On September 25, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), independently designed and built by the National Astronomical Observatories of CAS, was put into use. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the scientists, engineers, and builders of the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. The facility is expected to maintain a leading position in the next 20 to 30 years.

FAST has broken the hundred-meter limit for any other radio telescope on Earth. It will provide unique means for observing dark matter and black holes, as well as exploring extraterrestrial civilizations and the origins of the universe, facilitate new findings and breakthroughs in basic research, and provide a first-class platform to boost strategic high technology, and promote international cooperation in science and technology.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) becomes operational in China's Guizhou province on September 25.(Photo /Xinhua)