China's FAST project, a giant radio telescope in the country's south, officially launched construction on its second phase, incorporating an array of movable radio telescopes around the main parabola to enhance the project's astronomical observation capabilities.
Coinciding with the eighth anniversary of the completion of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the new phase will place 24 smaller telescopes within a diameter of 40 meters around the larger bowl.
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China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
This expansion aims to leverage the superior electromagnetic environment that exists within a 5-kilometer radius of the telescope due to the area's remote location and natural topography. It will form a combined aperture array, which is expected to enhance resolution and imaging capabilities.
With the strategic development of the FAST project, Chinese scientists will be capable of launching deeper investigations into various fields such as gravitational wave events, fast radio bursts, supernovae, and black hole tidal disruption events.
FAST, also known as China's "Sky Eye", began formal operation in January 2020 and officially opened for worldwide use on March 31, 2021. It is believed to be the world's most sensitive radio astronomical telescope.
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
China starts phase two construction of FAST radio telescope
