Related papers: Tibet's Ali: Asia's Atacama?
The location of an astronomical observatory is a key factor that affects its scientific productivity. The best astronomical sites are generally those found at high altitudes. Several such sites in western China and the Tibetan plateau are…
The latest MERRA-2 reanalysis of the modern satellite measurements provides unprecedented uniformity and fidelity for the atmospheric data. In this paper, these data are used to evaluate five sites for millimeter-wave (mm-wave)…
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Polarization plays an important role in current cosmological studies. CMB B-mode polarization is the most effective probe to primordial gravitational waves (PGWs) and a test of the inflation as well as…
Tibet is known as the third pole of the earth, as high as the South Pole and North Pole. The Ngari (Ali) observatory in Tibet has the advantage of plenty of photometric night, low precipitable water vapor, high transmittance, good seeing.…
A high-precision calibration method for all-sky cameras has been realized using images from the Ali observatory in Tibet, providing application results for atmospheric extinction, night sky brightness, and known variable stars. This method…
The cloud cover and meteorological parameters serve as fundamental criteria for the qualification of an astronomical observatory working in optical and infrared wavelengths. In this paper, we present a systematic assessment of key…
The region surrounding the Llano de Chajnantor, a high altitude plateau in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, has caught the attention of the astronomical community for its potential as an observatory site. Combining high elevation and…
With plans to build a large IR/optical telescope in the Atacama Desert, a site survey campaign has been underway since 1998 to characterize the optical seeing and the IR transparency in the Chajnantor Plateau region. Preliminary results…
The Atacama desert stands as the most arid, non-polar, region on Earth and has accommodated a considerable portion of the world's ground-based astronomical observatories for an extended period. The comprehension of factors important for…
To support the selection of large optical/infrared telescope sites in western China, long-term monitoring of atmospheric conditions and astronomical seeing has been conducted at the Muztagh-Ata site on the Pamir Plateau since 2017. With the…
The area of Chajnantor, at more than 5000 meters altitude in northern Chile, offers unique atmospheric and operational conditions which arguably make it the best site in the world for millimeter, submillimeter, and mid-infrared…
We discuss properties of the atmospheric water vapor above the high Andean plateau region known as the Llano de Chajnantor, in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. A combination of radiometric and radiosonde measurements indicate that the…
Atmospheric turbulence is the one of the major limiting factors for ground-based astronomical observations. In this paper, the problem of short-term forecasting seeing is discussed. The real data that were obtained by atmospheric optical…
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the next high-energy gamma-ray observatory. Selection of the sites, one in each hemisphere, is not obvious since several factors have to be taken into account. Among them, and probably the most…
Consistently superb observing conditions are crucial for achieving the scientific objectives of a telescope. Submillimeter astronomy is possible only at a few exceptionally dry sites, notably Mauna Kea, the Antarctic plateau, and the…
Astronomical sites occupying observing instruments have to be selected according to many factors. Among these factors, geographic location of the site and quality of atmosphere above the site play an important role in the decision process.…
The Himalayan plateau region of Ladakh, India, is a potential host for a science-class submillimeter observatory, building on existing astronomical infrastructure near Hanle and Merak. Using the fifth-generation European Centre for…
Thanks to the first mm studies on the territory of the former USSR in the early 1960s and succeeding sub-mm measurements in the 1970s - early 1980s at wavelengths up to 0.34 mm, a completely unique astroclimate was revealed in the Eastern…
Recently an Indian Astronomical Observatory has been set up at Hanle (32$^\circ$ 46$^\prime$ 46$^{\prime\prime}$ N, 78$^\circ$ 57$^\prime$ 51$^{\prime\prime}$ E, 4515m amsl) situated in the high altitude cold desert in the Himalayas. The…
The Large Optical/infrared Telescope (LOT) is a ground-based 12m diameter optical/infrared telescope which is proposed to be built in the western part of China in the next decade. Based on satellite remote sensing data, along with…