South Africa's MeerKAT joins forces with the European VLBI Network, ushering in a new era of radio astronomy
The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) congratulates the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and its international collaborators on the successful integration of South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope into the European VLBI Network (EVN), one of the world's most sensitive and advanced very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) systems.
This landmark scientific achievement marks the first full participation of MeerKAT in an EVN observation, operating as a true VLBI station alongside telescopes across the globe. This is a new chapter for high-resolution radio astronomy, enabling scientists to study the universe in greater detail than ever before.
The collaboration has already delivered impressive results. By adding MeerKAT's exceptional sensitivity and unique location in the southern hemisphere to the EVN, researchers captured enhanced images of energetic plasma jets from the supermassive black hole J0123+3044. This sets the stage for a new wave of scientific breakthroughs in understanding cosmic phenomena.
"This achievement is a proud moment for South African science and a powerful demonstration of what international collaboration can accomplish. Integrating MeerKAT into the EVN marks a giant leap for precision radio astronomy and lays vital groundwork for the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA)-VLBI era. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to SARAO, the EVN, JIVE, and all the global partners involved in this exceptional success," said Prof. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE), headquartered in the Netherlands, coordinated the EVN's participation and played a central role in data processing and image development, working closely with SARAO's engineering and science teams to ensure the mission's success.
The 12-hour global observation session included four hours of data from MeerKAT. Its contributions, combined with the 26-metre radio telescope in Hartebeesthoek, significantly extended the north-south baselines of the VLBI array, sharpening image resolution and adding critical depth to the observations.
MeerKAT, which is designed and operated by SARAO as a facility of the DSTI's entity, the National Research Foundation, continues to lead from the front in global radio astronomy. Its successful VLBI integration builds on more than five decades of South African expertise in the field and strengthens the country's role in the global scientific community.
As the designated precursor to the mid-frequency component of the SKA, MeerKAT is fulfilling its mission as a pathfinder, both scientifically and technologically.
Reflecting on MeerKAT's enormous capabilities and its joint observations with the EVN, Ms Pontsho Maruping, Managing Director of SARAO, said, "MeerKAT has been highly successful in its mission to explore the radio sky in unprecedented detail, imaging some of the largest-scale structures in the universe. At the same time, we strongly emphasise collaborating with other instruments as we continue to develop MeerKAT's scientific capabilities before its eventual integration into the SKA-Mid telescope."
"We are excited about the collaboration with our JIVE colleagues to use the power and versatility of MeerKAT, alongside other telescopes in the EVN network, harnessing the power of VLBI to target the most compact objects and reveal their finest details," she continued.
The collaboration marks an important milestone in the expansion of the global VLBI network, in which arrays such as the EVN, MeerKAT, and soon the SKA will work in synergy.
JIVE Council Chair, Ms Jessica Dempsey, applauded the "great" achievement by the SARAO team.
"This collaboration not only showcases the power of international partnerships in radio astronomy but also paves the way for transformative scientific discoveries through cutting-edge technological innovation," she added.
The DSTI remains committed to supporting SARAO, its international collaborators, and the broader radio astronomy ecosystem as we move toward the full realisation of the SKA.
This achievement is not just a technological milestone; it is also a powerful example of global scientific unity, with South Africa proudly at the forefront of the world's expanding window on the universe.
