Multiple reports have indicated that Peking University needs to develop the largest optical telescope in Asia. The supposed development would effectively close the gap in astronomy capabilities. The project is designed to produce an initial telescope with an aperture of 6 meters at the end of 2024. This initiative is called the EAST (Expanding Aperture Segmented Telescope) from Peking University.
The project will expand the mirror to 8 meters (26.2 feet) at the end of 2030. Peking University said in a statement that the telescope will significantly enhance observation capabilities in the optical astronomy of China. However, the EAST clipped the fitting and it would become the first world-class optical telescope in the eastern terrestrial hemisphere.
EAST is Using Mirrors Similar to JWST
The leading facilities currently located in the Western Hemisphere around Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and Atacama in Chile. The first phase of the EAST project is the development of a mirror constructed with 18 hexagonal mirror segments. It is almost similar to the mirror used for the James Webb Space Telescope NASA. The mirror of EAST has a diameter of reported 19.7 feet (similar to the JWST mirror).
The newest space telescope orbits 1 million miles away from the Earth near the 2nd Sun-Earth Lagrange point. But EAST is expecting the production on Saishiteng Mountain in Qinghai Province on the Tibetan highland near Lenghu Town. Meanwhile, the altitude of EAST will get around 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). The 2nd phase will add a ring of 18 additional hexagonal segments around the mirror.
The EAST Project is Expected Between $69 & 84 Million
This phase is expected to expand the diameter of EAST by more than 26.2 feet at the end of 2030. Peking University said the estimated project cost is supposed between $69 & 84 million (around 500 and 600 million Yuan). Last month, Qinghai News reported that the work on the EAST project is ongoing. Peking University pointed out that astronomy performs a critical role in technology & social development.
The University also said the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to scientists who discovered the black hole. They discovered a black hole at the center of the Milky Way using more powerful optical telescopes. Scientists used the twin Keck telescopes on the top of Mauna Kea and the VLT located in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
Meanwhile, the project EAST would become a great addition to the massively growing astronomy capabilities of China. It is important that China has developed the largest single-aperture radio telescope in the world, the FAST. The country is also planning to launch a large space observatory in 2023 and named it the Xuntian.
Here are the 8 Biggest Telescopes on Earth:
- FAST (500-METER APERTURE SPHERICAL TELESCOPE)
The FAST is located in Guizhou, China. It is Radio-type and maintains a diameter of 500 meters (1,640 feet). This telescope was opened in 2020 and is currently the largest single-dish ground telescope in the world.
- ELT (EXTREMELY LARGE TELESCOPE)
The ELT is located in the Atacama Desert, Chile. It is an Optical-infrared type telescope with a diameter of 39.3 meters (128 feet).
- SKA (SQUARE KILOMETER ARRAY)
The SKA telescope is located in Australia and South Africa. This is a phased array and radio-type telescope with a diameter of 512 x 12 meters.
- TMT (THIRTY METER TELESCOPE)
The TMT is located in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. This is an Optical and infrared-type telescope with a diameter of 30 meters (98 feet).
- GMT (GIANT MAGELLAN TELESCOPE)
The GMT is also located in the Atacama Desert, Chile. It is an optical-type telescope with a diameter of 24.5 meters (80 feet) and could produce images 10 times more perfectly than Hubble.
- ALMA (ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER ARRAY)
This telescope is located in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The ALMA is radio-type and has a diameter of 12 meters (39.4 feet).
- SALT (SOUTH AFRICAN LARGE TELESCOPE)
The SALT is located in Karoo, South Africa. This is an optical-type telescope with a diameter of 11 meters (36 feet).
- GTC (GRAN TELESCOPIO CANARIAS)
The GTC telescope is located in La Palma, Spain. It is an optical and infrared-type telescope with a diameter of 10.4 meters (34.1 feet). This telescope is capable to discover the most densely populated clusters in the galaxy.