The world's largest telescope is being built in only for search of aliens!
Currently, the world's largest single parabolic reflector radio telescope is the FAST or Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. An aperture spherical telescope is a type of radio telescope that has a large, spherical reflector. This reflector detects the radio waves and transmits them to an antenna. The antenna converts the waves into electrical signals, which scientists analyze to gain information about the universe.
This telescope is popularly known as 'FAST'. It is built on a southern hill in Pingdong Province, China. It consists of a giant spherical reflector with a diameter of 500 meters, which is about the size of 30 football fields. The construction of the project was completed in September 2016 after three years of extensive work. And its activities started at the beginning of 2020. At the beginning of the project, because of its size, everyone thought that this telescope would be used to search for the existence of aliens outside the Earth. Although it seemed impossible, it was a real possibility to astronomers.
However, the US National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory held the title of world's largest radio telescope for 53 years. The observatory, located in Puerto Rico, was shut down in November 2021 after mechanical failure and collapse. As a result of this incident, China's 'FAST' has become the world's largest radio telescope. This telescope is also known as 'Sky Eye'. The 'FAST' authorities are opening their doors to all astronomers of the world on this occasion. They hope that new researchers and institutions will use this powerful telescope to contribute to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
Astronomer Tim O'Brien of the University of Manchester in the UK shares his views on China's 'Sky Eye' radio telescope. He said, 'The size of this telescope is the key to its scientific testing capabilities.' 'The larger the telescope, the more radio waves it can collect and the smaller and fainter objects it can observe'. It is 2.5 times more sensitive than any telescope currently in operation.
