How-to China: Sky eye wide open

Academician Wu Xiangping said in October that China planned to build five more 500-meter telescopes to form a huge array. Is that real? Where would these new FASTs be located?

Jiang: The feasibility and locations are under discussion. There is no information to tell now.

How does FAST relate to the public?

Jiang: In 2009, the National Astronomical Observatories began to organize summer vacation classes for students to learn about FAST and radio astronomy. The classes are also meant to train potential talent for the future maintenance and upgrading of FAST.

National Astronomical Observatories also cooperates with Guizhou Normal University and Guizhou University in data analysis. In November 2021, the Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy and Data Processing at Guizhou Normal University was put into operation, focusing on using data collected from FAST to conduct research on compact objects.

Wang Jin in Guiyang contributed to this story.