The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) located in Guizhou, China, the world's second largest single-dish radio telescope, is being put to good use by Chinese scientists before it officially begins operations in 2019.
Since the trial operation began in 2016, FAST has discovered some 50 stars that bear features similar to pulsars. Of this total, 44 have been confirmed as pulsars, according to scientists in National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC).
The observation of pulsars can be used to conduct research on black holes and gravitational waves, and to help solve many other major questions bedeviling physics. FAST helps scientists understand the Universe by receiving and recording pulsar and interstellar signals from extraterrestrial sources.
The sensitivity of FAST makes it, arguably, the world's most sensitive telescope. A telescope's sensitivity refers to the minimum brightness it can detect. The lower the sensitivity number, the farther a telescope can see. FAST is now 20 percent more sensitive than when it saw first light in 2016.
Chinese engineers and astronomers are continuously trying to perfect the telescope, making improvements to allow it to see farther into the Universe.
Chinese scientists are still improving the FAST system, said Jiang Peng, chief engineer of FAST with NAOC. He revealed NAOC has met many goals previously set for FAST.
NAOC revealed FAST will start formal operations and will be open to use by Chinese astronomers in 2019. Jiang said Chinese astronomers have commented that FASST was almost usable two years ago. Now it is usable, "and our goal is to make it good to use," said Jiang.
FAST will also search for extraterrestrial life, as well as monitor China's space program. It's built into a natural hollow, or karst, in Pingtang County. FAST cost over $180 million to build.
FAST's main mirror has a diameter of 500 meters. It consists of 4,600 triangular panels, and in this aspect is similar in design to the Arecibo Observatory telescope in Chile. Embedding FAST'a telescope dish in a natural hollow allows for stronger support for the dish.
Situating FAST three miles away from the nearest inhabited town gives the radio telescope the perfect radio silence it needs to make superior observations. Some 9,000 persons in Pingtang were relocated to make way for FAST.
FAST is the world's second-largest radio telescope. Russia's RATAN-600 in Zelenchukskaya, which has been operational since 1974, is the world's largest radio telescope.
