🌟 Hold onto your hats, space fans! On Saturday, China kicked off the construction of a mega telescope on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, also known as the 'roof of the world.' Why? To peer into the coldest, dust-hidden corners of the universe using submillimeter waves!
The Xueshanmuchang 15-meter SubMillimeter Telescope (XSMT) will sit 4,800 meters above sea level in Delingha, Qinghai Province in northwest China. Led by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the project aims to wrap up by 2027.
🔭 With its 15-meter aperture, XSMT will tune into high-frequency submillimeter waves (wavelengths between 0.1 and 1 millimeter). This opens a window to cosmic mysteries invisible to optical telescopes, like interstellar dust movements, molecular gas clouds, and the very birth of stars!
Why submillimeter? Traditional telescopes struggle to see through cosmic dust. But submillimeter wave sensors can trace galaxy formation, evolution – and even the molecules that hint at life's origins. 🌌✨
Of course, such observations demand perfect sky conditions. Enter Delingha's high altitude, minimal pollution, and super low water vapor – ideal for uninterrupted cosmic snooping.
As construction climbs toward 2027, the XSMT promises to fill a major gap in the Chinese mainland's astronomical reach and bring fresh insights into our universe's hidden corners. Stay tuned! 🚀
Reference(s):
China starts construction of XSMT telescope on 'roof of the world'
cgtn.com
