At the moment of the Chinese heavens, those teenagers who are looking for the starry sky

Figure (1): Panorama of "China's Heavenly Eye" Xinhua News Agency reporter Ou Dongqu photo (2): Pingtang County Nationalities Middle School Astronomical Society Observation Activities Interviewee Photo (3): Children visiting the Pingtang International Astronomical Experience Hall Liu Chaofu Photo (4): In 2018, Liu Zhangtao gave a speech at the International Big Data Industry Expo held in Guiyang Photo courtesy of the interviewee (5): Children experienced "crossing the black hole" at the Pingtang International Astronomical Experience Hall Liu Chaofu photo

In the spring of 2011, a remote town in southern Guizhou, surrounded by mountains, broke ground on the world's largest single-aperture and sensitive radio telescope.

Later, the 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope built here is the world-famous "Chinese Sky Eye". This remote town is Kedu Town, Pingtang County, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

Plant a seed of "starry sky"

The start of the "Heavenly Eye" made the town of Kedu, hidden in the mountains, famous overnight.

Change more or less begins to happen. Ordinary people are moving and living in new houses, adults are talking about future development, and children are curious about the mysterious "cauldron", such as Liu Zhangtao.

Liu Zhangtao is a native of The Buyi ethnic group in Kedu Town. When the "Sky Eye" started, he was in the fifth grade of elementary school, and one day he walked into the school and found an extra propaganda poster on the wall, which was painted with white paint and a row of large characters: "The 500-meter aperture radio telescope is located in the town of Kedu." ”

"500 meters aperture", "radio telescope"... The words on the wall were strong and powerful, Liu Zhangtao read it word by word, but his brain was chaotic. What is a radio telescope? How big is the 500-meter caliber? What does it mean to sit in the town of Kedu? He was only a teenager, and he had no way of knowing or understanding.

It was not until junior high school, when the class teacher described the appearance of the "Heavenly Eye" to everyone in class, that Liu Zhangtao gradually had a specific understanding of it: Oh, the original radio telescope is not the kind of cylindrical, mirror-like telescope that he remembered, and the "Heavenly Eye" does not rely on "seeing", but relying on "listening" to explore the universe.

How does the "Sky Eye" work? And how do you "listen" to the vastness of the universe? One question after another came to the mind of the teenager.

Like all knowledge-hungry children, Liu Zhangtao looked for all opportunities to learn in order to understand the puzzles that swirled in his mind. Pingtang was once a state-level poverty-stricken county, with limited resources in all aspects, and there were very few books related to astronomy in the school library, and Liu Zhangtao read everything he could see. There is no computer at home, homework is tense, there are not many opportunities to access the Internet, he can only seize the opportunity to know more as much as possible.

Once, he stumbled upon the movie Interstellar. Generally speaking, people of the same age will be fascinated by the visual effects in the movie, but what attracts Liu Zhangtao is the astronomical theory involved in the movie. He didn't quite understand the specifics of those theories, but he was vaguely aware that studying celestial bodies with physics could change the world, and what he wanted to do was to study these esoteric theories.

For Buyi teenagers in remote and impoverished areas, such an idea sounds a bit incredible. Not to mention astronomers, before the construction of the "Sky Eye", Pingtang did not even have an astronomy teacher, an astronomy class, and an astronomical telescope. But Liu Zhangtao felt that nothing was impossible. After all, for many local people who have never stepped out of the mountains in their lives, who could have imagined that the "Heavenly Eye" who can talk to the universe will one day appear next to them?

Indeed, the day is getting closer and closer.

In September 2016, Liu Zhangtao was admitted to Pingtang County Nationalities Middle School, and twenty days later, the "Sky Eye" was completed. Although there are still a few days left for the National Day holiday, he can't wait to ask a few classmates to visit together.

Several children were excited and couldn't help but get excited, especially Liu Zhangtao. Although he had imagined it countless times over the years, when this day really came, standing in front of the "Heavenly Eye", everything in front of him still made him feel unprecedented shock.

"There are many small pieces of the huge antenna stitched together, and there are three hexagonal patterns on it, and the surface with the pattern shines in the sun, which has a special beauty." Such a grandeur and magnificence that he had never seen before, Liu Zhangtao felt that he could remember it for a lifetime. At that moment, he also strengthened his dream, that is, he must study astronomy in the future.

Astronomy is in full swing

Not only Liu Zhangtao, the completion of the "Heavenly Eye" set off an astronomical fever in Pingtang, especially in schools. In May 2017, Pingtang County Nationalities Middle School established the Astronomical Society. Liu Zhangtao also signed up.

Pingtang County Nationalities Middle School is the only high school in Pingtang County, with more than 6,000 students, more than 90% of whom are ethnic minority students. When the Astronomical Society recruited new students, more than 600 people came to register, which is equivalent to 1/10 of the students who signed up. Due to the limited number of places, only about forty students were admitted in the end.

