$J$ and $H$ band sky brightness measurements from polar day to polar night at Dome A, Antarctica

Abstract

The near-infrared (NIR) sky brightness is a fundamental parameter for evaluating the performance of ground-based infrared observatories. Dome~A on the Antarctic plateau offers exceptional atmospheric conditions, yet its NIR sky background has not been continuously monitored. We present the first continuous $J/H$-band measurements of the sky background at Dome~A from polar day to polar night, and characterize their median levels and temporal variability. The Antarctic Infrared Binocular Telescope (AIRBT), operating in the $J$ and $H$ bands, obtained continuous fixed-pointing observations from February to May 2024, which were used to measure the NIR sky background. The median sky brightness is $5.2/2.9$ and $15.3/13.4\mathrm{mag}\mathrm{arcse}{\mathrm{c}}^{-2}$ in $J/H$ bands during daytime and nighttime, respectively. The twilight--nighttime boundaries occur at solar elevations of $-9.3^{\circ }$ in $J$ and $-7.4^{\circ }$ in $H$. At the same solar elevation, the NIR sky background during the polar night is darker by about $0.1$ and $0.4\mathrm{mag}\mathrm{arcse}{\mathrm{c}}^{-2}$ in the $J$ and $H$ bands compared with the period of regular day--night alternation. During the polar-night period, the nighttime sky brightness in the $H$ band shows a more evident association with the sunspot number, while the corresponding trend in the $J$ band is weaker. These results reveal systematic differences in sky background between polar and non-polar environments and between polar night and regular day--night cycles. The measured sky brightness may be elevated, as the observations were conducted near solar maximum, highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring across the solar cycle.

10 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics