A Radio Telescope Near Urumqi

The Milky Way rises in this spring night of China, from Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory (XAO) near Ürümqi. Photographed here is the 25-meter Nanshan Radio Telescope. It is one of the important stations of Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) with arrays of radio telescopes around the globe. The station also plays an important role in China’s Lunar Exploration Program.