World's Largest Radio Telescope Completes Installation. See Photos

The world's largest-ever radio telescope completed installation as the last piece of 4,450 panels was fitted in the center of the big dish on Sunday morning, a landmark step for its planned operation in September.


The hoisting of the last triangular-shaped panel to the reflector, as large as 30 football pitches, began at 10:47 a.m. and lasted about an hour.

The aerial photo taken on July 3, 2016 shows the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (‪‎FAST‬) in Pingtang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Scientists will then begin debugging and trial observation of the FAST.