Country's most powerful spectral telescope expected to be put into use in 2026

China's most powerful spectral telescope with an aperture of 4.4 meters is expected to be completed and put into use by 2026, reported Science and Technology Daily.

According to the report, Shanghai Jiao Tong University plans to build the large-aperture multi-functional spectral telescope named Jiaotong University Spectroscopic Telescope (JUST) at Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base located on Saishiteng Mountain in the northwestern Qinghai province.

With a lightweight design and equipped with multiple spectrometers, the JUST will be capable of swiftly switching target sources and conducting timely spectroscopic observations.

It will utilize an R-C optical system and mosaic thin-mirror technology, with the primary mirror composed of 18 hexagonal sub-mirrors, each with a diagonal size of 1.1 meters. Real-time closed-loop control will be employed using active optical technology during operation. The optical system of the telescope will feature two Nasmyth foci, with two Nasmyth platforms set up for scientific instrument placement.

After completion, the telescope is expected to achieve a series of groundbreaking research results with significant impact in the fields of temporal astronomy, exoplanet search, and the cosmic network structure and evolution.

It will work closely with the Wide Field Survey Telescope Mozi and the upcoming Chinese Space Station Telescope to provide indispensable observational data for the country's astronomy development.