China opens the largest wide-view telescope in the Northern Hemisphere

Hey The New China News Agency (Xinhua) reported that the telescope, located at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Qinghai Province, is under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is the most powerful of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere.

The WFST, jointly developed since 2019 by the University of Science and Technology of China and the observatory, covers the entire northern hemisphere of the sky, which will benefit astronomical research and observation of near-Earth space.

This telescope has a diameter of 2.5 metres, and is located in Linghu Village, at an average altitude of 4,200 metres. This site is known as the Chinese “Mars Camp” because of its desert landscape similar to the surface of the red planet.

One of WFST’s most notable features is its ability to capture precise images of distant galaxies, such as the one it recorded of the Andromeda Galaxy, which is located more than two million light-years away.

Its large field of view and high resolution make it possible to image galaxies that are difficult to observe using other telescopes.

This telescope will also help in observing dynamic astronomical events and time-domain astronomical observation research.

The device will also improve China’s ability to monitor near-Earth objects and issue early warnings.

This new type of telescope takes images of the universe at a greater width and depth, using the method of reflecting light between multiple mirrors, before capturing the image with a giant camera.

The Lingu area, which when completed will be the largest astronomical observation base in Asia, began construction in 2017 and already includes 12 telescopes.

In total, more than 30 telescopes will be installed on Mount Saishiting, including the 6.5-meter MUST (Multiplexed Survey Telescope) and the EAST (Extended Aperture Telescope) which is also 6.5 metres.

The city, with a total area of ​​17,800 square kilometers, is located 944 kilometers from the capital of Qinghai Province, Xining.

In recent years, China’s space program has achieved several successes, such as landing the Chang’e 4 probe on the far side of the moon — an unprecedented achievement — and placing a probe on Mars, becoming the third country — after the United States and the former Soviet Union. — To do that.

China also completed a permanent space station last year, the culmination of more than a decade of efforts to maintain the continuous presence of crew members in orbit.

Read also: James Webb takes new (amazing) photos of the spiral galaxy