Glue toC

Glue undersideand glue to (b)

→

Glue to (a)

Insert into B (c)

Bend outward

then glue to

underside of B.

(b) (b)

(a)

Insert into B (c)

Bend outward

then glue to

underside of B.

A Pedestal

Back of receptor

MeerKAT

1:100

Front of receptor

(c) (c)

B Base

Glue toA

Glue

Glue to D

Glue to DBack of antenna

Diam

etre 13.5m

C Antenna (dish)

Glu

e

Glu

e

Glue to undersideof sub-reflector

(a) (a)

(c) G

lue

to E

Glue to undersideof sub-reflector

Glu

e to

C

Glu

e to

C

Glue to (a)

Glue to (b) (b)

Sub-reflector

D Framework

E Receiver

Fold →Glue to D (c)

MeerKAT papercraft courtesy of the Kagoshima University, Kagoshima and South African Embassy, Tokyo in Japan

Build your own MeerKAT radio telescope receptorSKA AND MEERKAT

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Radio Telescope is an international collaboration to build the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. The SKA will have a collecting area of one square kilometre (one million square metres), and will consist of thousands of antennas or dishes (high frequency) located across Africa and many aperture array antennas (low frequency and mid-frequency) located across Australia. SKA South Africa (SA) is currently constructing the MeerKAT Radio Telescope, consisting of 64 dishes, 90km outside Carnarvon, Northern Cape. The MeerKAT Radio Telescope is a precursor to the SKA and will be integrated into the mid-frequency component of SKA Phase 1. For more information, visit www.ska.ac.za.

Scale 1:100

DID YOU KNOW?

A MeerKAT radio telescope receptor stands 19.5 m high

and weighs 42 tons.The pedestal and yoke

stand just over 8 m high. The antenna (dish) is 13.5 m in

diametre.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut out each component (A to E) along the solid blue line.Fold along the dashed lines.Cut slits into the template along the dotted lines, using a craft knife. If you are under the age of 16, ask an adult to help you.Construct each component separately, then assemble as follows:

Glue A to BGlue D to EGlue C to D/EGlue C/D/E to A/B