This Monday marked the 1st anniversary of FAST, which stands for 500m Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope. It enables astronomers to detect signals from across the universe. / China Youth Daily Photo

Located in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, FAST was built in a deep valley far from any cities. The idea was first proposed in 1994 and it took 13 years for scientists to choose this spot out of 13 possible locations. / China Youth Daily Photo

Since its completion, a total of 5,270 local villagers have been relocated to ensure the gargantuan apparatus can operate as intended. / China Youth Daily Photo

According to the local government, villagers within a radius of 5km need to be relocated to nearby areas, making space for a “sound electromagnetic wave environment”. / China Youth Daily Photo