Being the coldest and driest place on earth, Dome Argus, Antarctica, doesn’t appeal to many people. Astronomers have been looking at it differently; they believe it may be the best site on the planet for ground-based astronomy.

The logistics of installing seven telescopes at the highest point of the Antarctic Plateau culminated in February when the astronomers from four nations completed the fully robotic observatory–and returned home to watch near-space quality images. Officially known as the PLATeau Observatory, or PLATO, the facility is powered by solar panels during the summer and by diesel engines through the winter months.

Astronomers suspect that PLATO will make astronomical history during the 11 months it will be unattended. For example, a set of four telescopes will be generating continuous movies of the sky. In January 2009, an expedition will return with plans for an array of wide-field telescopes to take more movies of the sky.