Super Telescope Discovers 1,300 New Galaxies

A super telescope has revealed 1,300 new galaxies in a tiny corner of the universe.

The South African radio telescope MeerKAT has captured images of new galaxies in a spot where only 70 had only been known before.

The MeerKAT, which is currently under construction in the remote Karoo region of South Africa, will be integrated into the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), a huge multi-radio-telescope project to be built in Australia and South Africa, and the images recently captured are an indication of the telescope's capabilities when it becomes fully operational, CNN reports.

The discovery is the first scientific milestone achieved by the telescope, which is known to be the best of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The images came from MeerKAT's first 16 dishes that are currently scanning the skies, which are part of the 64 total dishes commissioned.

"Based on the results being shown today, we are confident that after all 64 dishes are in place, MeerKAT will be the world's leading telescope of its kind until the advent of SKA," Justin Jonas, SKA South Africa chief technologist, said in a press release.

When fully operational by 2020, the SKA will be comprised of 3,000 dishes spread over 0.4 square miles across remote terrain around several countries, which will allow astronomers to have an unparalleled view of space. The SKA will have a discovery potential 10,000 times that of the most advanced modern instruments, and will explore black holes, supernovae, dark energy and other astronomical phenomena that will lead to the origins of the universe, SKA representatives said.

Over 20 countries are members of SKA, with Australia and South Africa being the main bases of operations, and the UK as headquarters.

MeerKAT images

According to SKA South Africa chief scientist Fernando Camilo, the images produced by MeerKAT are "far better" than what was expected.

"[This] means that this telescope, as is today only one quarter of the way down (to its full contingent), is already the best radio telescope in the southern hemisphere," Camilo said in a report published in The Guardian.

The newly discovered galaxies include one that is said to be around 200 million light years away where new stars are being formed from huge quantities of hydrogen gas, and a massive black hole emitting jets of powerful electrons.