Qinghai to build 4.2-meter astrometric telescope

(ECNS) -- A contract for the construction of China's largest general purpose precision survey telescope at Lenghu was signed in northwest China's Qinghai Province on Sunday, according to Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

With a total investment of 300 million yuan ($14 million), the ground based 4.2-meter astrometric telescope is optimized for high-precision astrometry o solar objects.

Upon completion, it will also be the largest specialized telescope for astrometric measurements in the world, said Ping Yiding, senior engineer of the Observatory.

Lenghu observatory at an average altitude of 4,000 meters is nestled on the Saishiteng Mountain of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Lenghu enjoys the unique advantage of clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions and a dry climate. It fills the gap of world-class optical astronomical observatory sites in the Eastern Hemisphere and promotes the development of international optical astronomy.

Another contract for the construction of 2.5-meter multi-terminal universal telescope was also signed on the same day.