Did you know? The land surrounding SARAO’s MeerKAT radio telescope is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest radio quiet zone on Earth

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The land surrounding SARAO’s MeerKAT radio telescope is officially a world-record breaker! The Karoo Central Astronomy Advantage Area, which hosts our 64-dish MeerKAT array and the growing SKA-Mid telescope, is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest radio quiet zone on Earth.

Here is why this “quiet” is so loud for science:

  • Massive Footprint: The protected zone covers an enormous area of approximately 106,306 km2 (41,044 square miles) in the Northern Cape.
  • Legal Protection: Established by the Astronomy Geographic Advantage Act passed by the South African Parliament in 2007, these regulations ensure the Karoo remains a sanctuary for radio astronomy.
  • Strict Silence: To protect MeerKAT’s ultra-sensitive receivers from interference, there is a legally enforced ban on commercial radio transmissions, including mobile phones and television transmitters, within the zone.
  • The “Core” of Operations: At the very center sits the Karoo Core Astronomy Advantage Area, spanning 134 km2 (51 square miles), where even domestic Wi-Fi and microwave ovens are restricted to prevent “noise” from drowning out cosmic signals.

By maintaining this radio silence, SARAO ensures that the MeerKAT site remains one of the most powerful windows into the universe, capable of detecting the faintest whispers from distant galaxies.

Read more: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/647516-largest-radio-quiet-zone

The land surrounding SARAO’s MeerKAT radio telescope is recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest radio quiet zone on Earth.

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