March, 2010....J.
Dana Hrubes...updated March 31, 2010 , 1017 GMT
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South Pole Telescope back-lit by the setting sun which will rise again in 6 months
March is the month when the sun sets and
doesn't return for 6 months marking the beginning eternal darkness and
beautiful polar skies. This year the setting sun created beautiful
orange skies until the day of sunset, when a storm moved in and blocked
out veiw of the slowly setting sun for about a week. Near the end of
the month, however, the skies cleared and the two brightest stars
became visible, Sirius
(Alpha Canis Majoris), the brightest star and low in elevation (~16-1/2
deg) here at Pole and Canopus (Alpha Carinae), the second brightest
star (~53 deg). We also finally reached temperatures of -80 F (-62
C), marking the beginning of the long, dark, and frigid winter.
Just before sunset and the storm which created obscure skies, I took a few photos. telescopes of the dark sector flagline to the dark sector walking back from MAPO flagline to the station sunset over the storage berms and power plant South Pole Telescope (SPT) SPT close-up elevated station backlit by the sun frosted on arrival long walk to station SPT and the full moon
South Pole Telescope and the full moon a few days after sunset
To celebrate the setting sun and coming of the dark winter we had a nice traditional sunset dinner. sunset dinner
Next Month - April: Darkness - Auroras - Stars!
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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