China's 1st 'zero-altitude' astronomical observatory put into use.docx

Chinals1stlzero-altitude,astronomicalobservatoryputintouseUpdated:2023-08-29()China'sfirst,zero-altitude"astronomicalobservatorybeginsoperating.PhotoZWeChataccountofOpticsValleyofChinaChina,sfirstzero-altitudeastronomicalobservatory,theMuztagataAstronomicalObservatory,wasrecentlyusedintheXinjiangUygurautonomousregion.TheobservatorybuildingwasindependentlydevelopedandconstructedbyChinaConstructionThirdEngineeringBureauGroupCoandwillcontinuetosupporthigh-altitudescientificresearch.ThecompanyisbasedintheEastLakeHigh-techDevelopmentZone(alsoknownasOpticsValleyofChina,orOVC).Theobservatory,withatotalconstructionareaofaround150squaremeters,islocatedneartheKunlunMountains*thirdhighestpeak,theMuztagataRange,makingastronomicalobservation,lodging,andadministrativetasksfeasible.Usingthisobservatory,astronomerswillconductobservationsandresearchinfieldssuchascosmology,starformationandevolution,galaxies,andactivegalacticnuclei.Furthermore,theyareexpectedtocarryouthigh-resolutionopticalimagingobservations,takingadvantageoftheexcellentatmosphericvisibilityconditionsaroundtheobservatory.,'Theatmosphericpressureandoxygenconcentrationatthemountaintopisonlyabout55percentofthatontheplain/*saidYeZhiwu,deputydirectoroftheHigh-AltitudeHumanSettlementEngineeringResearchCenterattheChinaConstructionInstituteofAdvancedTechnology.nThismeansthatastronomersworkinginsuchhigh-altitudeareaswillbeexposedtoaharshenvironmentwithlowpressure,lowoxygenconcentrations,lowtemperatures,andstrongultravioletradiation,'*headded.High-altitudeareasfeaturelowpressure,lowoxygenconcentrations,lowtemperatures,andintenseultravioletradiation.PhotoAVeChataccountofOpticsValleyofChinaTohelpaddresstheproblem,ChinaConstructionThirdEngineeringBureauGroupCoworkedwithBeijingNormalUniversityandXinjiangAstronomicalObservatoryoftheChineseAcademyofSciences,anddevelopedtheobservatorybuildingusingthepressurized-enc1osuretechnology.Researchersinthebuildingswillfeellikebeinginthezero-altitudeareas,hencetheobservatory'sname.Thearchitecturalblueprintofthebuildingwasmeticulouslycraftedtooptimizetheproductivityandwell-beingofscientificprofessionals,particularlythosewhospendprolongedperiodsattheobservatory.