Seeing that the applicants were so enthusiastic, Yang Zhufei, a geography teacher at Pingtang County Nationalities Middle School, and Ren Chuangui, a Chinese teacher, felt that they had done the right thing. They are the first two initiators of the Astronomical Society, Yang Zhufei is a Miao, Ren Chuangui is a Buyi ethnic group, a "post-80s" and a "post-90s".

As soon as he talked about astronomy, Yang Zhufei's speed of speech became very fast, and there were endless words. Graduated from Guizhou Normal University in 2008 with a major in geographical sciences, he planted his love for astronomy early in his heart. Because of the job transfer, he came to Pingtang, just in time for the construction of the "Tianyan" project.

"How many times in a person's life can there be such an opportunity!" Now that the opportunity is in front of us, something must be done. Every time he talks about the original intention of establishing the Astronomical Society, Yang Zhufei always has a sense of mission.

Yang Zhufei and Ren Chuangui's idea was strongly supported by the school. Despite limited conditions, the school supported the community to purchase some books and equipment on astronomy, including 2 astronomical telescopes. Together with the astronomical telescope donated by an astronomical enthusiast in the county, the society currently has a total of 3 astronomical telescopes. Such equipment, looking at the whole province of Guizhou, the professionalism is very high.

The hardware goes up, and the software has to keep up.

The Astronomical Society regularly carries out activities once a week, including explanations of the basic knowledge of astronomy, practical exercises in the disassembly of telescopes, outdoor observations, expert lectures, etc.

Teachers especially encourage students to teach their own lessons. Deng Guotao, a classmate of the Same Buyi ethnic group and joining the Astronomical Society with Liu Zhangtao, was once the director of the Academic Department of the Astronomical Society, and was responsible for teaching this piece independently: "The students are very enthusiastic, everyone collects materials by themselves, and they do their own PPT speeches on stage, some people talk about the eight planets of the solar system, some people talk about black holes, some people talk about the life of stars, and the classroom atmosphere is active and warm. ”

Self-directed lectures fully stimulate students' curiosity about science, and outdoor observation opens another window for everyone to look at the world.

After the establishment of the Astronomical Society, the first time to organize outdoor observation was to go to Guilan Mountain to camp and watch the moon. Deng Guotao was particularly afraid of the dark when he was a child, but that time from the telescope, he saw the moon on the surface for the first time. "It's amazing, it's not like what you see in a textbook. So close, as if right in front of you, you can touch it with your reach, mysterious and beautiful. ”

It is in this study and observation that the students are deeply attracted by the vast starry sky and the universe, and are determined to explore the unknown magic and greatness. In each activity, Yang Zhufei and Ren Chuangui also strengthened the belief that "interest and curiosity are the best teachers for children".

"Astronomy may not seem to help with test scores, but it has helped open up the worldview and the universe." Especially for children in ethnic minority areas with relatively backward development, astronomy has broadened their horizons and patterns. Ren Chuangui said.

In the past, Pingtang students had never participated in any competitions and activities related to astronomy, and rarely went outside to communicate, let alone meet astronomers and scientists.

After the completion of the "Heavenly Eye", astronomers and scientists from home and abroad often visited. Physicist Yang Zhenning came, "Mother of Pulsars" and academician of the Royal Society Bell came, British National Space Center Director Annu Ojiha came, Academician Wu Xiangping of the Chinese Academy of Sciences came, and Hu Jingyao, chief scientist of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, came... They not only came to see the "Heavenly Eye", but also went into the school to give lectures to students, teachers, cadres, etc., and popularized scientific knowledge.

In October 2017, when Yang Zhenning visited "Tianyan", he specifically mentioned that Pingtang should pay attention to the popularization of astronomical science knowledge among young people while bringing development opportunities to "Tianyan" and stimulate their desire to learn astronomical science knowledge.

In recent years, relying on the "Tianyan", Pingtang has established the "China Tianyan" children's research base, supporting and improving the functions of a series of activities, focusing on the "China Tianyan", the Astronomical Experience Hall, the Nanrendong Memorial Hall, the Aerospace Museum, etc., to design high-quality courses and innovate the launch of astronomical research products. Since the completion of the "Tianyan" National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, astronomical science popularization activities have also been held in Pingtang and other places in Guizhou Province every year.

Changing the trajectory of a generation of teenagers

Under the influence of the "Heavenly Eye" and the embrace of astronomy, the pace of Pingtang students going out quickly became faster.

In 2018, Liu Zhangtao, Deng Guotao and other members of the Astronomical Society represented Pingtang for the first time and participated in the National Astronomical Olympiad for Middle School Students, setting a record for the first time in the history of Pingtang to have athletes participate in the National Astronomical Olympiad, and achieved the second and sixth results in the province.

In 2018, the Astronomical Society selected 5 student representatives to participate in the International Big Data Industry Expo held in Guiyang with more than 700 outstanding young students from home and abroad. At a forum for primary and secondary school students across the country, Liu Zhangtao, as a student representative of Pingtang County, and two middle school students from Guiyang and the United States gave keynote speeches on astronomy, life sciences and artificial intelligence.

