Top meeting: Astrophysicists discuss world's largest telescope in Görlitz

Next week, renowned scientists will discuss the construction of the world's largest radio telescope at the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) in Görlitz, which is currently under construction. 550 researchers are expected to attend the international conference, said co-organizer Stefan Wagner, a professor of astrophysics at Heidelberg University.

Germany is one of twelve countries participating in the international project. "This is the most important event for radio astronomers worldwide," said Günther Hasinger, designated DZA founding director. "Here in the heart of Europe, the future of the largest telescope network ever built by humans will be decided."

The DAZ will operate and directly control the telescopes in South Africa and Australia. "There will be a control room for this," Wagner said. This is already functioning in test mode and will be presented at the conference.

From Görlitz into the universe

As a partner of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the DZA is "setting a clearly visible example for Lusatia and Saxony – and indeed throughout the world," said Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow (CDU). "With the DZA, we are part of the world's largest radio telescope, which brings with it technological and digital challenges. We want to solve them here."

The observatory is already being built in South Africa and Australia. "But it will take some time until it's finished," Wagner said. This requires an environment free of artificial electromagnetic radiation, which isn't possible anywhere in Europe. It requires a region within a radius of at least 300 to 400 kilometers without a single cell phone tower. Therefore, the telescopes will be built in deserted deserts in the Southern Hemisphere.

Public lecture and student experiment

The public is also welcome at the Gerhart Hauptmann Theater, the conference venue. In addition to lectures, students can build their own telescopes and observe the Milky Way in radio waves, Wagner said. This will help them understand the principles of radio astronomy.

According to the ministry, the DAZ, which is scheduled to be completed in ten years with 1,000 employees, will play a key role in Lusatia's structural transformation. It will position the region as a hotspot for cutting-edge research, create jobs, and promote innovation and international cooperation through technology research and data science.