FAST, the world’s largest radio telescope, has opened in China

The world’s largest radio telescope, FAST, has been commissioned in a mountainous region of southwest China. The telescope has a diameter of 500 metres and is 195 metres larger than the largest telescope ever built in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

The Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), as the new largest radio telescope is called, will scour space in search of gravitational waves, natural hydrogen in the Milky Way, and new pulsarsóand extraterrestrial life.

Construction of the largest radio telescope began in 2011. For this purpose, the authorities of the Middle Kingdom have allocated 108 millionóin the dollarów. The structure consists of 4450 tróangular panels made of aluminium. Their total weight will oscillate around 11 thousand tons.

This is China’s next big step in conquering space. A few days ago the Middle Kingdom has already launched the second orbital module Tiangong-2, whichóry is to be the foundation for the construction of a permanent orbital station. Although there have been some successes, there have also been some failures. The first Tiangong-1 orbital module has caused considerable problems for the Chinese, whoóThe scientists have lost control over it. Now the module is expected to fall to Earth, unfortunately no one knows where.

During FAST radio telescope operation, radio silence is required within a radius of five kilometersów. To make it happen, the Chinese government decided to resettle about eight thousand osób of theóin the surroundings of the radio telescope.