A workshop on the digitization of astronomical plates and its application in long-term time-domain astronomy was held from August 27 to 29 in Shanghai, bringing together 38 experts and researchers from major Chinese research institutes and universities.

The event, hosted by the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was conducted both online and on-site at the Sheshan. Participants came from the National Astronomical Observatories of CAS, Yunnan Observatories of CAS, National Time Service Center of CAS, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science of CAS, as well as Beijing Normal University, University of Science and Technology of China, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, and Huanggang Normal University.

In a video address, Han Zhanwen, academician of CAS and president of the Chinese Astronomical Society, noted that century-old astronomical plates provide time baselines that modern sky surveys cannot replicate, making them an invaluable resource for time-domain astronomy. He stressed that China's plate digitization efforts have entered a new phase, contributing Chinese solutions to the global historical astronomical archive. He also highlighted the potential of combining long-baseline historical plates with data from next-generation survey facilities such as the China Space Station Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time to produce internationally significant original discoveries.

Mao Yufeng, deputy director of the Mathematics, Astronomy and Mechanics Division at the CAS Bureau of Basic Sciences Research, suggested that the research community further refine key scientific questions in long-term time-domain astronomy, promoting the deep integration of mathematics, artificial intelligence and astronomy, strengthening international cooperation, and offering advice and suggestions for related work.

The conference focused on three topics: the calibration of digital astronomical plates, AI-based plate processing and data mining, and long-timescale time-domain astronomy research. It featured 12 academic presentations that systematically showcased China's latest advances in these fields. To pool practical experience from all sides, participating experts conducted on-site visits to the plate digitization laboratory and surveyed the current state of plate preservation and progress in digitization work. They then held discussions and exchanges on tackling key technical challenges, cross-institutional collaborative innovation, and international cooperation, laying a solid foundation for subsequent implementation.

The workshop served as a platform for interdisciplinary exchange among plate digitization, AI data processing, and time-domain astronomy, facilitating efforts to unlock the scientific value of historical plates and foster collaborative research.