The Square Kilometer Array and a Golden Age for Astronomy

A number of exciting new telescopes as well as enhancements of existing ones have either come or will come into operation in the near future. In the radio window of the electromagnetic spectrum, the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), being built in both South Africa and Australia, is one of the most exciting telescopes. It will help address some of the key astrophysical questions of the day. This article gives an overview of SKA, the scientific questions it will address and highlights a few early results from MeerKAT, a SKA precursor radio telescope built in South Africa that will be integrated with SKA.