In 2019, Wang Wusi, a member of the Astronomical Society, once again represented Pingtang in the National Astronomical Knowledge Competition for Middle School Students, and entered the rematch all the way, and finally won the "Little Lotus Award". At that time, it was Zhu Jin, the director of the Beijing Planetarium, who gave him the award.

In Zhu Jin's view, the "Heavenly Eye" has brought a historic opportunity to Pingtang's astronomical science education. Shortly after the completion of the "Heavenly Eye," he proposed to the relevant leaders of Guizhou Province at a meeting that an astronomy class should be held in Pingtang.

In August 2017, Pingtang County selected more than 20 primary and secondary schools as pilots, and invited four teachers from Beijing Planetarium and Tianjin Science and Technology Museum to conduct one-week teaching training for teachers. In September, these schools opened astronomy classes. After several years of advancement, as of the autumn of 2020, Pingtang County has achieved full coverage of astronomy science teaching in primary and secondary schools and kindergartens.

"Now many students spend their time in a few classes on campus, focusing only on the things in front of them and around them, which is far from enough." Astronomy cares about something farther away that keeps children curious about the unknown. These are very important for the development of mankind. ”

As an expert who has been working on promoting astronomy education for decades, Zhu Jin has always believed that there may be some differences between those who have studied astronomy and those who have not studied astronomy. If many people in one place have studied astronomy, it will take on a different look than other places.

This is different, Pingtang has already happened.

"Heavenly Eye" brought astronomy into the lives of Pingtang teenagers and quietly changed the trajectory of their lives——

In 2019, Liu Zhangtao was admitted to Sun Yat-sen University with excellent results and studied in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Deng Guotao was also admitted to Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics majoring in aerospace. According to data provided by the Pingtang County Education Bureau, from 2016 to 2019, a total of 5 students in Pingtang were admitted to astronomy majors, and 493 students were admitted to ecology, geology, environment and energy majors, most of whom were ethnic minority students.

"I think the impact of 'Heavenly Eye' on ethnic minority children is to plant a seed about science and dreams in our hearts." This seed sprouts quietly in our hearts, silently affects us, and will accompany us throughout our lives. Liu Zhangtao said.

Today, Liu Zhangtao's most admired person is the astronomer Mr. Nan Rendong. Nan Rendong gave up the high salary abroad, returned to the motherland to work, and devoted the last 20 years of his life to the construction of the "Heavenly Eye", overcoming one suffering after another, and finally building a leading national heavy weapon. What moved Liu Zhangtao even more was that as a great scientist, Nan Rendong always cared for the poorest people, and he paid for several children studying in the depths of the mountains.

Liu Zhangtao, who came out of the mountains, also wanted to become that kind of person. He knows that there is still a big gap between himself and his goals, but he has been constantly trying to improve himself, trying everything to find good people around him and learn from them.

"For future planning, I intend to study as much as I can and engage in astronomical research in the future. The goal now is to strive for graduate school, then go abroad to study for a doctorate, learn advanced astronomical knowledge abroad, and then return to China to contribute to the astronomical cause of the motherland. ”

In the hearts of Liu Zhangtao, Deng Guotao and more ethnic minority children in Pingtang, the seed called "Starry Sky" has long grown a straight branch, ready to meet the future of Lingyun.

Plant a seed of dreams (reporter's note)

For a few days in Pingtang, I was looking for what impact the "Chinese Heavenly Eye" had brought to the county.

A once state-level poverty-stricken county has become a well-known "astronomical city" in the country and even the world, driving into the fast lane of development, there must be something changing dramatically.

The roads have become wider, the buildings have risen higher, and there are more opportunities for development, all of which are visible to the naked eye. What is invisible but more profound is that people see the world differently.

Pingtang is located in the high and densely forested Qiannan region, with nearly 60% of the ethnic minorities, mostly buyi and Miao. Many ordinary people here have never stepped out of the mountains in their lives, and suddenly there is a "Chinese Heavenly Eye" around them that can talk to the universe, and the heavens and the earth are opened at once, and the vast world comes to the surface.

Curiosity and the desire to explore are the perpetual motion machines for human progress, they are regardless of ethnicity or gender, but there are age differences. Science proves that the childhood stage is the most curious and exploration desire, with the increase of age, curiosity and exploration will gradually decrease, and astronomy is the most need for curiosity, but also the most cultivated desire to explore.

The children of Pingtang are lucky. The "Heavenly Eye" brings astronomy into their lives, so that they know how to look up at the stars, have enthusiasm to explore the unknown, and walk out of a road that no one has ever walked before. I am convinced that one day in the future, there will be astronomers and aerospace experts among them, and a group of astronomy teachers and astronomical science popularizers will emerge. Among them there will be Han, Buyi, Miao, Maonan... People of different nationalities come together because of their common pursuit, and Pingtang will thus become a city of astronomical talents and a city of astronomical science popularization, contributing more to the country's astronomical cause.

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition