Meeting Goals

The Antarctic plateau provides many exciting possibilities for astronomical observations. The next decade may see a significant astronomical buildup on the Antarctic Plateau.

Dome A, being the highest and coldest point in Antarctica, is especially promising based on the results of recent theoretical models and site surveys. Existing data show already that certain areas of astronomical observations can be planned with little risks on the Antarctica Plateau. The goals of the meeting on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Antarctica are:

(1) to explore the site properties of the Antarctica Plateau; (2) to evaluate the risks involved and prioritize science programs the upcoming years for astronomy on the Antarctica Plateau; (3) to assess the technical

 challenges in building astronomical instruments on the Antarctica Plateau; and (4) to learn how to work together on the Antarctica Plateau.

The meeting will take place in the ancient city of Xi'an. More information will become available on the URL:

http://aag.bao.ac.cn/Academic/xian/index.html .