China's FAST telescope officially opens to global astronomers

2021-03-31 Ecns.cn Editor：Mo Hong'e

China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope. (File Photo/China News Service)

(ECNS) -- China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-dish and most sensitive radio telescope, has officially opened to the world starting Wednesday.

Astronomers worldwide can visit http://fast.bao.ac.cn/proposal_submit to submit their applications for observations, said the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in a statement.

All applications will be evaluated and the results will be announced on July 20. Observations by international users will begin in August.

FAST will provide its research facilities to the world with a more open attitude, offering more observation options for the international astronomical community.

China's FAST has independent intellectual property rights. Since it started operation, it has provided stable and reliable services, finding 300 pulsars and making breakthroughs in fields like fast radio bursts.

Located in southwest China's Guizhou Province, it officially began operating on Jan. 11, 2020.

(With inputs from Xinhua)