China plans to install a new telescope array around Antarctica, and its prototype has recently completed trial operation on a cold continent.

This new project, called the "Antarctic Celestial Time Domain Astronomical Observation Array," is expected to consist of 100 small diameter, large field of view telescopes in the Antarctic region, with one telescope covering a 10000 square degree sky area.

According to the designer of the Shanghai Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, these optical telescopes will conduct continuous observations on polar nights every year.

The prototype of the array was transported to Zhongshan Station in China during the 39th Antarctic Scientific Expedition. Two Chinese icebreakers began their exploration in late October 2022, sailing over 60000 nautical miles in 163 days.

Starting from February 20, 2023, the prototype has been observed without any faults for 248 consecutive days and has obtained a large amount of data during the Antarctic polar night period.

The prototype achieved a luminosity accuracy of one thousandth of a stellar magnitude for stars above 9 in a 30 second exposure image, verifying the feasibility of the prototype design.

This prototype is China's first astronomical observation equipment in Antarctica based on drift scanning charge coupled device (CCD) technology, which allows telescopes to track celestial bodies without a driving mechanism.