China readying ring
The radio telescope will have a circumference of 3.14 kilometers as it images the Sun in radio waves.
HIGHLIGHTS
- It will be a network of 313 dishes spanning six meters wide
- A coronal mass ejection is one of the biggest eruptions from the Sun’s surface
- Researchers have developed a unique algorithm to optimise the observations by the dishes
In terms of space exploration, China has been advancing at an astonishing rate and will eventually aim for both asteroids and distant planets in addition to Mars. But before all that, Beijing is getting ready to unveil the biggest array of circular radio telescopes ever, which will be pointed at the Sun.
The Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope (DSRT), which is being constructed on the Tibetan Plateau at full speed, will eventually consist of a network of 313 dishes with a width of six meters that will allow for in-depth study of the sun and a deeper understanding of the processes that cause Coronal Mass Ejections.
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) follows a flare, which is a brief, strong blast of radiation that can travel large distances in space. A coronal mass ejection, one of the greatest eruptions from the surface of the Sun, can go into space with a billion tons of material within at speeds of up to several million miles per hour.
The telescope will be used to investigate CMEs and comprehend the phenomena when magnetized plasma escapes from the sun’s upper atmosphere and travels through space, according to a story in the South China Morning Post.
The 3.14-kilometer-diameter radio telescope will be used to take radio wave images of the Sun and track changes in the star’s activity throughout our solar system, not only during major eruptions. According to reports, the telescope is being created as part of a ground-based space environment monitoring network called the Chinese Meridian Project (Phase II).
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The Mingantu interplanetary scintillation telescope, which is being evaluated in Inner Mongolia, is also a part of the Chinese Meridian Project. According to space.com, the facility will include 100 dishes in a three-arm spiral configuration to study the sun across a wider frequency range than DSRT.
According to Wu Junwei, the project manager from the National Space Science Centre, “The DSRT will be the world’s largest circular array for solar radio imaging, and enable more accurate observation of coronal mass ejections,” according to China News Service.
To maximize the observations made by the dishes, researchers have created a special algorithm.
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The observatory is being built as a part of the 7 billion yuan ($1.04 billion) Daocheng Astronomy and Archaeology Park. As a result, the DSRT will continue to be accessible to everyone. The National Space Science Center (NSSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is in charge of the development.
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