FAST telescope's new discovery reshapes understanding of early universe

China's Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope has detected over 150,000 neutral hydrogen sources across nearly half the sky, delivering the most accurate measurement of local neutral hydrogen density to date. These galactic "identity cards" provide critical tools to study galaxy formation, large-scale cosmic structures, and the distribution of dark matter.

The survey features roughly 30 percent higher sensitivity than its predecessor, allowing astronomers to capture much fainter cosmic signals.