China Sky Eye
Therefore, in addition to this fixed spherical radio telescope, an omnidirectional movable spherical radio telescope is more common. This telescope can randomly mobilize the observation direction and position. Except for the blocking part of the earth, it is almost not limited by the position of the observed celestial bodies, which is crucial for observing those celestial bodies that require long-term targeted research.
So which is the largest mobile radio telescope in the world? Currently, this head belongs to the American Green Bank Radio Astronomical Telescope. It is located at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, USA. This telescope is about 146 meters high, equivalent to the height of 49 floors and weighs 7,700 tons. It is heavier than the metal frame of the Eiffel Tower (about 7,300 tons). It is equivalent to the weight of a medium-sized destroyer. It is also the largest land-based movable structure in the world.
Green Bank Radio Telescope
is that its disc antenna movable surface is not a perfect circle, but an elliptical shape with a length of 110 meters and a width of 100 meters. It consists of more than 2,000 small reflector plates. It can receive one G of data every second during observation. It is also the world's most powerful omnidirectional movable radio telescope with the strongest observation ability.
However, according to CCTV News' report on September 21, Qitai County, Xinjiang, my country is building the world's largest omnidirectional moving radio telescope. At 13:30 pm that day, this giant sky-viewing equipment called "QiTai radio telescope (abbreviated as QTT)" broke ground and began construction. It is a 110-meter-diameter circular spherical radio telescope, slightly larger than the American Green Bank radio telescope.
Qitai radio telescope structure simulation diagram
Qitai radio telescope is built in the closed basin of Shihezi Ranch in Shihezi Village, Qitai County, Xinjiang. It has a high altitude, a relatively dry climate, and is far away from densely populated towns. It has mountains around it, which has good astronomical observation conditions.
This giant sky-viewing artifact is also very large. It is expected that its antenna will exceed the height of 35 floors, weigh more than 6,000 tons, and the spherical diameter area is equivalent to 23 basketball courts. It can achieve high-quality observation from 150MHz to 115GHz. The surface shape accuracy can reach 0.3 mm and the direction accuracy is 2.5 angle seconds. It can observe celestial bodies with very dark wireless signals in the distant universe with high accuracy. Its observation objects include black holes, quasar , fast radio bursts, dark matter , gravitational waves, and even alien civilization signals.
It is estimated that the construction of this telescope will take 6 years. The media said that after it is completed, it will become the world's largest and highest-precision omnidirectional movable radio telescope with a diameter of 100 meters. However, the title of "world's number one" will not last long after the completion of this telescope, because a 120-meter omnidirectional movable radio telescope with a diameter of 120 meters, the Jingdong 120m Pulsar Radio Telescope (JRT) is being built in Wuliang Mountain, Dali, Yunnan, China. This giant telescope is located in Xujiaba, Taizhong Town, Jingdong County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province. It is currently under construction in the world with the largest caliber and the strongest observation capability.
Jingdong 120m Pulsar Radio Telescope
believes that with the launch of these astronomical observation "heavy weapons" with the title of "world first", our achievements in astronomy exploration will gradually move towards the world first.
Reference materials:
"CCTV News" client September 25, 2022 Article "my country Xinjiang Qitai Radio 110-meter Diameter Telescope Laid and Started"
"China News Network" September 29, 2020 Article "The world's largest fully movable low-frequency radio telescope project launched in Jingdong, Yunnan"
