I. Introduction
In the long river of the universe, human beings have always had the desire to explore the unknown. From ancient astronomical observations to today's cutting-edge astronomical technology, we continue to advance human knowledge and understanding of the universe. On this road of exploration, a majestic "eye in the sky" is becoming an important window for human exploration.
The 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope, known as the "Eye of China's Sky", cost 1.15 billion yuan to build and requires nearly 400,000 yuan per day to maintain operation. It is not only the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope, but also an important symbol of China's scientific and technological strength. So, what exactly can this "eye of the sky" see? How will it push humanity's understanding of the universe to break new ground?
This article will take you to explore the mystery of the "Chinese Sky Eye", from its construction process to research results, and then to the future development trend, let us witness the rise of this "Sky Eye" and gain insight into the mysteries of the universe.
2. The construction process of the 500-meter "Sky Eye".
In 1993, at the International Conference of the Union of Radio Science, Chinese scientists first proposed the idea of building a large radio telescope. At that time, the earth's surface was surrounded by various electromagnetic signals, and it became increasingly difficult to accurately observe the universe. As a result, building a larger, more sensitive radio telescope became an urgent task.
After years of repeated demonstration and scheme design, in 2001, the China Sky Eye Project was officially approved. The 500-metre-diameter spherical radio telescope will be built in a unique way, using a natural circular cave as its base.
The construction of this "eye in the sky" can be described as world-remarkable. From the initial budget of 700 million yuan to the final cost of 1.15 billion yuan, it contains countless technical breakthroughs and arduous processes. The steel cable that composes the cable net structure alone has its accuracy control within one millimeter, and the position accuracy has to be controlled within five millimeters, which is an extremely difficult technical index at home and abroad at that time.
In 2017, after 16 years of construction, "China Sky Eye" finally entered the commissioning stage. After repeated verification and optimization, in January 2020, this "Sky Eye" was officially put into use, becoming another important window for human beings to explore the universe.
The reason why this "Sky Eye" can be built is inseparable from the large-scale investment and cooperation of domestic and foreign scientific and technological forces. From the initial concept, to the determination of the plan, to the final implementation, experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Astronomical Observatories and other parties participated in the whole process to ensure the smooth progress of this grand project.
It is worth mentioning that in the process of construction, China Sky Eye has also solved many world-class problems, such as the design, manufacturing, installation and other key technologies of ultra-large aperture telescopes, filling the gaps in these fields at home and abroad. This also marks a key step in China's mastery of core independent technologies in the field of radio astronomy.
3. The research results of China's Tianyan
As the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope, China's Tianyan research mission can be described as extensive and in-depth. From exploring extraterrestrial civilizations, to observing pulsars, to receiving faint signals from deep space probes, this "eye in the sky" is making a unique contribution to mankind's exploration of the mysteries of the universe.
Pulsar observations
Pulsars are a major research focus of China's Sky Eye. These high-speed rotating neutron stars can provide the most accurate "clocks" in the universe. By observing pulsars, scientists are able to measure not only the masses of the planets in the solar system, but also important phenomena such as gravitational waves.
During the commissioning period from 2017 to 2020, China Tianyan has discovered 11 pulsars and 54 candidates. Up to now, it has detected more than 883 pulsars, more than three times the total number of similar telescopes abroad. These achievements not only fill the gap in this field in China, but also lay a solid foundation for mankind to understand the universe.
Neutral hydrogen observations
Neutral hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and its distribution and motion can reflect the evolution of galaxies. By observing neutral hydrogen, China's Sky Eye is helping scientists better understand the formation and evolution of galaxies.
In 2020 alone, China's Sky Eye observed hundreds of thousands of neutral hydrogen objects. These observations provide a valuable scientific basis for further research on galaxy structure and dark matter distribution.
Deep space probe reception
As humans continue to explore the depths of the universe, the communication distance between the probe and the earth is getting farther and farther, and the signal is getting weaker and weaker. With its strong receiving capacity, China's Sky Eye is becoming an important receiving station for these deep space probes.
Through the observation of China's Sky Eye, humans can obtain more detailed information about the surface of distant stars, and understand the conditions of volcanoes, landforms, and even the atmosphere. This not only helps to extend the life of the detector, but also lays the foundation for further exploration.
Extraterrestrial civilization exploration
In addition to the above research tasks, China's Sky Eye is also actively exploring the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations. Through the capture and analysis of cosmic radio signals, scientists hope to discover the traces left by extraterrestrial civilizations and provide a new breakthrough for human exploration of extraterrestrial life.
Although there are no breakthrough discoveries yet, China's Sky Eye has scanned hundreds of thousands of celestial objects, accumulating a lot of valuable data for research in this field. We have reason to believe that with the help of this "eye in the sky", mankind will eventually make significant progress on the road to extraterrestrial life.
