National Astronomical Observatories of China
The National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences is an astronomical research institute operated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Purple Mountain Observatory and National Time Service Center.
History and introduction
Founded on April 25, 2001, NAOC was formed through the merging of four Chinese Academy of Sciences observatories, three CAS observing stations and one CAS research centre.The Headquarters of the NAOC are situated in the northern Chaoyang District of Beijing on the site of the former Beijing Astronomical Observatory, and take responsibility for all matters relating to the former BAO.
Currently, NAOC has 7 astronomical research departments listed follows:
- Optical Astronomy Research Department
- Radio Astronomy Research Department
- Galactic Astronomy & Cosmology Research Department
- Moon & Deep Space Detection Research Department
- Space Science Research Department
- Solar Astrophysics Research Department
- Applied Astronomy Research Department
Editorial departments of Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics and China National Astronomy are located in NAOC.
Subordinate units
Direct subordinate units
NAOC currently have 4 direct subordinate units, with 2 astronomical observatory, 1 artificial satellite observing station and 1 astronomical instrument developing institute.- Yunnan Observatories, CAS, Yunnan Province
- Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, CAS, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
- Changchun Observatory, National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Jilin Province
- Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics & Technologies, CAS, Jiangsu Province
Observing stations
- Xinglong Observing Station, NAOC
- Huairou Solar Observing Station, NAOC
- Miyun Observing Station, NAOC
- Ming'antu Observing Station, NAOC
- Wulasitai Observing Station, NAOC
- South America Observing Station, NAOC
Research highlights
Fast radio bursts (FRBs)
In 2019, FAST observation to fast radio burst event FRB180301 reveals that the origin of FRBs should be inside the magnetosphere of designated object. In 2020, another FRB event FRB200428, which was later confirmed to be originated from magnetar SGR J1935+2154, was observed in detail by FAST team. Research suggests that a low correlation between FRBs and magnetar X-ray burst.Dark matter halo
In 2020, NAOC and its collaborators performed a numerical simulation to dark matter halo between galaxies. This GADGET-4 simulation, with a dynamic range over 30 magnitudes, plotted a clear structure of dark matter haloes with mass ranging from earth-size to cosmological scale. The simulation provides a detailed universe structure under L-CDM model.International collaboration
NAOC took part in a wide range of International collaborations, include Square Kilometre Array, Thirty Meter Telescope, Herschel Space Observatory, and Beijing-Arizona Sky Survey, etc. Meanwhile, several NAOC developing projects are also international collaborated, including FAST.NAOC also started cooperation with futuristic projects like Einstein Probe, CSST, etc.
In 2023, NAOC signed an agreement with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile to collaborate on a space observatory in the northern Atacama Desert. The agreement has raised security concerns with the U.S. government.