Jun-Jie Wang, Jon Lawrence, John Storey, Yongqiang Yao and two local guides stand in front of a site-testing yurt on top of the 4,500 metre peak near Kalasu, Western China.

The last few years have seen a rapid growth in Chinese capabilities across a range of high-technology areas. It is, therefore, not surprising that China is now placing great emphasis on frontier research fields – including Antarctic exploration, space research and astronomy. Like Australia, China recognises the potential of these areas to challenge and extend industrial capabilities, to inspire young people to study science, and to showcase the nation’s technological achievements. Already, China operates several large radio telescopes, and is currently constructing the world’s largest wide-field optical telescope, called LAMOST.

An important next step for China is to create a major new observatory at a site where observing conditions will rival those of the world’s best existing observatories in Chile, Hawaii and the Canary Islands. In June this year, the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Science invited two UNSW astronomers, Jon Lawrence and John Storey, to far Western China to discuss the potential of their new sites there.

One of the most promising astronomical sites in China is Kalasu. Just a few metres from the Tajikistan border and some 70 km north of Taxkorgan on the famous Silk Road, the site is within 200 km of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. At an altitude of 4,500 m, Kalasu is some 300 m higher than Mauna Kea, currently considered one of the world’s premier mountain-top sites and host to four of the world’s largest optical telescopes – including the 8 m Gemini telescope which is part-owned by Australia.

China is also keen to develop a new inland station in Antarctica, at the highest point on the plateau. This point is called Dome A, and is roughly 1300 km inland from Australia’s Davis station. In January 2005 an expedition by the Polar Institute of China became the first team to reach Dome A, after a 29-day traverse from the coast. They took with them some UNSW-designed instruments to monitor sky brightness and cloud cover at the site.

Astronomy has been a feature of Chinese science since ancient times. UNSW can play a key role in helping with the rapid resurgence of interest in astronomy in China, for example through student exchanges and collaborations on site testing.

Jon Lawrence and John Storey