Nature
Remote Antarctica Site Can Help Unravel Mystery Of The Universe’s Origin
Sam D
First Posted: Dec 14, 2016 03:00 AM EST
Scientists have identified a remote site in Antarctica from where it is possible to examine a rare type of light, which can otherwise only be observed from air or space. Named Dome A, the site is located at the highest point of Antarctica, at 13,000 feet.
According to science news website Phys.org, Dome A is the only place on the planet from where astronomers can study terahertz radiation, an exceedingly high-frequency light that could be the clue to reveal the mysterious origins of the universe. "Dome A is the best site we have found - very flat, very calm winds, and the driest place anywhere on the planet," said study co-author Qizhou Zhang, at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
Incidentally, terahertz radiation has a frequency that is thousand times more than a phone screen at one trillion hertz, and the light's origin lies in the cold clouds of interstellar dust and gas, which can help scientists know more about ancient and pristine materials like this -- eventually enabling them to find clues about the building blocks of primordial life in the universe.
Most of the terahertz radiation that reaches the planet is absorbed by natural water vapor; however, Dome A is located in one of the driest regions of Earth. Antarctica is also a great location for astronomy due to the absence of light pollution, lack of wind, presence of cold air and freezing temperatures, which together do not have a distortive effect on astronomical observations as is the case from other areas on Earth.
According to the scientists who are conducting the study, Dome A is a like a natural laboratory that can only be accessed after a three-week hike from the Antarctic coast. Additionally, the data collected at Dome A will also help inform climate models.
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First Posted: Dec 14, 2016 03:00 AM EST
Scientists have identified a remote site in Antarctica from where it is possible to examine a rare type of light, which can otherwise only be observed from air or space. Named Dome A, the site is located at the highest point of Antarctica, at 13,000 feet.
According to science news website Phys.org, Dome A is the only place on the planet from where astronomers can study terahertz radiation, an exceedingly high-frequency light that could be the clue to reveal the mysterious origins of the universe. "Dome A is the best site we have found - very flat, very calm winds, and the driest place anywhere on the planet," said study co-author Qizhou Zhang, at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
Incidentally, terahertz radiation has a frequency that is thousand times more than a phone screen at one trillion hertz, and the light's origin lies in the cold clouds of interstellar dust and gas, which can help scientists know more about ancient and pristine materials like this -- eventually enabling them to find clues about the building blocks of primordial life in the universe.
Most of the terahertz radiation that reaches the planet is absorbed by natural water vapor; however, Dome A is located in one of the driest regions of Earth. Antarctica is also a great location for astronomy due to the absence of light pollution, lack of wind, presence of cold air and freezing temperatures, which together do not have a distortive effect on astronomical observations as is the case from other areas on Earth.
According to the scientists who are conducting the study, Dome A is a like a natural laboratory that can only be accessed after a three-week hike from the Antarctic coast. Additionally, the data collected at Dome A will also help inform climate models.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone