March, 2005....J.
Dana Hrubes...updated March 31, 2005 , 0001 GMT
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The
last view of the sun as it sets for the next six months. It will rise
again on September 21
March at the Pole - sunset
March
is the month that we get our last look at the sun before the six dark
months of winter. A storm came in right about at sunset, but the
skies finally managed to clear in time to give us some beautiful
colors. dome
sunset new elevated station
station from the
dark sector power plant exhaust
exhaust in the
atmospheric inversion layer makes it drop to the surface
A few
of us spent a few days in March installing flag lines using bamboo
poles, flags and rope to all of the sites we visit every day. These
lines become very valuable once it is dark and when there are high
winds and whiteout conditions. bamboo forest
The
following panoramas were taken during the
sunset period.
Panorama with the
geographic South Pole at the left, then skylab and the dome, the new
elevated station and then the dark sector about one kilometer away.
(Scroll to the right to see the entire panorama) The
Atmospheric Research Observatory is between the American flag and the
South Pole sign and the SETI telescope is just to the left of the sun
This panorama was taken about 2 days
before sunset in
the "dark sector" while I was walking to one of my buildings. (Scroll
to the right to see the entire panorama) In fact, one of the buildings I visit
daily is the farthest one out and is the little plywood shack
near the
middle of the panorama just to the right of the white building on
stilts and to
the left of the smaller blue building. The dark sector is where we have
most of
the telescopes and is almost a mile from the station. On the left side
of the
panorama, about a mile away, you can see our new elevated station,
where we
live, the old dome and skylab, along with the setting sun and the
exhaust from
our power plant blowing downwind. To the far right you can see two of
the radio
telescope buildings.
This panorma was taken in the "clean air sector" while I was
walking to the SETI telescope.
(Scroll
to the right to see the entire panorama)The clean air sector is where we have the Atmospheric
Research
Observatory (where
we measure greenhouse gases, ozone, and other things). The SETI
telescope and
heated service building with American and Australian flags flying are
to the
far left of the panorama, the dome and the new elevated station are
about 1/3
mile away in the middle of the panorama, and the Atmospheric Research
Observatory is to the right.
The old galley and bar building that was in the dome was demolished
this month in preparation for eventual removal of the dome from the
South Pole.
galley
going galley going
galley gone
Finally, we had a rescue drill this month where 3 of us on team II in our fire gear,
but
without our air tanks (fortunately), had to go down into the crawlspace
or
subfloor of the new station, find the “victim”, put him on a backboard,
weave
him through the maze of cables, pipes and ducts, and get him up to out
of the
confined space. (photos by H. Lim)
opening
to the
sub floor
crawling under structure
and pipes to reach
victim
reaching victim and taking
vital signs and assessing medical
condition
after strapping victim on
backboard we are starting to take him out
we are pulling the
victim over some pipes,
I am on the left
more pulling and lifting
Robert and I have him to
the sub floor
opening
victim
rescued – drill over
Finally, we just got a taste of the darkness to come. The full moon was
visible yesterday in the diminishing twilight. moon over SETI telescope
And then on the 30th of March, we saw our first visible object in the
sky, the planet Jupiter at 5 degrees above the
horizon. Jupiter
NEXT
MONTH: The
first visible auroras
A Real-Time Photo of South Pole Station as Seen from the ARO
Building (live when satellite is up)
A Comprehensive
South Pole Web Site by Bill Spindler
Winterover Web Pages
(Bill Spindler's List)
MY
SOUTH
POLE 2005 HOME PAGE
MY BI-POLAR HOME PAGE
