China's "compound eyes": tracking "uninvited guests" in space

If an asteroid hits the Earth one day, is it possible for us to predict and prevent the tragedy in advance? The answer is yes, because now we have the monitoring device "China's Compound Eye".

Some people may ask what a compound eye is? For example, the eyes of insects such as dragonflies and flies are composed of many small eyes, which are called "compound eyes" in the scientific community. Similarly, the "Chinese compound eye" is a large antenna composed of many small antennas, which is a magical device developed based on the compound eyes of insects. That is to say, when an asteroid enters the line of sight of the compound eye, these small antennas will actively emit electromagnetic waves and receive the echo of electromagnetic waves to detect the asteroid and form an image. It is precisely because of the principle of self-emission and self-reception of electromagnetic waves that the trajectory of the asteroid can be captured.

The "China Compound Eye" can observe asteroids and terrestrial planets 150 million kilometers away, expand the boundaries of human deep space observation, and meet major national scientific research needs such as near-Earth asteroid impact defense and Earth-Moon situational awareness. With these "little eyes", asteroids that threaten the Earth will have nowhere to hide. At the same time, they can also monitor space debris and those "uninvited guests" to escort our spacecraft.

Then everyone must be curious, don’t we already have the Chinese Sky Eye? Why do we need to build the “Chinese Compound Eye”?

The main difference between the China Sky Eye and the China Compound Eye lies in the observation range, observation sensitivity, function and configuration. Simply put, if the China Sky Eye is compared to a farsighted eye, then the "China Compound Eye" is a nearsighted eye. The China Sky Eye is the world's largest radio telescope, focusing on comprehensive observation and research of the radio universe, while the "China Compound Eye" is not a radio telescope, it is a distributed radar. It can actively emit electromagnetic waves for near-Earth space detection, focusing on near-Earth asteroid defense, and is an active observation device, which can complement the passive observation of the "China Sky Eye".

The "Chinese compound eye" is similar to the compound eyes of insects.

Image source: Yunyang County Economic and Information Committee

So why did the China Compound Eye choose Chongqing as the site? The project was located in Chongqing because, on the one hand, the geographical latitude of Chongqing is suitable for the installation and observation of radars, and it has stable geography and meteorological conditions. On the other hand, Chongqing’s achievements in scientific research provide strong technical support for the “China Compound Eye”.

The construction of the China Compound Eye once again demonstrates Chinese wisdom. When the project is completed, it will be the world's first deep space radar with three-dimensional imaging and deformation monitoring. It is the "China Compound Eye" that shoulders the heavy task of asteroid defense, so it is also called another "giant eye" for mankind to look into the deep space. With the advent of the China Sky Eye and the China Compound Eye, my country will have an irreplaceable voice in the field of world astronomy. And these "little eyes" of the "China Compound Eye" are not just looking up, but also using practical actions to contribute China's strength to protecting the earth and human safety.

Source: Chongqing Planning Exhibition Hall (Chongqing Planning Research Center)

Audit expert: Wu Sha

Statement: Except for original content and special notes, some pictures are from the Internet. They are not for commercial purposes and are only used as popular science materials. The copyright belongs to the original authors. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete them.