These research results of China Sky Eye not only fill the gap in the field of radio astronomy in China, but also contribute to the exploration of the mysteries of the universe. The rise of this "eye in the sky" indicates that China is becoming an important force in the world's radio astronomy research.
Fourth, the future development of China's Tianyan
Looking forward to the future, China's Sky Eye will play an increasingly important role in promoting the process of human understanding of the universe. With the further improvement of its operational capability and the continuous development of global radio astronomy technology, this "eye in the sky" will open up a broader exploration prospect.
Continue to deepen our observation capabilities
As the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope, China's Sky Eye has the advantage of its extremely strong collection and analysis capabilities. In the future, it will further optimize the observation technology and continuously improve the sensitivity and resolution, so as to obtain more accurate and richer cosmic data.
At the same time, China's Sky Eye will also expand the observation frequency band to cover a wider range from centimeter waves to meter waves. This will greatly increase the variety of objects it observes, allowing it to more comprehensively detect various sources of electromagnetic radiation in the universe, such as pulsars, neutral hydrogen, etc.
In addition, China Sky Eye will continue to increase the observation time to achieve long-term tracking and monitoring of the target of interest. This will provide more valuable data support for the study of the evolutionary dynamics of the universe and further promote human understanding of the nature of the universe.
Synergies with other astronomical devices
With the vigorous development of global astronomical observation, China Sky Eye will cooperate more closely with advanced astronomical equipment around the world in the future. It can form a joint observation network with other telescopes to achieve multi-band, all-sky three-dimensional detection.
For example, China's Sky Eye can form a joint observation platform with visible light telescopes and X-ray telescopes to jointly detect the full-band characteristics of celestial bodies. This will greatly improve the ability to analyze astrophysical processes and open a new era of human understanding of the universe.
At the same time, China's Sky Eye can also coordinate observations with astronomical facilities built on the surface of the moon in the future. Freedom from the obscuration of the Earth's atmosphere, these devices will be able to better capture all kinds of electromagnetic waves, making a unique contribution to the exploration of the mysteries of the universe.
Strengthen international cooperation and exchanges
As the most advanced radio telescope in the world, China Sky Eye will become an important hub in the global astronomical community. In the future, it will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with international counterparts and carry out extensive scientific research cooperation with advanced research institutions around the world.
On the one hand, China Sky Eye will invite more international experts to participate in its own observation plan and data analysis, and contribute to human exploration of the universe with the help of global wisdom. On the other hand, it will also actively integrate into the international astronomical research network, share its unique advantages and achievements, and promote the common development of global astronomical undertakings.
At the same time, China Sky Eye will also make full use of its strong observation capabilities to provide more training and exchange opportunities for developing countries, help them improve their own astronomical research level, and jointly promote human exploration of the mysteries of the universe.
Leading a new era of radio astronomy
With the continuous progress of China's Sky Eye and the improvement of its global influence, it will surely become a leader and benchmark in radio astronomy research. In the future, this "Sky Eye" will promote the comprehensive upgrading of radio astronomy technology and promote the in-depth integration and development of related disciplines.
On the one hand, the successful practice of China's Sky Eye will inspire further innovation and breakthroughs in the global astronomical community and set off a new round of radio astronomy technology revolution. From the design and manufacture of ultra-large aperture telescopes to the development of high-sensitivity receiving systems, all of them will push the entire field to new heights.
On the other hand, China's Sky Eye will drive the deep integration of astronomy with information technology, materials science and other disciplines. Advanced data processing algorithms, high-performance computing platforms, and even the application of new materials will inject new momentum into radio astronomy and boost the process of human understanding of the universe.
In short, the future of China's Tianyan will be broader. As another important window for mankind to explore the universe, it will play a key role in promoting the development of radio astronomy and leading the progress of global astronomy, so that mankind's understanding of the mysteries of the universe will reach a new level.
V. Conclusion
In 1993, Chinese scientists first proposed the idea of building a large radio telescope at an international conference. Today, 30 years later, this grand blueprint has finally become a reality and has become an important milestone in China's scientific and technological development.
With the rise of the "Chinese Sky Eye", the mainland has not only achieved a major breakthrough in the field of radio astronomy, but also made a unique contribution to mankind's exploration of the mysteries of the universe. This "Eye of Heaven" not only witnesses the continuous improvement of the mainland's scientific and technological strength, but also indicates that a new era of human cognition of the universe is about to begin.
Let us hope that with the continuous development of China's Sky Eye, it will play a more important role in promoting mankind's exploration of the mysteries of the universe and inject new momentum into the progress of human civilization. The exciting future is already unfolding in front of us.