Sunday, September 8, 2013

Let there be Light!




My daughter's and my new book is complete! 240 pages, 72,000 words and 80 pictures. The result of two Antarctic winters. The first book is currently being printed and will be sent to my wife Andrea for review. Soon to be published by CreateSpace and available in paperback and eBook at Amazon and at our new website FatherDaughterCyclingAdventures.com currently under construction. Or if you would like an autographed copy email me. mikey8590@gmail.com


Walking out to work at the radomes. I look like the creature from the 50's version of "The Thing".That is the planet Venus over the large radome. After five months there is light!
Coming in from work. It's a harsh continent! Unfortunately goggles are useless in this cold as the inside and outside instantly freeze and you can't see. I was still frost nipped on my right cheek as the wind worked its way underneath two layers to my skin. Ouch!

Since there is light, dark science research has come to a stop so the station's window coverings were removed. It is great to see outside my room again. What a morale boost!
A series of three pictures left to right from the 2nd floor observation deck. This is the communications/operations room (idle in the winter) and the main conference room on the right.

As I have said before it doesn't snow here. This snow is blown over the Polar Plateau and the first thing to stop it over several hundred miles is the station. The South Pole gets about three inches of moisture per year in the form of ice crystals. This is the driest desert on the planet.

The upper gym windows.

Our flag is still flying.

This morning the temp was up to -73. It felt refreshing! The windchill brought it down below -100 though. 
A view of the station. Photo credit: Jason
A very unique site - Venus passing over the moon. Taken September 9th. There's a lot of light on the horizon with the sun only 5 degrees below.
We haven't been able to see the dark sector (3/4 mile away) in 5 months. The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is on the left. In a few weeks when there is more light (to avoid the deep snow drifts) I will start running this path again. There are several who want to join me.

2 comments:

  1. curious pictures. It does seem like the driest place on earth....can't find a damn imperfection in the air. Everything seems too clean!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Cleanest and driest air on the planet. I have a vial of air.

      Delete