If the sun rises in the east it must set in the west. That is what I have always been told and that is what I have always known. I always thought it was strange when I was at South Pole and the sun never set, it just rotated around you in the sky. It didn't even rotate in the right direction either, so you never knew what time it was or what direction you were pointing in. Well now as the darkness encroaches and the sun is lower and lower in the sky, the sun rise is later and the sunset is earlier. Each day gets a little darker and a little colder. The other day the moon rose for the first time. It was high in the sky but it was the first time the sun was low enough in the sky to see the moon, so we called it the first moon rise. Now the moon is out longer each day, even when we have daylight. It is a start to a new season for sure now.
This time of year also brings with it the the ability to see Fata Morgana's which are mirages caused by the sun being low in the sky and extreme cold temperatures, this effect is exaggerated down here in Antarctica by the curvature of the earth and where we are in relation to the sun. The other morning I walked out side, it was a nice clear and calm day. You could see all the way across the Ross Ice Shelf to the mountain range on the other side. At the base of the mountain range was the largest fata morgana I have ever seen, it was so surreal.
It looked as if a wall of ice came straight out of the ground and reached half way up the mountains. By the time I was able to get my camera and get back to take a picture the sun had risen in the sky and the fata morgana had shrunk.With the days getting shorter and the nights getting longer you begin to realize it will be 24 hours darkness soon and temperatures in the -40's. This complete darkness will last for 3 1/2 months. When I spent last winter at Palmer Station it never got completely dark, we still had twilight for a few hours a day even in the dead of winter. McMurdo is not so fortunate, and I begin to wonder how I will do with no sunlight for this time. I was born and raised in California and have always had sunlight, so this will definitely be a new and challenging experience for me. With this realization I have also come to grips that we are stuck here. There is no way in or out at this time. Sunday market one month since the last plane took off, this also marks roughly 5 more months until the next plane arrives. I am unsure on how I feel about this, once again at Palmer we had re-supply vessels arriving at least once every 6 weeks. If something were to happen or if I just want to quit and go home I cant, I am here, this is it. The 151 people I am on station with are the only people I will come in contact with for the next 5 months.
So as the darkness creeps slowly more and more each day devouring the sunlight. I just begin to wonder, how will I do mentally & physically? What will it be like? How will others deal with these situations? Only time will tell, as each day is a countdown till total darkness......
No comments:
Post a Comment