Dome A, the highest ice dome on the Antarctic Plateau, could offer the clearest view on Earth of the stars at night, according to new research by an international team from China, Australia and the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Dome A, the highest ice dome on the Antarctic Plateau, could offer the clearest view on Earth of the stars at night, according to new research by an international team from China, Australia and the University of British Columbia (UBC). The challenge? The location is one of the coldest and most remote places on Earth.
The findings were published today in Nature.
"A telescope located at Dome A could out-perform a similar telescope located at any other astronomical site on the planet," said UBC astronomer Paul Hickson, a co-author of the study. "The combination of high altitude, low temperature, long periods of continuous darkness, and an exceptionally stable atmosphere, makes Dome A a very attractive location for optical and infrared astronomy. A telescope located there would have sharper images and could detect fainter objects."
One of the biggest challenges in Earth-based astronomy is overcoming the effect of atmospheric turbulence on telescope image quality. This turbulence makes stars twinkle, and measurement of its impact is referred to as ‘seeing’. The less turbulence (the lower the seeing number) the better.
Read more at University of British Columbia
Image: The highest ice dome on the Antarctic Plateau could offer the clearest view on Earth of the stars at night, according to new research by an international team from China, Australia and the University of British Columbia. (Credit: Zhaohui Shang)
