Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Sheshan Hill with Observatory and Sheshan Basilica , located in Songjiang District

The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory ( Chinese 中国科学院 上海 天文台 , English Shanghai Astronomical Observatory , SHAO ) is an astronomical research facility of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , which was formed in 1962 from the Sheshan and Xujiahui observatories. The director of the observatory has been Shen Zhiqiang (沈志强, * 1965) since January 1, 2018 .

history

As early as 1865, the Jesuit priest Henri Le Lec, known in China as Liu Deyao (刘德耀, 1832–1882), natural history teacher at the girls' school of today's Mother of God Monastery in Xujiahui , carried out weather observations five times a day using instruments brought from France. In August 1872, Adrien-Hippolyte Languillat or Lang Huairen, SJ (郎 怀仁, 1808–1878), titular bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Kiangnan , approved the construction of a meteorological observatory in Shanghai (the Nanjing site initially envisaged had proved unsuitable) . The astronomical and meteorological observations began on December 1, 1872, initially from a platform on the east side of the rectory of today's St. Ignatius Cathedral . In February 1873, construction work began on its own building at 221 Puxi Street, which was completed and put into operation in July 1873. From 1874 the weather records were published in tabular form every month.

In November 1873, Father Marcus Dechevrens or Neng Ensi, SJ (能 恩斯, 1845-1923), who had been trained in the meteorological observatory of the Jesuit College Stonyhurst in Lancashire in the measurement of the earth's magnetic field - geomagnetic measurements have been carried out there every month since 1863 , since 1866 with automatically recording magnetometers - sent to Shanghai with the order to set up such a measuring station in the Xujiahui observatory. Dechevrens arrived in Shanghai on November 29, 1873, and then in 1874 he began using instruments with simple geomagnetic field observations sent by Father Stephen Joseph Perry, SJ (1833-1889) of Stonyhurst. This was the first earth's magnetic field measuring station in China. In 1876 Dechevrens took over the management of the observatory from Father Augustin Colombel or Gao Longpan, SJ (高 龙 鞶, 1833–1905), who had been in charge of the business until then.

The new building in Puxi-Strasse 166

In the following years seismological research began , and from 1884 onwards the precise sidereal time was determined by observing the sky, traditionally referred to in China as 观 星 报时 (Pinyin Guānxīng Bàoshí ). As a service for seagoing shipping, the exact time was first announced every Monday and Friday at noon by signal cannon, then, in order to eliminate the delay caused by the speed of sound, with an electrically triggered time ball at the port (see below). In order to do justice to the expanded range of tasks, a new building was built in 1900, a hundred meters west of the old observatory, at 166 Puxi Street, which was opened on January 1, 1901. Since Zhang Zhidong , the governor of Hunan and Hubei, together with four other provincial governors, refused to comply with an order from the Dowager Empress Cixi to combat foreigners on June 21, 1900 , they kept this secret from the southern Chinese population and instead agreed a ceasefire with the occupying forces in Shanghai the area remained untouched by the Boxer Rebellion .

In 1894, Father Stanislas Chevalier or Cai Shangzhi, SJ (蔡尚 质, 1852-1930), director of the observatory since 1888, decided to set up his own astronomical observatory. With donations from British and French shipping companies, the foreign branches in Shanghai and the Catholic Church, he was able to order a refractor telescope with a 40 cm lens diameter and 7 m focal length and a matching steel dome in Paris . Since the ground in today's Xuhui district is soft and swampy and could not support the more than 3 t heavy construction, it was decided to build the observatory on the rock Sheshan hill about 30 km west of the city, where the Jesuits already owned a piece of land on which the predecessor church of today's Sheshan Basilica stood. The main building was completed in 1899, and in 1901 the telescope with a steel dome was installed, plus a meridian circle . Stanislas Chevalier took over the management of the Sheshan Observatory - the largest observatory in East Asia at the time - which he held until 1925; the direction of the meteorological observatory in Xujiahui had been from 1897 Father Luis Marie Froc, also known as Aloysius Fros or Lao Jixun, SJ (劳 积 勋, 1859-1932).

