Astronomy in Antarctica

The high Antarctic plateau is the driest and coldest environment on the surface of the Earth and offers superlative conditions for the conduct of a wide range of astronomical observations, from optical to millimetre wavebands. This includes, especially, the infrared - where the sky background is greatly reduced from temperate sites - and the sub-millimetre / THz bands - where new or cleaner atmospheric windows can be viewed through. Astronomical observations have now been conducted from five locations on the Antarctic plateau - the South Pole, Domes A, C and F, and Ridge A. Ambitious plans for the construction of observatories there have been announced. An IAU Symposium on "Astrophysics from Antarctica" featured as part of last year's IAU General Assembly in Beijing. This talk will provide an overview of astronomy in Antarctica, describing the special conditions that make some forms of observation particularly favourable there, and discuss the development of observatories on the Antarctic plateau and the plans for their future development.