Shanghai to reopen century-old astronomical telescope after overhaul

SHANGHAI -- China's earliest large astronomical telescope will reopen to scan the universe after an observatory overhaul starting next month in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Astronomical Museum announced a major overhaul of its 120-year-old Sheshan Observatory, which is scheduled to begin in late March this year. One of the highlights is the restoration of a binocular telescope with 40-cm refracting lenses.

Built in 1900, it is China's earliest astronomical telescope and remains one of the country's largest refracting telescopes. According to the museum, the telescope will restore its observing capability after the overhaul, and space lovers will have the opportunity to look at the vast sky with this century-old piece of equipment.

The observatory, located on the hillside of Mount She, is China's first modern observatory with a planetarium dome and a large astronomical telescope. Experts will also digitalize precious astronomical data preserved by the observatory, said the museum.

The last observatory overhaul took place in 2013.