This scene taken from FAST's viewing platform shows the panorama of the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope in Pingtang county, Guizhou province, Sept 24, 2016. (Photo/Xinhua)
2. World's largest single-aperture telescope
China officially put into operation the world's largest single-aperture telescope in September 2016.
The Five-Hundred Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is 500 meters in diameter and equals the size of 30 soccer fields. It has the potential to unlock the secrets of the origin of the universe and boost the search for extraterrestrial life, an expert said.
