Site Selection for Astronomy in Antarctica
Abstract
Questions in astronomy continue to increase with new findings. The costs of telescopes have decreased and parallelly the number of observatories established has exceeded 2100 with the development of technology. As the world's population increases, the potential areas for astronomy observatories are gradually decreasing, so astronomers are looking for suitable places by turning to areas with unusual conditions. Among these areas, Antarctica is the most important place where astronomical studies have become common in recent years. In the field of astronomy, very important research has been done in Antarctica and continues to be done. It was concluded that Dome A is generally the most suitable place for astronomy observations compared to others (Saunders vd. 2009). However, different locations are indicated for different layers. Quantitative (elevation, cloudiness, amount of water vapor and aerosol) and spatial analysis are required in order to determine suitable places in terms of astronomy. The layers formed from these parameters can be called astrometeorology because they are atmospheric layers that are of interest to astronomy. The provision, arrangement, standardization, integration and analysis of numerical data representing astrometeorology can be performed much faster, more economically and effectively with the help of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) rather than traditional methods. In this study, the "astrometerological layers" in the AstroGIS database will be renewed and suitable locations for astronomical observatory installation for the entire Antarctic will be presented with high resolution (∼ 1km) and up-to-date (2022). In addition, the status of existing stations in relation to each other will be revealed. The results of this study will be available to the whole world at the: "https://www.astrogis.org". References Saunders, W., Lawrence, J., Storey, J., Ashley, M., Kato, S., Minnis, P., . . . Kulesa, C. (2009). Where Is the Best Site on Earth? Domes A, B, C, and F, and Ridges A and B. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 121(883), 976-992. doi:10.1086/605780
- Publication:
-
44th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 16-24 July
- Pub Date:
- July 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022cosp...44...22K