A number of large scientific devices, such as the Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) and the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC) have been operating steadily during the Spring Festival holiday.

China’s 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) (Photo/Xinhua)

After the Spring Festival, a number of key research projects will be tackled consecutively, according to information from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Known as the " Eye of Heaven", China’s 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is a major national scientific and technological piece of infrastructure and successfully received national approval in January 2020. 

As FAST was officially opened for operation less than half a month before the Spring Festival holiday, more than 30 researchers from research institutions such as the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were stationed in the mountains in Pingtang, Guizhou province in southwest China to continue research. 

The researchers seek to give full play to FAST’s outstanding performance abilities and make major achievements.

According to the research team, after the Spring Festival, observation tasks will be carried out in five key research projects one after another, and FAST’s running time will also be extended from 10 hours a day during the Spring Festival to full capacity, so as to ensure observation tasks are completed.

Also in operation during the Spring Festival was BEPC, China’s first collider and large-scale scientific facility, which has operated during the Spring Festival for 12 consecutive years. 

Since the energy was adjusted to 4.64GeV on Jan. 14, 2020, both the accelerator and the detector have been operating well. At present, the BEPC has completed the data collection task of this energy point, and adjusted to a higher energy point.