African radio astronomy gains a powerful array

Users could solve problems involving stars, sunrise, direction, calendars and the hours of prayer.

Metalworking, calligraphy, geometric design and numerical tables were all necessary to produce a reliable instrument.

They expanded astrolabe theory, manufacture and uses before the instrument circulated further through Africa, Asia and Europe.

The 64-dish radio telescope officially opened near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.

The observatory unveiled a striking radio image of the central region of our galaxy.

The array became a precursor to the wider Square Kilometre Array observatory.

The publication presents astronomy as a product of exchange among Chinese, Indian, Persian, Greek, Arab and Central Asian traditions.

Scholars compared inherited tables and models rather than simply copying them, producing new observations and calculations.

Large instruments, repeated measurements, mathematical tables and trained observers depended on patronage and coordinated labour.

Astronomical development emerged through movement, multilingual scholarship and debate across connected regions.