In 1902 the occupying powers opened a tram line to Xujiahui. The electric tram interfered with the earth's magnetic field measuring devices as it passed. Father Josephus de Moidrey or Ma Delai, SJ (马德 赉, 1858–1936), the head of the geomagnetic department, protested again and again to the foreign administration, until it recognized the existence of the problem in 1906 and raised 5000 liang (186, 5 kg) of silver for a relocation of the geomagnetic field measuring station. The choice for the new location fell on Lujiabang (菉 葭 浜), today's large community Lujia (陆 家 镇) in Kunshan , about 50 km west of Xujiahui. In 1908 the new measuring station was completed and connected to the headquarters in Shanghai by a direct telegraph line to facilitate data exchange. Together with the observatory at the Bund, which in addition to its function as a timer, also conveyed weather information to the ships, and the Sheshan Astronomical Observatory, where geodynamics was also located from 1904 , the Meteorological Observatory now had three branch offices, all of which formally belong to the General Director in Xujiahui subordinate to a position created in 1908. In practice, the branch offices operated largely autonomously. In addition to the weather forecast, especially during the summer typhoon season, the focus was on basic research on sunspots , astrospectroscopy , gravitational measurements and microquakes , especially in Sheshan .

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the facilities - the Geomagnetic Observatory was moved from Lujiabang to Sheshan Hill in 1932 - on the basis of an order from the Shanghai Military Government (海市 军事管制委员会, Pinyin Shànghǎi Shì Jūnshì Guǎnzhì Wěiyuánhuì ) from 11 Nationalized December 12, 1950 , which in turn was based on an instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. The meteorological departments were taken over by the Bureau of Meteorology of the Military Government (军委 气象 局, Pinyin Jūnwěi Qìxiàng Jú ), while geodynamics, earthquake research and astronomy were transferred to the apparatus of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , founded in November 1949 . In 1962 the departments in Sheshan and Xuhui - after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the city district had been renamed - were combined to form the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (上海 天文台, Pinyin Shànghǎi Tiānwéntái ).

As early as May 1914, the observatory in Xujiahui had sent a time signal by radio, and from 1930 it worked with the Bureau International de l'Heure to determine the Universal Time . In 1956 the observatory began broadcasting time signals under the callsign BPV , and from 1958 to 1981 it was the central clock for China. After a meeting with Prime Minister Zhou Enlai on September 30, 1960, the development of atomic clocks began , first with ammonia molecules, then cesium and finally hydrogen maser clocks . The observatory has so far produced over 100 of the latter for sale, making it the largest producer of atomic clocks in China. In 1999 the headquarters moved to a new 19-storey building on Nandan-Str. 80 in the Xuhui district in the center of Shanghai .

Research areas

Today's headquarters in Nandan-Str. 80

The 46 permanent science councils (研究员) with the rank of professors at the observatory (as of March 2019) work with their doctoral students - the observatory is a campus of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences - and numerous other scientists currently in five areas, with the limits between pure astronomy and applied space technology are fluid:

Center for Astro-Geodynamic Research

Since July 1995 around 60 scientists and 80 students have been researching the following areas at the Center for Astro- Geodynamic Research:

- Measurement, analysis and prediction of changes in the earth's rotation ; Research into the mechanisms that cause changes in the earth's rotation; Measurement of sea tides and earth tides ; Determination of astronomical constants; Research into the inner structure of the planets, the hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic processes occurring there and the mechanisms of their coupling.

- Determination of the continental drift as well as local changes in the earth's crust; Determination of the change in the position of measuring stations on the earth's surface in relation to the center of the earth; Determination of the position and proper motion of stars and compact radio sources ; Creating, expanding and maintaining astronomical frames of reference , comparing and linking them; Research in the field of relativity in astronomy.

- Research on the theory and practice of precise determination of the orbit of spacecraft; Research on the theory and practice of satellite navigation systems such as Beidou or GPS under the aspects of positioning, space weather and meteorology .

- Satellite laser rangefinding and development of new technologies therefor; Development of technologies for laser rangefinding of uncooperative targets, support for the widespread use of said technologies in China for the purpose of surveillance of targets in space and timely warning of dangers to aerospace; Development of technologies for time comparison using lasers, synchronization of the time and frequency generator systems of the satellite and ground station, as well as assessment of the functionality of the time and frequency generator on the satellite; Development of new technologies for laser reflectors mounted on satellites .

- Measurement and simulation of the earth's gravitational field and the creation of a high-precision model of the same; Deriving the mass displacement processes on the earth's surface and in the earth's interior using the data of the simulated gravity field as well as research into long-term climate changes on earth.

- Development of technologies for the exploration of planets, exploration of the processes and dynamics in the atmosphere, ionosphere and on the surface of earth-like planets as well as the mutual influencing of said phenomena using global navigation satellite systems , radar and optical sensors, gravimeters , altimeters and radiometers .

