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An exciting news arrived:
As of now
It is known as the "eye of China".
500米口径球面射电望远镜（FAST）
More than 900 new pulsars have been discovered
The news is gratifying
It also reminds us of the old man who looked up at the starry sky
He is Nan Rendong, the father of "China's Sky Eye".
From the prime of life to the twilight of life
He spent his life exploring the mysteries of the universe
The fate of Nan Rendong and FAST ("China Sky Eye") began in 1993.
That year, the International Union of Radio Science Congress was held in Tokyo, Japan. At this meeting, astronomers from many countries jointly proposed an ambitious plan: to build a new generation of radio telescopes to receive more information from outer space.
Nan Rendong, who has just assumed the post of chairman of the Beijing Astronomical Society, has reached a consensus with a group of domestic astronomers to strive to build this large radio telescope in China.
Soon after, however, an email from abroad poured cold water on Nan Rendong and other Chinese astronomers. A friend from the Netherlands said he did not believe that a country with a bad engine could build a large radio telescope.
The words of foreign friends greatly impacted Nan Rendong's heart.
For a variety of reasons, Chinese astronomers believe they can't afford to wait any longer. Nan Rendong and his colleagues repeatedly studied and made an important decision: China should independently build a new generation of large radio telescopes, and the aperture should be at least more than 300 meters.
Trek deep into the mountains
Site selection for "China Sky Eye".
In 1994, Nan Rendong proposed to use the karst depression in Guizhou to build a 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope - named "FAST", that is, "fast", which contains the meaning of "catching up", "leaping" and "leading".
Site selection, demonstration, project approval, and construction are not easy at any step. The enormous technical and engineering difficulties have discouraged many developed countries.
At that time, China's largest radio telescope had an aperture of less than 30 meters, and it was regarded as a huge project to build a radio telescope with an aperture of 500 meters independently. How the project should be built, where it should be built, and whether it can be built or not are all unknown.
Under the premise that there is no relevant experience at home and abroad to learn from, Nan Rendong led his team step by step, opening roads in the mountains and building bridges in the water. One after another, they solved the difficulties one by one.
△ Nan Rendong discussed with engineering and technical personnel at the construction site
In order to find a suitable "home" for this ideal "giant", Nan Rendong took more than 300 satellite remote sensing maps and trekked through the mountains of southwest China. Once, when it was pouring rain, the torrent was wrapped in sand and gravel, and even the trees could be washed away.
Such hardships and dangers, in the more than ten years of site selection, have always accompanied Nan Rendong, he said, "I can't find a suitable depression, I will not be blind in my life!"
During a serious illness
He still keeps working
Nan Rendong dedicated nearly one-third of his life to the "China Sky Eye".
In 2015, at the end of the FAST project, Nan Rendong was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. After the illness, Nan Rendong, who felt that time was running out, became more and more urgent. In his heart, the unfinished work always comes first. One of the things he often says is, "If there is a little flaw in the 'Sky Eye', we are sorry for the country." ”
Soon after, Nam Rendong, who had undergone surgery, reappeared on the construction site. Because the operation injured his vocal cords, he could only use his hoarse voice to understand the progress and details of the project on site.
In September 2016, the 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope project, a large scientific device for astronomy independently designed and built by China, was officially completed. The "China Sky Eye" is currently the world's largest and farthest radio telescope, which can reach a distance of 13.7 billion light years.
On September 15, 2017, Nam Rendong suddenly deteriorated due to lung cancer, and he closed his eyes forever looking up at the starry sky and exploring the universe.
Less than a month after Nan Rendong's death, on October 10, 2017, the "China Sky Eye" discovered pulsars for the first time. On October 15, 2018, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that the asteroid with the international permanent number 79694 would be officially named "Nanrendong Star".
Nowadays, the achievements of "China's Sky Eye" are frequent, constantly expanding the limits of human observation of the universe. With 22 years of faith and enthusiasm, Nan Rendong has opened China's "eye to the sky" in the astronomical community, and he has also turned into a star in the sky, leading Chinese astronomers to continue to explore the deepest mysteries of the universe with flashing light.
Today, please look up at the starry sky again and pay tribute to Mr. Nam Rendong!
Source: CCTV News Client, CCTV National Memory