Astronomers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) with the
24th Antarctic expedition team have erected an array of four
14.5-centimetre telescopes called CSTAR (Chinese Small Telescope
Array) on Dome A in the Antarctica. The equipment was sent to the
South Pole by the Antarctic research vessel "Xuelong," or "Snow
Dragon", which set sail for the region on Nov. 12, 2007 from
Shanghai.
A brainchild by the CAS Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics
and Technology, CSTAR is the first set of optical astronomical
facilities in the region, which will be used by a robotic
observatory named PLATO to hunt for alien planets. PLATO, which
incorporates instruments from China, the US, and the UK, was built
at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. It is
powered by a gas generator, and has a 4000-litre tank of jet fuel
to keep it running through the lingering winter there.
CSTAR is slated to monitor a 20-square-degree patch of sky --
about 100 times the area of the Full Moon -- for four months
straight. It will search for planets around other stars by looking
for a star's dimming light caused by a planet passing in front of
it as seen from Earth.
Dome A claims the best astronomical sky conditions in the world,
as it is devoid of clouds and boasting steady air that makes for
clear viewing. The observatory will also measure the observing
conditions at the site to see if it is worth trying to build bigger
observatories there.
In the meantime, preparations for larger projects for Antarctic
observation are underway. The short-, mid-, and long-term plans of
the Antarctic Astronomical Center of China involve building a 35cm
testing telescope and a prototype of wide filed survey telescope
XIAN in about two to three years; a 400 telescope array with 50cm
aperture XIAN and a 2-m LAMOST type survey telescope in about five
to eight years; and an 8-16m LAMOST type telescope in about 10 to
15 years.
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(gov.cn February 21, 2008)