A Run to the Sun

Today, September 17th, was the perfect day to start running outside again. The temperature was a pleasant -64 F and the light wind kept the windchill right under -100 F. For the most part the surface was hard packed and the drifts made for some fun hill running. And of course visibility was high with the glowing daylight! After five months of darkness this was so needed. I was outside for 70 minutes but my layering and strategically placed heat packets kept me warm.  

The sun refraction near the South Pole Telescope (SPT). This day the sun was 1.2 degrees below the horizon. At mid-winter (Winter Solstice New Zealand June 21) the sun was 23.5 degrees below and started the return.

SPT

I played with the color saturation for this interesting view.

Martin A Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO) with sastrugi in the foreground. Sastrugi is really cool looking: Long, wavelike ridges of snow, formed by the wind and found on the polar plains. Sastrugi are usually up to several meters high and are often parallel to the prevailing wind direction.

MAPO radio telescopes.

Almost a full moon.

It felt great to be running outside again!

This side of the station entrance is called DA. The observation deck is on the 2nd floor. To the right is the gym. To the left is the moon.

The drifts were heavy this winter.

The DA stairs. At the beginning of winter it was flat under the station and to the left. Now there is quite a climb to hike to the South Pole marker.

The back of the station showing all the wings with the emergency exits. Gym on the left. The emergency wing (which has a self contained evacuation pod) is to the right of that. In front of that wing is the emergency fuel tank for the emergency generator in the pod and the manual fed ice melter for emergency water.

This is the DZ entrance. The boxes that line both sides hold all the recyclables and food waste. I live in the A1 wing on the right. My room is on the opposite side with a 2nd floor unobstructed view of the polar plain.

The station can be lifted when the snow fills in over time. Pictured are two of the lifting supports.

DZ entrance on the first deck. The second deck leads to the galley. Food is stored on this deck. 

Stairs leading to the entrance.

DZ door on the left.

Saturday September 21, 2013 Sunrise!

I was running outside 4 days this week. Earlier in my run the sun was hidden behind the horizon clouds. In the foreground is IceCube Lab which captures and studies neutrinos bombarding the planet.

On my last lap the sun was visible.

Our future is very bright!