More facts about China's FAST telescope
- Construction on FAST began in 2011. After it observed first light in September 2016, it took three more years of testing and commissioning before it was declared fully operational on January 11, 2020. (China Daily)
- The 1.2-billion-yuan (US$171-million) telescope, also known as Tianyan or โEye of Heavenโ, took half a decade to build in the remote Dawodang depression in the Guizhou province of southwest China (Nature)
- FAST will collect radio waves from an area twice the size of the next-largest single-dish telescope, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. (Nature)
- The 500-metre-wide dish is made up of around 4,400 individual aluminum panels that more than 2,000 mechanical winches tilt and maneuver to focus on different areas of the sky. (Nature)
- During FAST’s construction, a 65-person village was relocated from the valley to make room for the telescope and an additional 9,110 people living within a 5 km radius of the telescope were relocated to create a radio-quiet area. (Xinhua)
More stats
China’s Watch Industry
Long derided as an inferior source of quality timepieces, China is catching up with a raft of new domestic brands such as Seagull and Atelier Wen
Chinese Air Force
China's air force includes 50 Chengdu J-20s, the country's fifth-generation fighter, as well as 468 Chengdu J-10s and 75 Russian-built Sukhoi SU-27s.
Domestic Travel Revenue
China's domestic tourism revenue is expected to fall by 52% to 2.76 trillion yuan ($394 billion) in 2020, according to a report by the China Tourism Academy, as the industry reels from the impact of COVID-19.
China’s Cement Industry
China is the world's largest cement producer and it produces and consumes about 60% of global cement.