The Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project
by
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/S4F-SW - Open Area
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute
Host: Dong Lai
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Abstract:
The Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project is a frontier scientific research project focused on asteroid detection and time-domain astronomical observation. It makes full use of Antarctic polar night observation conditions to break the limitations of traditional ground-based surveys caused by Earth’s rotation, and resolves the difficulty in balancing field of view and sampling cadence. By deploying a wide-field telescope array, it realizes 24-hour uninterrupted staring observation in dual bands over an area of 1,200 square degrees around the south celestial pole during polar nights lasting more than 100 consecutive days. Adopting minute-level sampling cadence, it overcomes the time and field-of-view constraints of conventional observation modes. The project holds prominent strategic value and establishes China’s strengths in astronomical observation and space security from multiple perspectives. At present, core technical verification has been completed. Its prototype has maintained three years of fault-free continuous observation at China’s Zhongshan Station in Antarctica, accumulating over 300,000 original images. The overall development of the second-generation observation telescope is in progress, which is scheduled to be delivered to Taishan Station in Antarctica for trial observation in 2027.
Biography:
Dr. Zhong Jing is a Research Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was awarded his Doctoral degree in Astrophysics from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2013. He was selected as a member of the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS in 2021, and the Shanghai Oriental Talents Program in 2025. He has published more than 40 SCI papers with over 1,200 total citations. He has led and completed three projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and taken part in various programs including major NSFC programs and national key R&D programs. His main research focuses on Galactic stars and star clusters by utilizing survey data from LAMOST, Gaia and other facilities. He also participates in the scientific pre-research of the China Space Station Survey Telescope (CSST), and mainly in charge of the on-orbit high-precision flux calibration of CSST-MCI. Currently, he is advancing the Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project.
