FAST
FAST refers to the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope located in Kedu Town, Pingtang County, Guizhou Province. FAST is the largest single-aperture and most sensitive radio telescope in the world, whose overall performance is ten times that of the Arecibo telescope in the United States. Its reflective surface has an area of 250,000 square meters, equivalent to the size of 30 football fields.
As one of China's major science and technology projects, FAST was put into operation on September 25, 2016, and had discovered more than 300 pulsars by the end of March 2021, contributing significantly to the endeavors of scientists to explore the secrets of the universe. FAST belongs not just to China, but to all mankind. It began to be open to the world on March 31, 2021. Now scientists in all countries are allowed to apply to use the telescope for observation and research purposes.
To protect the electromagnetic wave environment around FAST, the area within a radius of five kilometers is set as the quiet zone, where all modern communication signals are blocked, which is something unique to experience. Kedu Town, where FAST is located, has become a popular science demonstration center. Every year a large number of astronomy enthusiasts and tourists come here to learn about astronomy, explore the secrets of the universe, take a vacation, and take part in cultural exchange.
“中國天眼”
“中國天眼”,是指位于貴州省平塘縣克度鎮的500米口徑球面射電天文望遠鏡,它是目前世界上最大單口徑、最靈敏的射電望遠鏡,綜合性能是美國阿雷西博望遠鏡的10倍。它的總面積達25萬平方米,相當于30個足球場那么大。
“中國天眼”是中國的國家重大科技工程之一,于2016年9月25日落成啟用。截至2021年3月底,“中國天眼”已發現脈沖星300多顆,為人類探測宇宙秘密的科學事業作出重大貢獻。“中國天眼”不只屬于中國,也屬于全人類。自2021年3月31日起,“中國天眼”面向全球開放,各國科學家均可提出申請,使用它開展觀測和研究工作。
為保護天眼周邊的電磁波環境,圍繞望遠鏡半徑5千米的范圍都屬于靜默區,人們可以在這里體驗沒有現代通信干擾的生活,那是一種獨特的感受。“中國天眼”所在的克度鎮已成為科普示范基地,每年大批天文愛好者和游客來這里體驗集天文科普、宇宙探秘、旅游度假、文化交流為一體的生態科技旅游。
