China Begins Construction of a 110-Meter Diameter Telescope Capable of Rotating in Any Direction in the Northern Sky.
Qitai, the World’s Largest Adjustable Radio Telescope, began construction in Xinjiang, western China, on September 21. It will surpass the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, which has a 100-meter diameter in the United States.
Simulation of the Qitai 110m Radio Telescope, expected to be completed in six years in Xinjiang, western China. (Photo: SCMP)
Chinese astronomers state that Qitai will address a wide range of issues, from star formation to the detection of gravitational waves, black holes, and dark matter. The new telescope will also assist China in studying the Moon, Mars, and more distant celestial bodies by providing tracking services for rockets and spacecraft. Its 110-meter diameter dish can rotate in any direction in the northern sky.
The Qitai project is managed by the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory and is expected to be completed in approximately six years. The project is primarily funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and local government. The construction of the telescope is highly significant for the region, in terms of attracting talent and promoting socio-economic development, according to astronomer Wu Xuebin from Peking University.
China currently operates the world’s largest radio telescope – the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST). FAST is located in a natural depression in the southwestern mountainous region of Guizhou Province.
However, the reflective surface of FAST is relatively fixed, limiting the area of the sky it can observe, Wu noted. He remarked that Qitai’s unprecedented ability to rotate in any direction and its large diameter will be “the next major contribution to the world.”
Qitai is situated in a sparsely populated rectangular basin surrounded by mountain ranges. This helps minimize radio interference. The new telescope is located at an altitude of about 1,800 meters, which helps maintain dryness and ensures that moisture does not hinder observations.
The specifications of Qitai were outlined by scientist Wang Na, director of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, in 2014. In research published in the journal Scientia Sinica Physica, Mechanica & Astronomica, Wang stated that Qitai will have a movable dish adjusted by actuators located behind the dish.
