Antarctic observatory expected to operate before 2020

China's Antarctic observatory project is expected to be completed and put into operation before 2020, Wang Lifan, director of the Chinese Center for Antarctic Astronomy, said during a scientific activity Thursday.

"The Antarctic will provide a new window to observe the space outside Earth, and its unique geographic advantages can not be matched by any place on Earth," said Wang, adding that construction on the observatory is expected to take five years.

In 2011, the members of the Chinese Antarctic expedition team successfully finished the installment and commissioning of the self-developed automatic unattended telescope, establishing a foundation for the construction of the Antarctic observatory.

China is developing fast in astronomy, said Brian Schmidt, the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, adding that the country should develop more independent projects and participate in more international projects.