China unveils plans for the largest optical telescope in Asia
(Image credit: Peking University)

China has unveiled plans for the largest optical telescope in Asia, set to be built in the country's Guizhou province. The telescope, known as the Guizhou Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), will have a diameter of over 16 meters and will be able to survey the sky four times faster than any other telescope in the world.

The project, which has been in development for over a decade, is being led by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and will be used to study a wide range of celestial objects, including stars, galaxies, and quasars. The telescope is expected to provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the universe and could potentially discover new celestial bodies.

Construction of the LAMOST telescope is set to begin in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2030. It will be located in the Dawodang depression, a natural depression in the Guizhou province that is known for its stable atmospheric conditions, making it an ideal location for astronomical observations.

The LAMOST telescope is just one of several major astronomical projects that China is currently undertaking. The country is also building the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), which is set to be the world's largest single-dish radio telescope when it is completed.

China's increasing investment in astronomical research is a sign of the country's growing interest in science and technology, and the LAMOST telescope is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the universe. It is an exciting time for astronomy and we can't wait to see the discoveries that the LAMOST telescope will bring.