Main Structure of Under-Construction Mega Radio Telescope Capped in Xinjiang
The main structure of a mega fully steerable radio telescope was capped in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Sunday, marking another step forward in the construction of the major scientific research infrastructure project in the country.
Located in the foothills of the Tianahan Mountains in Qitai County, the telescope will feature a single dish measuring 110 meters in diameter and weigh more than 6,000 tons. The fully steerable dish will allow the telescope to observe 75 percent of celestial bodies in the sky.
Construction on the 110-meter-diameter telescope started in September 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2028.
Once operational, it will become a world-leading, large-aperture, fully steerable radio telescope with high sensitivity and multidisciplinary capabilities. In addition to supporting scientific observation and research, the facility will also serve as a hub for local science education and outreach, offering space for public engagement and hands-on activities.
One of Northwest China's key geographic advantages, especially in Xinjiang, is its vast, sparsely populated terrain, ideal for astronomical observation. The remoteness helps minimize human activities and electromagnetic interference, a critical factor that affects radio telescope performance, Yuan Lanfeng, according to a research fellow at the Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale under the University of Science and Technology of China.
China is also building another fully steerable radio telescope with a diameter of 120 meters, so far the world's largest, in northeast China's Jilin Province.
The Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the United States, currently holds the title as the world's largest operational fully steerable radio telescope, with its dish measuring 100 meters by 110 meters.
Compared with fixed radio telescopes of the same size, fully steerable radio telescopes can observe a larger part of the sky.
The next phase of the construction will involve equipment installation and system testing.
Duration: 1 minute
Release Date: June 8, 2025
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