Advertisement
Advertisement
Space
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
FAST has struggled to hire researchers because of its remote location, low pay and questions about research independence. (Picture: Xinhua)

China’s FAST radio telescope officially opens to astronomers around the world

World’s largest single-dish radio telescope hunts for mysterious radio waves in the universe

Space
This article originally appeared on ABACUS

China’s massive Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is now formally in operation and open to astronomers around the world.

Since October 2017, the telescope has helped Chinese scientists discover 102 pulsars, the team reportedly said last weekend. That’s more than the total number of pulsars discovered by European and American research teams. The telescope is also “participating in the search for extraterrestrial civilizations,” according to the project website.
Construction of the telescope started in 2011, completing in September 2016. The project relocated nearly 10,000 residents living nearby in the impoverished Guizhou Province.

FAST, or “Sky Eye” as dubbed by Chinese authorities, first opened to domestic astronomers in April last year. The size of the telescope is equal to that of 30 football fields, and it’s 2.5 times more sensitive than Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory, the world’s second-largest single-dish radio telescope, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020.
Post