The Concordia station on Antarctica plateau: the best site on Earth for High Angular Resolution and High Contrast Imaging

On the Antarctica plateau, a joint project of french and italian polar programmes in just near completion: the Concordia station will be open for winterover operation in 2005. The high altitude and high latitude of this site, the exceptionally cold, clear and stable atmosphere, the almost indefinitely flat snow surface and the not so difficult access make this site the most promising on Earth for future ground based astronomical projects in various fields, including High Angular Resolution and High Contrast Imaging.