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Antarctic Night Had a Different Infrared Darkness
The first continuous J- and H-band sequence from polar day into polar night measured background changes at Dome A.
Summary
The first continuous J- and H-band sequence from polar day into polar night measured background changes at Dome A.
A binocular infrared telescope recorded fixed-pointing observations from February through May 2024 at Dome A. The analysis places twilight-to-night boundaries at solar elevations near minus 9.3 degrees in J and minus 7.4 degrees in H, and finds polar-night background darker than comparable elevations during ordinary day-night alternation. H-band brightness also tracked sunspot number more clearly, so longer monitoring across the solar cycle remains important.
Why it matters
The first continuous J- and H-band sequence from polar day into polar night measured background changes at Dome A.
Limits and context
No additional limitation was separately recorded.
Key claims
The first continuous J- and H-band sequence from polar day into polar night measured background changes at Dome A.
Evidence: source-2026-08-03-009
Sources
- Astronomy & Astrophysics: infrared sky brightness at Dome AEDP Sciences · secondary reporting
Corrections
No corrections have been recorded for this story.