The quiet zone of FAST – Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. [Photo/gog.cn]

A group of some 110 people will be out of touch on Nov 4 and 5 as they take part in a “quiet trip” at the quiet zone of the “eyes of heaven”– FAST.

FAST is a single-aperture telescope, the size of 30 football fields, located in Guizhou province in Southwestern China. It is capable of identifying gravitational waves, detecting radio emissions from the outer reaches of space and listening for signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life.

The participants of the special experience are journalists from news websites, web celebrities and scientists invited by Guizhou governments. They will be forbidden to take any electronic devices, including cellphones, watches or cameras into the quiet zone.

FAST has strict environmental requirements－every light bulb in the control center of FAST is specially manufactured, and must pass dozens of calibration tests before being installed. That’s one of the reasons why the location of FAST is a mountainous area with a low population density.

The 110 visitors will have close contact with the giant FAST, and they are expected to share their unique experience with the public to promote the idea of “quiet tourism” and its integration with FAST. This is also a way to promote popular science tourism.

Edited by Zachary Dye