Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope
Encyclopedia
FAST, or the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, first proposed in 1994, is a radio telescope
to be built by 2013 in a natural basin （大窝凼洼地）, Pingtang County
平塘县 near Duyun
, capital of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
黔南布依族苗族自治州, Guizhou Province 贵州, southwest China
construction should be complete by September 2016.
It will have 4,600 triangular panels and be similar in design to the Arecibo Observatory
, utilizing a natural hollow (karst
) to provide support for the telescope dish. As the name suggests, it will have a diameter of 500m (one 里 lǐ).
It will use an adaptive
surface that adjusts to create parabola
s in different directions, with an effective dish size of 300m. This means that it will not be confined to pointing directly upwards, but capable of covering the sky within 40 degrees from the zenith
. Its working frequency will be 0.3-5.1 GHz
, with a pointing precision of 4 arcseconds.
In October 2008, the project was approved by the National development and reform commission
. On Dec 26, 2008, a foundation laying ceremony was held on the construction site.
The chief scientist of the project is Nan Rendong, a researcher with the Chinese National Astronomical Observatory, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
.
Radio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
to be built by 2013 in a natural basin （大窝凼洼地）, Pingtang County
Pingtang County
Pingtang County is a county in the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou, in southwest China. It is a high mountain valley and is inhabited mainly by members of the Buyei and Miao ethnic minorities, who together make up 55% of the county's population.The county's area is 2,816...
平塘县 near Duyun
Duyun
Duyun is the capital of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China.The area surrounding the city was affected by the Miao rebellion of 1736-36. The city participated in the uprising from the early stages until is was forcefully repressed the...
, capital of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China. The capital of the prefecture is Duyun...
黔南布依族苗族自治州, Guizhou Province 贵州, southwest China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
construction should be complete by September 2016.
It will have 4,600 triangular panels and be similar in design to the Arecibo Observatory
Arecibo Observatory
The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope near the city of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. It is operated by SRI International under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation...
, utilizing a natural hollow (karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
) to provide support for the telescope dish. As the name suggests, it will have a diameter of 500m (one 里 lǐ).
It will use an adaptive
Adaptive optics
Adaptive optics is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of wavefront distortions. It is used in astronomical telescopes and laser communication systems to remove the effects of atmospheric distortion, and in retinal imaging systems to reduce the...
surface that adjusts to create parabola
Parabola
In mathematics, the parabola is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface...
s in different directions, with an effective dish size of 300m. This means that it will not be confined to pointing directly upwards, but capable of covering the sky within 40 degrees from the zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
. Its working frequency will be 0.3-5.1 GHz
GHZ
GHZ or GHz may refer to:# Gigahertz .# Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state — a quantum entanglement of three particles.# Galactic Habitable Zone — the region of a galaxy that is favorable to the formation of life....
, with a pointing precision of 4 arcseconds.
In October 2008, the project was approved by the National development and reform commission
National Development and Reform Commission
The National Development and Reform Commission , formerly State Planning Commission and State Development Planning Commission, is a macroeconomic management agency under the Chinese State Council, which has broad administrative and planning control over the Chinese economy...
. On Dec 26, 2008, a foundation laying ceremony was held on the construction site.
The chief scientist of the project is Nan Rendong, a researcher with the Chinese National Astronomical Observatory, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
.