Chinese Astronomers Spot Brightest and Biggest Black Hole

A research team led by Chinese astronomers has discovered the most luminous supermassive quasar， a shining object produced by a black hole， ever found in the distant universe. According to a new study published in the British journal Nature on February 26， the quasar has a mass about 12 billion times that of the Sun， and is 430 trillion times brighter.

The black hole， which is 12.8 billion light years from Earth， was first spotted through a 2.4-meter telescope based in Lijiang in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. Its existence was confirmed by follow-up studies in the United States and Chile.

“We were so excited at finding such a luminous object just 900 million years after the Big Bang，” said Professor of Astrophysics Wu Xuebing of Peking University， adding that the finding will challenge theories on how black holes form and grow.

“Spotting such a celestial body usually requires a 10-meter telescope. But Chinese astronomers observed it through a two-meter telescope. This demonstrates their creativity，” said astrophysicist Chen Jiansheng of the National Astronomical Observatories at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chinese HD Earth Observation Satellite Comes into Service

Chinas most advanced earth observation satellite， the Gaofen-2， was put into service on March 6 after being launched last August. The services the satellite provides will promote development of the countrys data application and spatial information sectors， head of the State Administration of Science， Technology and Industry for National Defense Xu Dazhe said.

The Gaofen-2 is the second of seven satellites to be launched under the auspices of Gaofen， Chinas indigenous high-definition observation project， ahead of 2020. The project was initiated in May 2010 and Gaofen-1 was launched in April 2013. The goal of the Gaofen project is to provide all-weather， 24-hour global services.

The Gaofen-2 is capable of capturing images in space of objects 0.8 meters long， in full color， and of collecting multispectral images of objects more than 3.2 meters long. Gaofen-2 provides services for more than 10 Chinese government departments， including the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Transport.

Xu said the government will also support non-governmental organizations， including private enterprises， in developing value-added services.endprint

First-Phase Design Complete for Worlds Largest Telescope

The design for the first phase of the Square Kilometer Array （SKA） project has been completed， bringing the worlds largest radio telescope one step closer to construction， according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）.

SKAs first phase， encompassing two complementary world-class telescopes in Australia and South Africa， will cost US $700 million. Construction is due to start in 2018， with initial observations being recorded in 2020， said a statement released on March 10 by the CAS National Astronomical Observatories.

The telescope arrays， designed to monitor and map the sky in unprecedented detail and speed， aim to improve understanding of the universe and the laws of fundamental physics.

The project is currently supported by 11 countries， including Australia， Canada， China， Germany， India， Italy， the Netherlands， New Zealand， South Africa， Sweden， and the United Kingdom. More than 100 companies and institutions in 20 countries are involved in research and development.

The CAS， the China Electronics Technology Group， and many Chinese universities have a role in the research and development of the project.

China Has Ability but No Plan for Manned Lunar Mission

“With Chinas current manned space flight and moon probe technologies， we have the technological basis to realize a manned lunar mission，” said Zhou Jianping， chief designer of Chinas manned space program on March 6. But he added that the country has no plan to land astronauts on the moon for the time being. Solution of grim challenges and much preparation precede realization of a manned lunar mission. It would require， for example， research and development of a bigger carrier rocket and a bigger and more sophisticated manned spacecraft， Zhou said.endprint