The Chinese mainland's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish and most sensitive radio telescope, has announced the opening of global applications for free observation projects for 2024. Located in a naturally deep and round karst depression in southwest China's Guizhou Province, FAST has been observing celestial phenomena for over 5,000 hours annually since its inception in January 2020.
FAST is currently engaged in several scientific observation missions, including pulsar search, pulsar time survey, neutral hydrogen survey, and fast radio bursts. With its unparalleled sensitivity, the telescope has already observed more than 890 pulsars.
As of the beginning of this year, FAST has received applications from 15 countries and has approved nearly 900 hours of observation access for foreign research teams since March 31, 2021.
From August 2024 to July 2025, FAST is accepting global applications, with the submission deadline set for May 15, 2024, at 16:00 UT. Interested researchers and institutions worldwide are encouraged to apply through the telescope's official website.
Reference(s):
FAST opens 2024 global applications for free observation projects
cgtn.com
