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Results relative to three campaigns at Dome Concordia, aimed to measure the millimetric sky noise, are presented. The atmospheric noise during summer seems to be definitely lower with respect to that measured with the same instrumentation in other geographical locations. We illustrate the scientific results obtained.

The characteristics which make Antarctica interesting for astrophysical research are: i) atmospheric transparency, ii) remoteness iii) geographical and geomagnetic position. Because of previous experience of observation from arctic sites in northern Europe and from isolated mountain sites, groups of Italian astrophysicists were immediately ready to go to Antarctica and bring their equipment to places not easily accessible, in a difficult environment when, about ten years, ago, the antarctic regions became more accessible.

The Infrared and Submillimetric OASI Observatory is the first permanent telescope installed in Antarctica. The installation was completed in 1989 at Terra Nova Bay. The diameter of the primary mirror is 2.6 m and the receiver is a cryogenic multichannel bolometric photometer. The OASI Observatory takes advantage of the privileged position in Antarctica, where the atmosphere is very clear and the transmission is very high (≥ 90% at 2 mm wavelength). It has been designed mainly to investigate the small scale anisotropics of the Cosmic Background Radiation and Galactic and extragalactic diffuse emission.