Measurements of 460 GHz Atmospheric Opacity at Yangbajing Observational Station†

In order to assess the submillimeter wave observational conditions of Yangbajin, a Portable Submillimeter Telescope (POST) is used to measure the zenith atmospheric opacity at 460 GHz from November 2008 to December 2008. The results show that the quartiles of atmospheric opacity during the observing time at 460 GHz at Yangbajin Observatory is 1.25, 1.42 and 1.63, and the time proportion of atmospheric opacity less than 1 is about 3.4%. At last, the submillimeter wave site conditions of Yangbajin with those of other submillimeter observatories in the world are compared, and the possible causes that may influence the submillimeter atmospheric opacity are explored.