Search for alien life received a major boost with the world's largest telescope now ready for operation.
China's Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) dwarves 30 football fields in size. The last piece of the telescope was put into position on Sunday, completing its construction. The device will peer into deep space and look for radio signals from extraterrestrial life. Operations are expected to commence in September after scientists complete debugging and trials.
"The project has the potential to search for more strange objects to better understand the origin of the universe and boost the global hunt for extraterrestrial life," Deputy Head of China's National Astronomical Observation, Zheng Xiaonian, reportedly said.
The telescope is built from over 4,000 panels. Installation of the telescope started in 2011 but the device was conceived in 1994. FAST has cost China $ 105 million. The last panel, a triangular piece, was hoisted into place on Sunday, sparking off celebrations in China's science community. Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory measuring about 300 meters was the biggest radio telescope before FAST's completion in Guizhou province of China.
According to UPI, over 9,000 residents were relocated in three-mile radius around the telescope to create a quiet radio environment for the telescope to operate. A compensation of $ 1,800 was given per household.
"As the world's largest single aperture telescope located at an extremely radio-quiet site, its scientific impact on astronomy will be extraordinary, and it will certainly revolutionize other areas of the natural sciences," said Nan Rendong, FAST's chief scientist.
China has reportedly maintained that the telescope is peaceful astronomy purposes amid allegations that its use could be intended for more sinister tasks.
