more planets. The equipment has become more sensitive, so who knows what else lies beyond earth.