China’s FAST radio telescope, with a dish the size of 30 football fields, measuring 500 meters in diameter, dwarfing Puerto Rico’s 300-meter Arecibo Observatory, will launch its astronomers into the nation’s role as the new space superpower cinched with its epic landing of the Chang’e-4 Rover this week on the Moon’s far side. FAST could double the known pulsar tally of 2,000, says Peng Bo, FAST’s deputy manager and acting observatory director. It’s also ideal for mapping gas clouds between stars and for listening for signals from alien civilizations.
The “Planet Earth Report” connects you to the days’ headlines on the discoveries, people, and events changing our planet and the future of the human species.
“The search for planets is the search for life,” said Natalie Batalha, a Kepler mission scientist from NASA’s Ames Research Center. “These results will form the basis for future searches for life.”
Our New Year’s Day edition. Check out today’s eclectic coverage of programs broadcast and streamed on the (occasionally “far side”) state of affairs on our pale blue planet, signaling our existence to possible exo-civilizations.
The “Planet Earth Report” connects you to the days’ headlines on the discoveries, people, and events changing our planet and the future of the human species.
The “Planet Earth Report” connects you to the days’ headlines on the discoveries, people, and events changing our planet and the future of the human species.
