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China is preparing to build a gigantic telescope which could temporarily become the largest in the world. This project, although discreet, draws the attention of the international astronomical community because of its ambition and its scientific potential. Located on the Tibetan plateau, this telescope promises to revolutionize astronomy in China, while arousing the interest and curiosity of experts from around the world.
An ambitious project on the Tibetan set
The new Chinese telescope will be located at the Lenghu observatory, in the province of Qinghai, at an altitude of 4,500 meters. This site was chosen for its exceptionally dry and stable air, as well as its distance from artificial lights. China invests massively in this project, with a budget of at least 2 billion RMB (around 277 million euros), to build nine telescopes in Lenghu. Among these projects, the large optical telescope (lot) stands out for its impressive dimensions and advanced capacities.
The lot will be the jewel of the crown of new astronomical projects of China. With a 14.5 meter mirror, it will temporarily surpass all other optical telescopes in the northern hemisphere. This ambition of magnitude testifies to China’s desire to establish itself as a leading player in the field of world astronomy.
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The mystery around the Lot telescope
Despite the scope of the project, China maintains an almost total secrecy on the details of the Lot telescope, which intrigues astronomers. To date, little information has been published regarding its design or specific capacities. This discretion could be due to past tensions between different Chinese institutes concerning the competing conceptions of optical telescopes.
The construction of the Lot dome was entrusted to a company from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, for a contract of 159 million RMB (around 22 million euros). However, the precise design of the mirror remains a mystery, although it is planned to observe both in the optical and infrared wavelengths.
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Comparison with international projects
The lot could temporarily surpass the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) of the Austral European Observatory, under construction in Chile, if the latter undergoes new delays. The ELT, with its 39 -meter mirror, should see its first light in 2029. However, frequent delays in large scientific projects leave the door open to a temporary leadership taking by the lot.
It is expected that the lot is a versatile observatory, comparable to the ELT or the twin telescopes of the WM Keck Observatory in Hawaii. With a larger opening, the lot will have a discovery capacity about four times that of Keck telescopes, thanks to its light collection power and increased spatial resolution.
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| Features | LOT | ELT |
|---|---|---|
| Mirror diameter | 14.5 meters | 39 meters |
| Localisation | Tibetan tray, China | Atacama desert, Chile |
| Planned date of the first light | 2030 | 2029 |
Implications for global science
The rise of China in the field of optical astronomy worries certain American actors, such as the cosmologist Robert Kirshner, who sees in the lot an alarm signal for American science. With increasingly limited funding, especially under the Trump administration, the United States could lose its leadership in this area if projects like the thirty-meter telescope (TMT) do not receive increased support.
International competition in the field of giant telescopes could intensify, especially since rumors evoke the possible construction of a second 14.5 meter telescope by China, this time in the Atacama desert. This dynamic highlights the importance of innovation and financing in global scientific research.
While China is advancing discreetly but surely in the construction of its gigantic telescope, the scientific world is careful. Does this project mark a turning point in the race for giant telescopes, and what will be the consequences for international scientific collaboration?
The author relied on artificial intelligence to enrich this article.
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