中国大型通用光学望远镜EAST项目

The EAST Project:A Large General-Purpose Telescope in China

为迅速缩小中国与外国在光学天文望远镜上的发展差距,北京大学拟与相关单位合作,计划在2024—2030年间逐步建成一台大口径拼接镜面通用型光学望远镜EAST,台址设在青海省海西蒙古族藏族自治州冷湖天文观测基地。项目计划按照成长型分两期建设(主镜口径分别为6 m和8 m),以大幅提高中国光学天文的观测能力,为即将发射的中国空间站工程巡天望远镜CSST和已建成的中国天眼FAST、爱因斯坦探针EP等其他波段望远镜的后续光学观测提供设备支撑,为产出世界一流科学成果提供保障,并为中国未来建设更大口径的地面光学望远镜以及发射大型空间拼接望远镜积累宝贵经验。作为通用光学望远镜,EAST将满足我国天文学家对多样化光学天文观测的迫切需求,在未来几十年从行星到恒星、从星系到宇宙的多领域科学研究中发挥重要作用。

To provide a state-of-the-art world class platform for astronomical research in China,Peking University is leading a joint effort to build a large aperture,segmented mirror,general-purpose optical telescope(Expandable Aperture Segmented Telescope;EAST),with an expected completion date of 2030.EAST will be hosted at the Lenghu astronomical observatory base in Haixi Prefecture,Qinghai Province.The plan is to construct in two phases given the large size of primary mirror(with an expandable aperture from 6 meters to 8 meters),significantly improving China,s observational capabilities in optical astronomy,providing a competitive follow-up for the upcoming China Space Station Telescope(CSST)as well as the telescopes in other wavelengths such as the already built China,s biggest radio telescope(FAST)and recently launched X-ray telescope Einstein Probe(EP),and ensuring the production of world-class scientific achievements.EAST will also accumulate valuable technic experiences for China,s future construction of larger aperture ground optical telescopes and the launch of large space segmented telescopes.As a general purpose optical telescope,EAST will meet the urgent needs of Chinese astronomers for diversified optical observations to the greatest extent,and play an important role in broad scientific research areas from planets to stars,and from galaxies to cosmology in the coming decades.