FAST – world’s largest radio telescope
Baku, September 6, AZERTAC
FAST (The Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope) is considered the world’s largest radio telescope located in the southwest region of People’s Republic of China (PRC).
According to the information given by the Shamakhi Astrophysical Observatory named after Nasiradddin Tusi, the FAST is larger than the world’s largest Radio Telescope Observatory Arecibo located in Puerto Rico. It was constructed for 5 years and 1,15 billion yuan (180 million USD) spent for its construction.
With a diameter of 500 meters, FAST radio telescope became fully functional on September 25 of 2016. It is located in the mountainous Guizhou Province, southwest China.
With the largest filled-aperture radio telescope, FAST will be involved in scientific research works over the neutral hydrogen clouds, pulsar observations, detection of interstellar molecules, detecting interstellar communication signals.
The world’s largest radio telescope FAST is built in karst depressions and its reflector is made of 4450 piece of perforated aluminum panels supported by a mesh of steel cables hanging from the rim. The dome of the reflector is in a geodesic form. The special actuators control each panel of the reflector.
