An array of stars

Far from city light sources, the starry night sky was deep and bright over the Mingantu Observing Station in Zhengxiangbai Qi, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, last week.

Part of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, these parabolic antennae are among a total of 100 that make up the Mingantu Spectral Radioheliograph.

According to the Xinhua news agency, the radioheliograph, which covers an area of 10 sq km, can monitor solar activities on a wide imaging resolution spectrum.

It is named after Mingantu, a famous Mongolian astronomer and mathematician who lived during the Qing Dynasty.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 31, 2019, with the headline An array of stars. Subscribe