Automation of the AST3 optical sky survey from Dome A, Antarctica

ABSTRACT The 0.5-m Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) were designed for time-domain optical/infrared astronomy. They are located in Dome A, Antarctica, where they can take advantage of the continuous dark time during winter. Since the site is unattended in winter, everything for the operation, from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Main Authors: Ma, Bin, Hu, Yi, Shang, Zhaohui, Hu, Keliang, Wang, Yongjiang, Yang, Xu, Ashley, Michael C B, Yuan, Xiangyan, Wang, Lifan
Other Authors: National Basic Research Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Australian Antarctic Division, Astronomy Australia Limited
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2020
Subjects:
Space and Planetary Science
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Antarctic
Antarc*
Antarctica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1730
http://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/staa1730/33398601/staa1730.pdf
http://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/496/3/2768/33451617/staa1730.pdf
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT The 0.5-m Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) were designed for time-domain optical/infrared astronomy. They are located in Dome A, Antarctica, where they can take advantage of the continuous dark time during winter. Since the site is unattended in winter, everything for the operation, from observing to data reduction, had to be fully automated. Here, we present a brief overview of the AST3 project and some of its unique characteristics due to its location in Antarctica. We summarize the various components of the survey, including the customized hardware and software, that make complete automation possible.

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