China has achieved what Global Times calls a “major milestone in astronomical research with the launch of the Jiao Tong University Spectroscopic Telescope (JUST) project. On April 27, construction officially began on the 4.4-meter telescope at the Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province. The telescope will be installed at the Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base, situated at an altitude of about 4,000 meters atop Saishengteng Mountain. The location was carefully chosen due to its favorable natural conditions: dry climate, low water vapor levels, and excellent atmospheric stability.”
The report states: “The JUST telescope has three primary scientific objectives. First, it will employ its high-density fiber spectroscopic capabilities to survey dense regions of the universe, such as galaxy clusters, significantly advancing research in cluster cosmology. Second, its rapid-response design will enable prompt follow-up observations of transient phenomena like supernovae, which are difficult to study due to their short-lived nature. Third, it will focus on exoplanet detection by observing multiple bright stars using high-resolution spectrometers.”
