[Photo by the staff of Ngari project]

The world’s highest gravitational wave observatory started construction recently in Ngari, southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region to detect the faintest echoes resonating from the universe.   

 “Ngari Primordial Gravitational Wave Detection” program consists of two parts: Ngari No.1 and Ngari No.2, according to Yao Yongqiang, chief researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.   

Ngari No.1, a primordial gravitational wave telescope located 5,250 meters above sea level and 30 km south of Shiquanhe town of Ngari, can gather accurate primordial gravitational wave data in the Northern Hemisphere.

It is already in construction and expected to be operational by 2021.

Ngari No.2, an array of telescopes located at an altitude of more than 6,000 meters, will further expand the observation frequency band to improve observation accuracy.   

[Photo/China Tibet News]

Ngari, with an average altitude of more than 4,000 meters, is one of the least densely populated places in the world.

Its unique geographical environment makes it the most desirable spot to observe primordial gravitational waves in the Northern Hemisphere.   

The Ngari project will become one of the three international primordial gravitational wave detection bases, along with the South Pole Observatory and Atacama Desert Observatory in Chile, said Yao, adding that it will promote China’s technology in gravitational wave detection.

Gravitational waves were first proposed by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity 100 years ago, but it wasn't proved existence until 2016 when an American researcher announced the detection of a gravitational wave generated by black holes merging, which became a breakthrough in the history of human science exploration and spurred research interest among the world's scientists.