- Research into theory and error analysis in measurements and data processing in all areas of space technology, creation and improvement of software for data processing in said areas; Collecting and organizing all types of observation data, setting up databases, protecting and using them.

Department of Astrophysics

The Astrophysics Department has a strong network and, together with the Chinese University of Science and Technology , operates the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Specialized Laboratory for Galaxies and Cosmology (中国科学院 星系 和 宇宙 学 重点 实验室) and a Joint Center for Astrophysics (天体 物理 联合中心) with Xiamen University . In addition, the department participates in numerous national and international astronomy projects, such as the LAMOST spectroscopy telescope in Chengde , the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope in space, the FAST radio telescope in Guizhou , the Sloan Digital Sky Survey , the 30- m reflector telescope in Hawaii or the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in Chile. Around 45 scientists and 80 students work in four major areas on site in Shanghai:

- Creation of theoretical models of active galaxy nuclei , in particular the accretion disks of active galaxy nuclei of low luminosity ; Observation of the peculiarities and changes in the radio wave spectrum of active galaxy nuclei; Feedback in active galaxy nuclei; theoretical treatment, observation and compilation of statistics on the interaction between the active galaxy core and the galaxy surrounding it ; Investigation of X-ray binary stars with a black hole or a neutron star as a compact partner; Analysis of black hole accretion theories and their applications in astrophysics; Investigation of the warming and cooling currents in the intracluster medium , feedback of the same with active galaxy nuclei , formation and effects of cosmic rays ; Observation and creation of a theoretical model of the radio source Sagittarius A * as well as research on the formation and effects of the Fermi bubbles in the center of the Milky Way.

- Dynamics of planets and planetary systems, structure and dynamics inside planets; protoplanetary disks and the formation of planets; Exoplanets .

- Compact stars like white dwarfs or neutron stars; Research on complex star systems composed of stars or double stars and planets, formation, structure and evolution of stars and double stars, interactions between stars and planets; Research on open star clusters and globular star clusters in the Milky Way; Observation and creation of theoretical models for the chemical evolution of the Milky Way and the problem of the lack of red dwarfs with low metallicity ; Research on the peculiarities in the dynamics of the galactic disk and its spiral arms as well as their interactions with the galactic halo .

- Formation, evolution and distribution of galaxies ; Structure and growth history of the surrounding dark halo ; Research on cosmic reionization ; the coevolution of galaxies and active galaxy nuclei; the chemical evolution of nearby galaxies.

Department of Science and Technology of Radio Astronomy

The radio astronomy department , which was founded with the construction of the 25-meter radio telescope in Sheshan in 1986 , is also very well connected. Her Center for New Paths in Radio Astronomical Research and Technology (射 电 天文 研究 与 技术 创新 中心) participates in several long-term projects such as the Square Kilometer Array in South Africa and Australia. Around 50 other scientists are working in the Radio Astronomical Observation Base (射 电 天文 观测 基地) in Sheshan, in the Radio Astronomical Laboratory (射 电 天文 技术 in) in Nandan Street and in the VLBI Center (VLBI 中心) in Tianma with the following projects:

- Search for pulsars and study of radiation mechanisms, evolutionary process and internal structure of the same with the help of the 65-m radio telescope in Tianma in order to obtain data for the establishment of a pulsar-based standard time as well as for automatic navigation in deep space.

- Coordination of the Chinese VLBI network (中国 VLBI 网) for tracking the probes of the lunar program of the People's Republic of China in the VLBI observation base Sheshan (佘山 VLBI 观测 基地); Development of the eVLBI software for fast data transmission between the antennas in Ürümqi, Miyun, Kunming, Tianma and Sheshan and the base.

- Data processing services of the VLBI Center Tianma as a correlator for the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS), the East Asian VLBI Network (EAVN), the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC), where local changes in the earth's crust in China, as well as for the orbit tracking of Chinese space probes in deep space.

- Construction of a station for the VLBI Global Observatory System (VGOS) in Sheshan, with a small, quickly swiveling parabolic antenna with a diameter of 13.2 m. With the inclusion of global navigation satellite systems and satellite laser distance measurement , Sheshan supports the International Terrestrial Reference Frame with its 25 m antenna .

- Further improvement of the self-developed data acquisition system, internationally abbreviated to “CDAS” after the English name “Chinese VLBI Data Acquisition System” and installed in all stations of the Chinese VLBI network.

