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About

Ji Yang is a pioneering figure in Antarctic astronomy, renowned for his instrumental role in establishing Dome A as a premier site for optical and infrared observations. His key research areas include the development of robotic observatories for extreme environments, site characterization of the Antarctic plateau, and the creation of high-quality astronomical catalogs from these unique vantage points. Yang’s major contributions are exemplified by his leadership in the Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR) project, which produced the first point-source catalog from Dome A—a foundational dataset that has garnered over 40 citations and demonstrated the exceptional sky conditions at the highest point on the Antarctic plateau. He also played a critical role in the PLATO robotic observatory, a fully autonomous system that generates its own power and maintains operations in temperatures as low as -70°C, showcasing engineering ingenuity that has inspired subsequent polar facilities. Additionally, his work with the Nigel spectrograph provided the first detailed measurements of optical sky brightness at Dome A, confirming its suitability for deep-sky surveys. Through these achievements, Ji Yang has not only advanced our understanding of the Antarctic environment but also enabled a new generation of astronomical discovery from Earth’s last frontier.