China operates the largest radio telescope in the world

Chinese authorities have been able to run the largest radio telescope in the world yesterday in a mountainous area in Guizhou Province, southwest of the country.

According to Chinese media last night, it was hundreds of scientists and amateur astronomers gathered in one of the valleys Pingtang province to see the official operation of the telescope (FAST) wireless sphere which has a diameter of 500 meters and targeting of space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life.

Work began on the project telescope which stood at a cost of 1.2 billion yuan (about 180 million US dollars) in 2011, after 17 years of the project proposal of Chinese astronomers.

It was the installation of the main structure of the telescope that has a reflector is composed of 4450 Panel and an area equal to 30 football fields, it was installed at the beginning of last July.