A new observatory, named “Yanhanshan” after a community park in the OCT area, was built and opened in the OCT Middle School, and immediately became popular among students.

The project aims to develop students’ desires to explore and make them think in a macro way, according to Cai Shunan, principal of the school. “Astronomy integrates a number of sciences, including basic mathematics, physics and geography. The process of astronomical observation also involves design and experimentation, which to some extent can improve students’ hands-on and problem-solving skills,” he said.

Starting operation on September 25, the Yanhanshan Observatory is located on the top floor of the school building and looks like a unique white sphere when viewed from a distance. The main telescope is a 360mm aperture S-C telescope, which is a catadioptric (using both lens and mirrors) telescope. The spherical shell of the observatory can also be opened and closed according to the needs of observation.

The school’s astronomy club has 36 members, who, in addition to attending daily activities guided by an astronomy-trained school teacher, are actively preparing for the Shenzhen Astronomy Quiz Competition and the Guangdong Astronomy Competition.

Cai said that the school has maintained cooperation and exchanges with domestic universities and scientific research institutions, and invited astronomers to the campus to give lectures. In September, the school organized a seminar with the theme “Time and Civilization” and in October, it worked together with the Shenzhen Observatory for a Mars-themed astronomy exhibition.

So far, the OCT Middle School has joined the Campus Cosmic Ray Observation Alliance, which is organized by the Institute of High-energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Under the supervision of the Institute of High-energy Physics, the OCT Middle School plans to establish the first campus cosmic ray observation laboratory in Guangdong, which will not only help students learn more about astronomy, but will also serve as a scientific research base for students.(Tang Li)