Lenghu on the Tibetan Plateau as an astronomical observing site

Licai Deng (), Fan Yang (), Xiaodian Chen (), Fei He (), Qili Liu, Bo Zhang, Chunguang Zhang, Kun Wang, Nian Liu, Anbing Ren, Zhiquan Luo, Zhengzhou Yan, Jianfeng Tian and Jun Pan
Additional contact information
Licai Deng: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fan Yang: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaodian Chen: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fei He: Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qili Liu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Bo Zhang: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chunguang Zhang: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Kun Wang: China West Normal University
Nian Liu: China West Normal University
Anbing Ren: China West Normal University
Zhiquan Luo: China West Normal University
Zhengzhou Yan: China West Normal University
Jianfeng Tian: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jun Pan: National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature, 2021, vol. 596, issue 7872, 353-356

Abstract: Abstract On Earth’s surface, there are only a handful of high-quality astronomical sites that meet the requirements for very large next-generation facilities. In the context of scientific opportunities in time-domain astronomy, a good site on the Tibetan Plateau will bridge the longitudinal gap between the known best sites1,2 (all in the Western Hemisphere). The Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau on Earth, with an average elevation of over 4,000 metres, and thus potentially provides very good opportunities for astronomy and particle astrophysics3–5. Here we report the results of three years of monitoring of testing an area at a local summit on Saishiteng Mountain near Lenghu Town in Qinghai Province. The altitudes of the potential locations are between 4,200 and 4,500 metres. An area of over 100,000 square kilometres surrounding Lenghu Town has a lower altitude of below 3,000 metres, with an extremely arid climate and unusually clear local sky (day and night)6. Of the nights at the site, 70 per cent have clear, photometric conditions, with a median seeing of 0.75 arcseconds. The median night temperature variation is only 2.4 degrees Celsius, indicating very stable local surface air. The precipitable water vapour is lower than 2 millimetres for 55 per cent of the night.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03711-z

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