March, 2011....J.
Dana Hrubes...updated March 31, 2011, 1800 GMT
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The South Pole Telescope (SPT) scanning a cosmic microwave background field as the sun sets for 6 long months
March is the month when the sun finally
sets for six long months and after it has been shining continuously at
the geographic South Pole for the previous six months. The week
following sunset was not very clear at the horizon, so I didn't take
many photos this year. SPT backlit by the sun
sun setting in the dark sector station sunset windy sunset (the outline of SPT is just visible) the Dark Sector Laboratory (DSL)
The sun behind the station, nearly a mile from the South Pole Telescope (SPT)
Before the sun set, several of us
installed 150 flags from the station to the Dark Sector Laboratory
(DSL), where SPT is located, with a branch of about 70 flags to the Ice
Cube
Neutrino Laboratory (ICL) and then another 50 from ICL to DSL. The
flaglines are for safety during our daily commute to these buildings in
darkness and in wind storms. flagline from DSL to the main station flagline from DSL to obscured station flagline from DSL to ICL
Twilight, 5 days after sunset, with a setting crescent moon
post sunset station and flagline post sunset station and part of the dark sector (MAPO) twilight SPT twilight skies
Daniel and I have been operating South Pole Telescope 24 hours a day as
well as attending to other SPT tasks such as telescope maintenance,
troubleshooting and repair, some data quality analysis, and some writing
of computer scripts. We also have bi-weekly telecons via satellite with
the SPT collaboration back in the States.
I am able to monitor, fix some software issues, and control the
telescope from my room during sleeping hours. room control system computers
Next month - April: Stars and auroras become visible!
Recent
South Pole Telescope Technical Papers
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)
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