Optical astronomical instrument laboratory

For more than 50 years, around 30 scientists and engineers have been developing various types of optical telescopes here, for example the 1.56 m reflecting telescope installed on top of Sheshan Hill in 1987. We are currently working in the following areas:

- CCD telescopes.

- Improvements to the 1.56 m reflecting telescope for precise satellite observation.

- Remote controlled and automatic sky observation.

- Optical interferometry with multiple telescopes .

Laboratory for time and frequency generators

The time ball of the observatory at the Bund (1897)

This department goes back to the "Observatory on the Bund " (外滩 天文台), in reality just a signal tower of the Jesuit meteorological observatory in Xujiahui (徐家汇 观象台), where from 1884 the seafarers were given the opportunity to use their ship chronometers with a time ball mechanism to check. Today around 30 scientists and engineers work there in the following areas:

- Improvement of the reliability of active hydrogen maser watches .

- Development of active hydrogen maser clocks for space stations.

- Development of different types of passive hydrogen maser watches .

- Development of passive hydrogen maser clocks for satellites.

- Research on theory, technology and methodology for time and frequency measurement.

- Research on the technology of timing devices for navigation satellites.

- Research on new forms of frequency standards.

- Manufacture of hydrogen burl watches for sale.

Telescopes

• optical telescope with a 1.56 meter mirror
• 60 cm laser telescope .

Radio telescopes

Tian Ma Sheshan

Radio telescope locations

• 25 meters Sheshan (SH25) near Shanghai. This radio telescope is only a few kilometers away from the new 65-meter Tianma radio telescope and can be operated together with it like a single telescope with better performance. The station in the Cassegrain Beam Waveguide design was built in 1986 and has 6 receivers with the frequency ranges 1.3, 3.6 / 13, 5, 6 and 18 cm and has been part of the European VLBI Network (EVN) since 1993. 31 ° 5 ′ 57 "  N , 121 ° 11 ′ 58"  E
• 65 meters Tianma radio telescope near Shanghai (SH65). Fully movable, adaptive adjustment of the surface with actuators. Receiving range 1-50 GHz, receivers for the frequency bands L, S, X, C, K _u , K, K _a , Q . The construction decision was made in 2008, the foundation stone was laid at the end of 2009, construction started in 2010, the first light was on October 26, 2012 and the station was officially opened two days later. The upper frequency bands were expanded by 2015. Height 79 meters, weight 2,700 tons. 31 ° 5 '31.6 "  N , 121 ° 8' 11.4"  E

These two radio telescopes can be interconnected with the stations in Ürümqui (UR25), Miyun and Kunming (KM40) and in this way form the Chinese VLBI Network (CVN), a VLBI telescope the size of China. The evaluation takes place via the Sheshan VLBI Center. Both telescopes are also part of the Chinese deep space network .

