Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
astronomical observatory in Shanghai, China
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) is an astronomical observatory in Shanghai. It has a long history of astrometry and also operates the 25-meter (82 ft) Sheshan radio telescope as part of the Chinese VLBI array and the European VLBI Network (EVN).
History
It was formed in 1962 from the merger of the Xujiahui (also romanized as "Ziikawei") and Sheshan (Zose) observatories in Shanghai. It was involved with the Chang'e 1 Moon mission as the VLBI array is used for position determinations.
In October 2012 the Tian Ma 65-meter (213 ft) radio telescope was completed for SHAO. It is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“Shanghai Astronomical Observatory” enters the record as astronomical observatory in Shanghai, China. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Shanghai, Astronomical and Observatory can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Shanghai Astronomical Observatory” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Shanghai, Astronomical and Observatory provides the most credible route into that argument.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q23234. The first chronological checks are 1962 and 2012.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Shanghai Astronomical Observatory”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Shanghai Astronomical Observatory primary sources, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory archive and Shanghai research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Shanghai Astronomical Observatory”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Shanghai Astronomical Observatory” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.