China to boot out THOUSANDS to build giant telescope in bid to discover aliens
CHINA is kicking a massive 10,000 people out of their homes in a desperate bid to find alien life.
The world's largest telescope
Thousands of residents living near the world’s largest radio telescope – which is currently under construction – will be relocated before its completion.
The Chinese government plans to move the residents within a five kilometre radius of Guizhou, southwest China – where the dish is located.
Secretary-general of the Guizhou Provincial Committee Li Yuecheng said: “The people need to be moved in order to protect the telescope, which needs a sound electromagnetic wave environment.”
Thousands of people will be booted out of their homes
The country hopes the giant five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) will boost mankind’s efforts of detecting alien life.
The people need to be moved in order to protect the telescope
Construction of the scope, which is due to be completed in September, began in 2011 at a reported cost of a staggering £127 million (1.2 billion yuan).
The FAST dish – which is around the size of 30 football pitches – will be lined with 4,600 reflective triangular panels to focus radio waves, enabling researchers to detect signals from billions of lightyears away.
It is also set to eclipse the current largest telescope in the world – Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory.
The Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope is around the size of 30 football pitches
Residents affected will reportedly receive around £1,300 (12,000 yuan) from the Chinese government to assist their relocation.
Ethnic minorities who struggle to find housing will get an additional £1,050 (10,000 yuan), according to reports.