The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is expected to pass inspection and open to astronomers next year, said Li Di, chief scientist of FAST, at the first China Tianquanhu Astronomy Forum (CTAF) held on Sept 15.
FAST is currently still being debugged and it has performed beyond expectations. So far, it has discovered a confirmed 44 new pulsars.
Chang Jin, chief scientist of the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE), shared the observation results of DAMPE over the past two years at CTAF. DAMPE is designed to have 3 years of service life. It is currently in good condition, and is expected to work for more than five years.
Another four famous academics from home and abroad gave speeches at CTAF, including Wang Jingxiu, academic of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who gave a lecture on the history and future of people's understanding of the sun, and Carlos Frenk, academic of the Royal Academy of Sciences, who put forward another hypothesis on the true nature of dark matter.
Famous Chinese astronomer Lin Chao discussed the topic of exoplanet exploration and extraterrestrial life, and Sandra Faber, academic of the American Academy of Sciences, explored the future of the Earth from the perspective of astronomical observers.
Organized by the National Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Purple Mountain Observatory, CTAF was held in Xuyi, Jiangsu province. It explored the astronomy and future development of human beings, attracting more than 30 astronomy experts and 300 astronomy lovers.