• On March 8, 2017, the foundation stone was laid for the 13.2 m VGOS radio telescope on the SH25 site in Sheshan. Due to the close proximity to the larger parabolic antenna, there was the problem of shading, which was solved by placing the new antenna on a 14.5 m high base. After completion of the system, the antenna, which is designed for a service life of at least 20 years, will initially work in the 2-14 GHz frequency range, with the option of expanding it later to the K ” £‹ _a band . Due to its relatively small size, the antenna can be swiveled quickly, horizontally at a speed of 12 ° / s, vertically at 6 ° / s.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ 上海 天文台 历任 领导. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved February 24, 2019 (Chinese). 
2. ↑ 上海 天文台 现任 领导. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved February 24, 2019 (Chinese). 
3. ↑ Agustín Udías Vallina: Searching the Heavens and the Earth: The History of Jesuit Observatories. Springer Science + Business Media , Dordrecht 2003, p. 158. Even if the wearing of Chinese or Manchurian clothing was controversial among the Jesuits , the Catholic missionaries and the like. a. by adopting Chinese names to their surroundings much more than their Protestant counterparts, which meant they got less into trouble with the local population .
4. ^ Larry Clinton Thompson: William Scott Ament and the Boxer Rebellion: Heroism, Hubris, and the "Ideal Missionary". McFarland & Company, Jefferson 2009, pp. 84f.
5. ^ Catholic churches in Shanghai. (PDF) In: http://www.china-zentrum.de/ . Retrieved March 20, 2019 (Chinese). 
6. ↑ 王雷 et al .: 上海 气象 志 第十六 编 徐家汇 观象台 第一 章 沿革 第一节 创建 概要. In: http://www.shtong.gov.cn/ . October 30, 2003, Retrieved March 17, 2019 (Chinese). 
7. ↑ 林清: 百年 沧桑 的 上海 天文台 (一). In: http://www.astron.ac.cn/ . January 10, 2008, accessed March 22, 2019 (Chinese).  Includes a photo of the refractor from 1901.
8. ↑ Agustín Udías Vallina: Searching the Heavens and the Earth: The History of Jesuit Observatories. Springer Science + Business Media, Dordrecht 2003, p. 164.
9. ↑ 简 逢 敏 et al .: 上海 测绘 志 第一 篇 大地 测量 概述. In: http://www.shtong.gov.cn/ . February 25, 2003, Retrieved March 22, 2019 (Chinese). 
10. ↑ 王雷 et al .: 上海 气象 志 第十六 编 徐家汇 观象台 第一 章 沿革 第一节 创建 概要. In: http://www.shtong.gov.cn/ . October 30, 2003, Retrieved March 17, 2019 (Chinese). 
11. ^ History ---- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved November 25, 2017 . 
12. ↑ 中心 简介. In: http://fts.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 23, 2019 (Chinese). 
13. ^ Development History. In: http://english.ntsc.cas.cn/ . June 18, 2009, accessed March 23, 2019 . 
14. ^ Faculty. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . 
15. ^ Center for Astro-geodynamics Research. In: http://english.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . 
16. ↑ 天文 地球动力学 研究 中心. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 (Chinese). 
17. ^ Astrophysics Division. In: http://english.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . 
18. ↑ 天体 物理 研究室. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 (Chinese). 
19. ^ Projects. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 12, 2019 . 
20. ↑ 科研项目. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 12, 2019 . 
21. ↑ List of VGOS Sites. (PDF) In: https://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ . November 2018, accessed on March 13, 2019 . 
22. ^ Division of Radio Astronomy Science and Technology. In: http://english.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 . 
23. ↑ 射 电 天文 科学 与 技术 研究室. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 (Chinese). 
24. ^ The Laboratory of Technologies for Optical Astronomy. In: http://english.shao.cas.cn/ . September 4, 2014, accessed March 7, 2019 . 
25. ↑ 光学 天文 技术 研究室. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 (Chinese). 
26. ^ Optical Interferometry Laboratory of Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. In: http://optical.shao.cas.cn/ . August 22, 2016, accessed March 15, 2019 . 
27. ↑ 实验室 概况. In: http://optical.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 15, 2019 (Chinese). 
28. ↑ 中心 简介. In: http://fts.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 16, 2019 (Chinese). 
29. ^ Time & Frequency Research Center. In: http://english.shao.cas.cn/ . July 24, 2014, accessed March 7, 2019 . 
30. ↑ 时间 频率 技术 研究室. In: http://www.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 7, 2019 (Chinese). 
31. ^ The Laboratory of Technologies for Optical Astronomy ---- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved November 25, 2017 . 
32. ^ The 60cm Laser-Ranging Station ---- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved November 25, 2017 . 
33. ^ Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. Retrieved November 17, 2017 . 
34. ^ The 25m Radio Telescope Observing Station - Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved November 25, 2017 . 
35. ^ Tian Ma 65-m Radio Telescope . ( Online [PDF]).
36. ^ Tianma Telescope and Observation Station ---- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Retrieved February 23, 2019 . 
37. ↑ 系统 效率. In: http://radio.shao.cas.cn/ . Retrieved March 14, 2019 . 
38. ^ Wang Guangli et al .: The Sheshan VGOS station progress on construction. (PDF) In: https://www.chalmers.se/ . May 11, 2017, accessed March 14, 2019 . 
39. ↑ 李金岭 et al .: 佘山 25 m 与 13 m 射 电 望远镜 互 掩 问题 分析. In: http://xb.sinomaps.com/ . October 15, 2017, Retrieved March 14, 2019 (Chinese). 
40. ^ Wang Guangli: An Introduction to the Sheshan VGOS Station Project. (PDF) In: http://ivscc.bkg.bund.de/ . Retrieved March 14, 2019 . 

Web links

• Official website (in English)
• Official website of the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) (in English)
• East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN) website (in English)
• Official website of the VLBI Global Observatory System (VGOS) (in English)

Coordinates: 31 ° 5 ′ 57 ″  N , 121 ° 11 ′ 58 ″  E