China's Major Telescope for Hunting Exoplanets to Become Operational in 2026

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the developer of a major spectroscopic telescope engineered for exoplanet tracking, has declared their project will be finalized and operational in northwest China by 2026.

The Jiaotong University Spectroscopic Telescope (JUST), as it's named, is set to be erected on Saishiteng Mountain, close to Lenghu town. This location has been chosen by the Qinghai Province, in northwest China, to be an astronomy observation site.

The prominent feature of the telescope is its 4.4-meter aperture, which permits swift shifting among target sources and facilitates instantaneous spectral examinations. Anticipations from the scientific community are high, with the telescope predicted to produce ground-breaking studies in various sectors, such as time-domain astronomy and exoplanet exploration.

"This telescope will continue to be China's most leading spectral telescope for a significant duration," stated the university in an announcement earlier this month.

Equipped with a high-accuracy spectrometer, the telescope is expected to make simultaneous multi-target and high-precision spectral observations, being the first telescope globally to do so. This innovative feature is expected to noticeably boost the efficacy of exoplanet detection, as highlighted by the telescope's developer.

Emily Johnson