Plateau Observatory
Coordinates: 80 ° 22 ′ 0 ″ S , 77 ° 21 ′ 0 ″ E
The Plateau Observatory , or PLATO for short , is a remote-controlled observatory in Antarctica . It was put into operation in 2008 on the Dome A plateau at an altitude of 4100 meters above sea level.
The observatory was developed at the University of New South Wales . The construction took place under the direction of scientists from the Polar Research Institute of China . The station weighs seven tons. It consists of seven telescopes , four of them from the People's Republic of China with a diameter of 14.5 cm. In summer the observatory is supplied with energy by solar cells , in winter with diesel generators, which are supplied with 4000 liters of diesel. The observation data are transmitted via the Iridium system . In particular, variable brightnesses of stars are to be observed in order to search for planets.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The observatory at the end of the world. In: Spiegel online , February 3, 2008
Web links
- PLATO, Dome A Robotic Observatory (engl.)
- Articles about PLATO (Engl.)
- Press release PLATO (Engl.)