The Best Place for Astronomy

The Best Place for Astronomy
An international team has set up a fully robotic astronomical observatory at Dome Argus, which at 13,400 feet above sea level is the highest point on the East Antarctic plateau. Just 700 miles form the South Pole, the site is very cold and at times exceptionally dark. It has very dry, calm air as well as nights that are four months long. Dome Argus is said to be the best place on earth for astronomical observations. With a telescope here, says Lifan Wang, director of the Chinese Center for Antarctic Astronomy, “it is possible to achieve near-space-quality images at a much lower cost than launching a telescope into space.”