Quote:
Originally Posted by Ric
I was having a quick look around the Antarctic divisions website and didn't see any mention of visual astronomy.
Do they actually do any visual/imaging or is it that cold that scopes and gear would just freeze to the point of seizing up or worse.
I have this vision of some poor scientist walking around with an EP frozen to their eyelid waiting for it thaw enough to remove.
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Hi Ric,
The Australian Antarctic Division has conducted astronomical research there.
See
http://www.aad.gov.au/default.asp?casid=244
Several years back, Wildcard Innovations was contracted by the Anglo Australian
Observatory in Epping to write some of the software that was part of their IRIS 2
Inrfrared detector. One morning in the tea-room, I asked one of the AAO engineers,
"how was your weekend?". Peter, who had been one of the brains behind the design
of the Kecks, then causally replied that he had flown to Christchurch, donned a
survival suit and flown by US military plane to the U.S. base at the South Pole,
worked on a telescope there and then flown back. I stood there stunned.
He had provided the best "what did you do on the weekend" response I had ever heard.
Some time ago, investigations were being done by several teams including
French, Italian and an Australian team out of UNSW.
At the time, they were investigating a place known as Dome C which was looking
like one of the best places on Earth from which to observe.
See
http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/nature/
There has even been amateur astronomy conducted at Dome C.
See
http://www.gdargaud.net/Antarctica/AstroAntar.html
It sure would be a fabulous experience.