What is really out in space?

This question has intrigued man since the beginning of time and only now are we beginning to unravel the mysteries that space offers.

The University of Lethbridge's Physics Department welcomes University of Calgary researcher, Dr. Russ Taylor, to campus Thursday afternoon to discuss The Square Kilometre array(SKA). The talk is being held at 1:40 p.m. in room C640 and everyone is welcome to attend.

The Director, and Head, Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS), Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Taylor's discussion of The Square Kilometre Array, is an overview of the global project to plan and construct the next-generation international radio telescope operating at metre to centimetre wavelengths.

The University of Lethbridge and University of Calgary recently entered into agreement to create ISIS, with the U of L's Dr. David Naylor at the forefront of the University's involvement.

Scientists and engineers at 50 institutes in 19 countries are involved in the development of The Square Kilometre Array. It will be one of the largest scientific projects ever undertaken; designed to answer some of the big questions of our time: What is Dark Energy? Was Einstein right about gravity? What is the nature of dark matter? Can we detect gravitational waves? When and how did the first stars and galaxies form? What was the origin of cosmic magnetism? How do Earth-like planets form? Is there life, intelligent or otherwise, elsewhere in the Universe?

The telescope will have a collecting area of up to one million square metres spread over at least 3,000 kilometres.

Canada was one of the early leaders in the development of the SKA concept. Taylor will describe the technical challenges of the SKA, the international plan for its realization and the key science drivers.