Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope

Definition

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope located in Guizhou, China. It is primarily used to observe pulsars and other celestial phenomena through radio waves.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. FAST has an aperture of 500 meters, making it the largest single-dish radio telescope in the world.
2. It was completed in September 2016 and began full operations in January 2020.
3. FAST's design allows it to cover frequencies from 70 MHz to 3 GHz.
4. The telescope has discovered hundreds of new pulsars since its inception.
5. Its location in a natural karst depression helps shield it from radio frequency interference.

Review Questions

• What is the primary purpose of FAST?
• Where is FAST located and why was this location chosen?
• How does FAST compare to other radio telescopes in terms of size?

Related terms

Arecibo Observatory: Previously the world's largest single-aperture radio telescope until FAST surpassed it.

Pulsar: A highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation.

Radio Waves: A type of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than infrared light, used by radio telescopes for observation.