An array of problems

摘要

When David Cameron addressed Australia's Parliament last November, the British prime minister referred briefly to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), "the world's largest radio telescope". The project's headquarters, he noted, were in Manchester, UK. Not so. The location of the SKA headquarters - a political and scientific prize - was due to be decided last week. It was a two-horse race: the United Kingdom or Italy. But the date came and went with no news. Astronomers have been left scratching their heads.