China's Antarctic survey telescope AST3-2 completes winter observations

BEIJING -- China's astronomical observatory at Dome A, the highest peak of the Antarctic plateau, has successfully concluded its 2025 night astronomical observation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Tuesday.

The initial charging of the solar battery on Aug 25, 2025 after the polar night signaled the official end of the 2025 Antarctic night observation season.

As the largest-aperture optical telescope currently operating in the Antarctic inland, the Antarctic telescope AST3-2 has completed three consecutive years of winter operations.

According to the Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics & Technology (NIAOT) of the CAS, the AST3-2 telescope has been operating at Dome A for 12 years. Despite three years without maintenance personnel reaching the inland Antarctic station, the telescope resumed normal operations after brief maintenance in early 2024.

During the 2025 Antarctic polar night observation season, the telescope remotely acquired 3.5 terabytes of observation data, covering 1,000 hours of effective observation time.

The data includes both applied research on high-inclination asteroids and space objects, as well as scientific data on exoplanets and photometric observations of supermassive black holes.

Developed by the NIAOT, the AST3-2 is the second-generation Antarctic telescope. It features an innovative optical system, anti-snow sealing technology and low-temperature anti-frost key technologies for polar optical instruments.