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Astronomers in Australia are keeping their fingers crossed in the hopes that Western Australia will be selected as the home of the world's most powerful radio telescope.

New telescope could aid in the search for extraterrestrial life

Astronomers in Australia are keeping their fingers crossed in the hopes that Western Australia will be selected as the home of the world’s most powerful radio telescope. According to the International Business Times, Australia is in competition with nine African countries, including South Africa, that have made it to a short-list of nominees to become the home of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia is considered to be the best location for the SKA telescope. But, not surprisingly, politics could influence the decision.

Artist's impression of the SKA radio telescope array (credit: SKA Project Development Office and Swinburne Astronomy Productions)

Artist's impression of the SKA radio telescope array (credit: SKA Project Development Office and Swinburne Astronomy Productions)

Professor Fred Watson, astronomer in charge at the Australian Astronomical Observatory at Coonabarabran in New South Wales, is a major proponent of building the SKA radio telescope in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Watson as stating, “The SKA will be by far the most sensitive radio telescope ever built . . . It will have the potential to reveal all kinds of things ranging from the possibility of picking up signals from aliens, if they exist.”

The SKA radio telescope will also be used to explore dark matter, and to explore the origins of the universe.

A meeting of scientists, engineers and government officials takes place this week, and could provide clues as to which country will be selected as the home for the SKA radio telescope. A group of international scientists is expected to make the final decision in 2012. Construction will then begin in 2016, leading to a projected operational date of 2024.

About Jason McClellan

Jason McClellan is a UFO journalist and the producer/co-host of the web series Spacing Out! He is also the web content manager and staff writer for OpenMinds.tv, and a co-organizer and technical producer of the International UFO Congress. As a founding member of Open Minds, Jason served as a writer and editor for the now defunct Open Minds magazine. He has appeared on Syfy, NatGeo, and, most recently, he co-starred on H2's Hangar 1: The UFO Files. ------ Follow Jason on Twitter @acecentric and subscribe to Jason's updates on Facebook.