【新华社】雪山牧场15米亚毫米波望远镜在青海德令哈启动建设

Core Points - The construction of the 15-meter submillimeter wave telescope project (XSMT) at Snow Mountain Pasture was launched on September 20 in Delingha, Qinghai [1][2] - Submillimeter wave observation can penetrate interstellar dust, revealing hidden cold dark interstellar atomic and molecular gases, and is crucial for understanding galaxy formation and evolution [1] - The project aims to address China's shortcomings in submillimeter wave astronomical observation and will support cutting-edge research in astronomy [1] Project Details - The telescope will be located at an altitude of approximately 4,800 meters in Delingha, Qinghai, and will include supporting facilities such as an observation room, solar panels, energy cabin, and generator room [1] - The project is expected to be completed by 2027 and will be the first fully independently developed submillimeter wave ground observation equipment in China with international advanced standards [1] - The telescope will focus on four core scientific directions: extragalactic astronomy, galactic science, time-domain astronomy, and astrochemistry, with a working frequency range of 85 GHz to 500 GHz [1][2] Future Implications - Once completed, the telescope is expected to drive breakthroughs in fields such as galaxy formation and evolution, galactic structure, interstellar chemistry, and time-domain astronomy [2] - It may also contribute to the next generation of event horizon telescopes, aiding in capturing dynamic images of black holes [2]