China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is making waves in the global scientific community. Since opening its doors to international researchers on March 31, 2021, FAST has granted nearly 900 hours of observation time to research teams from 15 countries, including Germany, Italy, and France.
Engineer Sun Chun, responsible for the measurement and control systems of FAST, highlighted that the telescope's offerings cater primarily to studies on fast radio bursts, pulsar observations, and neutral hydrogen surveys. These initiatives are paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics.
British astronomer Ralph Eatough, a pulsar specialist at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed excitement over the telescope's enhanced capabilities. He noted, \"Opening up FAST to the world means that now astronomers have the possibility to perform experiments that were previously not possible due to insufficient telescope sensitivity, and that a prime example is the potential to detect pulsars located in external galaxies.\"
Jiang Peng, the chief engineer of FAST, emphasized the ongoing efforts to maintain the telescope's leading position on the global stage. \"We are committed to ensuring that FAST becomes even more stable and efficient,\" Jiang stated. With an annual observation time of about 5,300 hours, FAST continues to be a cornerstone of scientific research and innovation.
Situated in a deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province, FAST stands as a testament to international collaboration and the relentless pursuit of knowledge in the cosmos.
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FAST provides nearly 900 observation hours to foreign researchers
cgtn.com
