Michael Ashley (astronomer)

Michael C. B. Ashley is an Australian astronomer and professor at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney. He is most famous for his work in Antarctica, with the study of the seeing capability at Dome C.

Michael C. B. Ashley
NationalityAustralian
Known forDome C seeing qualities
Scientific career
FieldsAstrophysics, astronomy
InstitutionsUniversity of New South Wales

Antarctica and Dome C

In September 2004, Nature published a report written by Jon Lawrence, Michael Ashley, Andrei Tokovinin, and Tony Travouillon on the seeing abilities of astronomical telescopes in Antarctica. The paper concluded that Dome C would be "the best ground-based site to develop a new astronomical observatory."[1] The data used in this report was collected by a remote control experiment run through the French-Italian Concordia Station near Dome C.[2] However, Ashley and his team have been to Antarctica on four separate trips, in 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2004 for earlier experiments, such as measurements of the near-infrared quality of the brightness of the sky.[3][4] It was found that pictures taken from a telescope at Dome C are, on average, 2.5 times better than those taken at observatories elsewhere.[5] This discovery has been lauded as finding the clearest skies on Earth.[6][7]

References
  1. Lawrence, Jon; Ashley, Michael; Tokovinin, Andrei; Travouillon, Tony (16 September 2004). "Exceptional astronomical seeing conditions above Dome C in Antarctica" (PDF). Nature. 431 (7006): 278–81. Bibcode:2004Natur.431..278L. doi:10.1038/nature02929. PMID 15372024. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  2. "Why has it taken so long to measure the seeing at Dome C?". University of New South Wales. 16 September 2004. Archived from the original on 15 February 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  3. "Michael C. B. Ashley". University of New South Wales. 5 May 2009.
  4. Ashley, Michael C. B.; Burton, Michael G.; Storey, John W. V.; Lloyd, James P.; Bally, John; Briggs, John W.; Harper, Doyal A. (August 1996). "South Pole Observations of the Near-Infrared Sky Brightness". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 108: 721–723. Bibcode:1996PASP..108..721A. doi:10.1086/133792.
  5. Ashley, Michael (16 September 2004). "Just how significant is the good seeing at Dome C?". University of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 15 February 2006. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  6. Ananthaswamy, Anil (6 June 2009). "Earth's clearest skies revealed". New Scientist. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  7. Reddy, Francis (17 September 2004). "Antarctica: best seeing on Earth". Astronomy. Retrieved 30 June 2009.


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