Square Kilometer Array - Astronomers may see evidence of aliens

Galileo would be impressed. The Square Kilometer Array (SKA), a land-based super-telescope is coming closer to reality as astronomers make their final decision on where to situate it. The SKA will be the world's largest, most powerful telescope - ever.

Galileo Galilei changed astronomy forever when he turned his version of the telescope to the heavens and became the first person to observe the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and perform the first scientific study of sunspots. 

Galileo's version of the telescope opened the heavens to a new age of exploration with specialized tools. And if astronomers have their way, by 2024, their latest version of the telescope will be at work adding to the tremendous volume of information we currently have about the universe.

Ironically, Galileo would not recognize this latest version of his telescope. Unlike his, which was a combination of lenses arranged in a tube, the SKA will actually be an array of very large dishes and sensors that will be scattered across either Australia or Africa. The array will have a physical surface area of one kilometer, hence it is being referred to as the "Square Kilometer Array."