Recycled telescope sees first light in Ghana

The first of a series of African radio telescopes that will later feed into the larger Square Kilometre Array network has made its maiden scientific observations in Ghana.

It is the first active telescope of a series of refurbished telecommunications dishes of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network. It has been converted to be able to do ratio astronomy—the first of a series of such conversions underway in Africa.

Nine countries will be involved in the final AVN network: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia.