China FAST telescope discovers over 1000 pulsars
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Nov 27, 2024
China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the largest and most sensitive filled-aperture radio telescope in the world, has identified over 1,000 new pulsars since it began operations, its operator announced on Tuesday.
According to the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), FAST’s pulsar discoveries outnumber those made by all foreign telescopes combined during the same timeframe.
Pulsars, which are rapidly spinning neutron stars, form from the collapsed cores of massive stars after supernova explosions. These cosmic entities emit pulses of electromagnetic radiation, often likened to celestial lighthouses due to their periodic signals.
Han Jinlin, a scientist at NAOC, highlighted the potential navigational role of pulsars for interstellar exploration. “We can accurately measure the coordinates of pulsars in the universe and monitor the phase positions of pulsar signals and their corresponding position relations, so humans don’t get lost during interstellar travel,” Han said.
FAST’s discoveries include a variety of pulsars, such as binary systems and millisecond pulsars, broadening the scope of research into their formation and evolution. These findings significantly enhance humanity’s understanding of these stellar remnants.
Situated in a natural karst depression in Guizhou Province, southwest China, the telescope’s massive reception area is equivalent to 30 standard football fields.
FAST commenced full-scale operations in January 2020 and opened its facilities to international collaboration in March 2021.
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