29/05/2025 – The SKAO, a balcony to the Universe with its heart on Earth 05/29/2025 – SKAO, a balcony to the Universe with its heart on Earth, is the title of a public talk in the Lucas Lara lecture series, which will take place on Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. in the IAA-CSIC Auditorium, Granada, Spain.

The speaker is Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro, who has coordinated Spanish participation in this project since its inception. This is a great opportunity to learn how a large astronomical observational facility, with unprecedented sensitivity and complexity, is conceived, built, and organised. Also, to learn about the construction of these telescopes in remote regions of South Africa and Australia.

In this talk, we'll learn about the latest developments and Spain's participation in the project. We'll also learn about the status of the SKA International Network of Regional Centres, for which one node is being developed in Spain. These centres are essential for the community to access the vast amount of data the telescopes will generate and to benefit from tools, technical support, and specialised training.

From this point on, we will open a window to the lesser-known dimensions of SKAO: the challenge of interference caused by mega-satellite constellations, cooperation with Africa and Indigenous tribes in Australia, Open Science, respect for the environment, and the creation of opportunities beyond science. This is an invitation to observe the Universe with the most advanced technology... and with your feet firmly on the ground.

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