By Peter Kimball
Vince's Cross, sea ice lit by McMurdo Station, and faint aurora australis. Vince's Cross is made of oak, and was erected by Scott's first expedition in March 1902, in remembrance of the death of Seaman George T. Vince who slipped off of a cliff and drowned while trying to return to the ship during a blizzard. Vince was the first person to die in McMurdo Sound. (photo: Peter Kimball)
Today (Sunday) is a day off. So, we worked late after dinner last night, and then Justin and I headed out on foot to Discovery Hut. Our goal was to escape the lights of McMurdo station and photograph the antarctic night sky while we still have darkness. This mission was an unequivocal success. We were rewarded with very clear skies, milky way like I've never seen, and even some faint auroras.
It was -23 C while we were out. We fared well, but I did sustain a small injury: a cold burn on the tip of my nose from touching it to the LCD screen on the back of my camera after my breath had condensed there. The wind came up about an hour in. We lasted only another 10 minutes before we had to retreat to the station. Here are some more shots from the evening:
It was -23 C while we were out. We fared well, but I did sustain a small injury: a cold burn on the tip of my nose from touching it to the LCD screen on the back of my camera after my breath had condensed there. The wind came up about an hour in. We lasted only another 10 minutes before we had to retreat to the station. Here are some more shots from the evening:
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