Alternativo.mx | The largest radio telescope in the world entered into operation in a mountainous region of Guizhou, southwest China province, to help search for extraterrestrial life.
Shortly after noon yesterday, in a karst valley located in the district of Pingtang, hundreds of astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts witnessed the official launch of the mission Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) to explore space and look for extraterrestrial life, Xinhua news agency said.
According to experts, the FAST will look for gravitational waves, detect radio emissions from stars and galaxies.
The project began in 2011, 17 years after it was proposed by Chinese astronomers and with an investment around one thousand 200 million yuan (180 million dollars).
The main installation of the structure of the telescope, a reflector composed of four thousand 450 panels with a size equivalent to 30 football fields, was completed in early July.