Why do we build telescopes in Antarctica?

Please watch a "Happy" video first

Video source: Yang Chenwei, China Polar Research Center

Stepping on the snow without knees to go to work, because our work is to maintain the telescope built in the Antarctic.

So why do we build telescopes in Antarctica?

Approach "the pole of humans should not be close"

The rare Antarctica is the southernmost continent on the planet. The ice cover is covered with a hat that covers the mainland river in the Antarctica, which makes the Antarctic only about 5%of the exposed surface, with an average ice thickness of 2 kilometers. Near-100 ° C. Although the natural environment is harsh, the inland plateau of the Antarctic is the best stargazing land on the planet, especially the highest inland dome A (MA et al. 2020 nature), which is known as the "cannot be close to humans". Essence

Antarctic and China Antarctic Science Station Schematic Photo Source: Li Zhengyang, Nanjing Optical Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Ice Dome, 4100 meters above sea level, thin air, an average annual temperature of -56 ° C, has a long night of 3 months, and has about 90%of the sunny night. It is such a natural condition of cold, dark, dry, and stable airflow that makes ice dome a clearest vision on the ground. The astronomical observation conditions of "quasi -space" are rare resources to support the development of Antarctic astronomy.

In 2009, my country established the first Antarctic inland inspection station in Ice Dome A, Kunlun Station. Relying on Kunlun Station, the research unit of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has cooperated with the China Polar Research Center to develop multiple set of astronomical observation equipment, including the first AST3-2) of Antarctic Cathedral Telescope (AST3-2), which has been detected for the first time in human history.

Antarctic Ice Dome area Kunlun Station Astronomical Equipment Picture Source: Li Zhengyang

Zhongshan Station Astronomical Station String my country's Antarctic Astronomical Observation Chain

Antarctica is an advantageous place for "space and astronomical observation". The development of Antarctic Antarctic astronomy and building a first -class astronomical observation equipment developed independently is of great significance for my country's astronomical exploration and deep space detection.

The China Polar Research Center, the National Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Nanjing Astronomy Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences form a scientific research team (hereinafter referred to as the polar innovation team). , Promote the development of Antarctic astronomy observation.

Zhongshan Station is located on the edge of the Antarctic continent and is the gateway to the depths of the Antarctic inland. As a scientific research station that has been on duty all year round, Zhongshan Station provides a solid base for the operation and maintenance of astronomical equipment in Kunlun Station. It also provides precious real -time observation and test data for independent development of Antarctic astronomical equipment. During the 32nd Antarctic Science Investigation in China, Zhongshan Station installed the first astronomical optical telescope "Antarctic Liangxing Sky Tarler Telescope (BSST)" and conducted a wintering observation test.

Antarctic Liangxing Sky patrol telescope Shooting Star Picture Picture Source: China Polar Research Center Jiang Peng

During the 38th Antarctic Science Investigation in China, the polar innovation team established the first astronomical observation platform on the Antarctic Zhongshan Station. There was a set of small telescopic mirror arrays composed of five lenscins. It can also carry out four optical bands and near -infrared band astronomy at the same time. Observation. The small telescope array is independently developed by the polar innovation team. The single lens barrel has a caliber of 150 mm and has the ability to patrol the sky. All the five lenscins are set up on a straight -drive equatorial instrument. Astronomical observation and space environmental monitoring.

Zhongshan Station Xiaowang Mirror Picture Source: Li Zhengyang, Nanjing Optical Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Antarctic telescope at extremely low temperature can also "move the target"

With an excellent site of Antarctic Antarctic Observatory, Antarctic Astronomical Optical Equipment needs to achieve high precision tracking measurement of mobile astronomical goals, and obtain precise data such as continuous light changes and color changes such as star.

The small telescope array on the Zhongshan Station Astronomical Observation Platform, including 4 optical band lenscins (a single lens barrel diameter of 150mm, 6 ° diameter in the field) and a nearly infrared 0.9-1.7 micrometer observation lens (200mm caliber, viewing field 7 ′ × 5.6 ′). The five lens barrel integration stands on the straight -drive equatorial instrument. It has the tracking accuracy of the angle second -level direction and the Asian corner second -level. It can lock the celestial target into the viewing field of the telescope observation, and carry out high -precision light and color measurement. The Antarctic Telescope is like a athlete's movement at the Winter Olympics. Under the test of extremely low temperature (Zhongshan Station -45 ° C), Wind Frost Snow, it is very difficult to stabilize 1 yuan coin at 5 kilometers away. Yang Chenwei during the winter period to carry out conventional observation tasks.

Scientists who stayed in Antarctic Zhongshan Station are observing and shooting in an orderly manner through the indoor remote -control telescope during the winter. At present, the telescope is operating well. In the future, a large number of professional data will be transmitted back to China, and the rear scientific researchers will conduct a systematic analysis.

Zhongshan Station Astronomical Observation Platform and Wangyuan Mirror Photo Photo Source: China Polar Research Center Ji Tuo

In Antarctica, the answer to the ultimate question of the universe

Thousands of years ago, Qu Yuan asked Tian: The shape of up and down, why is it? Sun and Moon, Liexing An Chen?

After thousands of years, we are looking for these answers in Antarctica.

my country has built a series of optical astronomical observation equipment such as the Antarctic Star Xiaoshuang Mirror (CSTAR), the Antarctic Antarctic Telescope (AST3), and the Antarctic Liangxing Sky Targetter (BSSST). Objective observation (Hu Et Al, Science Bulletin, 2017), and outer planet candidate search (Nanjing University ZHANG ET Al, APJS, 2019) and other outstanding scientific achievements.

Xiaofeng Mirror Array takes the Star Picture Picture of Zhongshan Station Source: China Polar Research Center Yang Chenwei

At present, the first batch of astronomical optical equipment deployed Antarctica in the polar innovation team is mainly based on large fields and small and medium -caliber sky -to -sky telescopes. Observation experiment. By searching for light metering observations of the outer planet, you can answer scientific issues such as whether there are Earth planets in the universe, whether human beings are lonely (liu et al, AJ 2018).

Produced: Popular Science China

Author: Li Zhengyang (Institute of Nanjing Optical Technology, Nanjing Academy of Sciences)

Producer: China Science Popularization Expo

references

[1] MA, B., SHANG, Z., Hu, Y. Et Al. Night-Time Measurements of ASTRONOMICAL Seeing at dome a in Antarctica. Nature 583, 771–774 (2020).

[2] Hu L. Et Al. Observations of Ligo Source GW 170817 by the AT DOME A Antarctica. Science Bulletin 62, 1433-1438 (2017)..

[3] Zhang H. et al. Exoplanets in the Antarctic Sky. I. The First Data Release of AST3-II (CHESPA) and New Found Variables within the Southern CVZ of TESS. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 240:16 (32pp) (2019)

[4] liu hg. Et al. Searching for the Transit of the Earth Mass EXOPLANET Proxima Centauri B in Antarctica.

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