Well, after reporting twice to transport today, at 12:15 pm and then at 3:15 pm, we were postponed again. And since they do not usually fly on weekends, we will likely remain here in McMurdo until Monday, January 12.
In spite of that, everything has gone by the book during our stay here. Food has been a highlight from the beginning, and it is simply perfect. I cannot recall a single meal that I did not relish and enjoy.
I had previously written about the extreme seasonal changes concerning the visibility of the Sun from the polar regions, and particularly in and near the South Pole. Well, I am now going to share some pictures that I took very early today, just past midnight.
Outing in McMurdo just after midnight. Local time 1:06 am.
The midnight sun shining behind the clouds. Local time 1:09 am.
The Sun is visible here all the time—24 hours a day—but in contrast to the Pole where it remains at a constant elevation above the horizon, in McMurdo it shows some variation. The Sun moves around the sky on a counterclockwise direction, with its maximum elevation occurring just after noon, at exactly 1:00 pm (or 2:00 pm with daylight saving time) when the Sun reaches about 34° above the northern horizon, and a minimum occurring right after midnight at exactly 1:00 am with a solar elevation of about 10°. Around 7:00 am and 7:00 pm, the Sun is due east and west, respectively. Solar illumination is visibly reduced late in the evening, but daylight remains.
The McMurdo Station sundial.
Another view of McMurdo at midnight.
If instead of cloudy weather we had had clear skies and a sunny evening, the sundial would have actually shown a solar shadow at 1:00 am!
On a different note, I wanted to share that—since we are going to stay for the weekend—we will be attending a training tomorrow (Saturday, January 10) that is required for people wanting to venture out of town. I am not going to miss this opportunity to get out and explore! We are already planning to hike some of the trails on the surrounding hills here in Ross Island.
Yet another view of McMurdo at midnight.
The only thing I believe I have missed here in McMurdo could be getting a decent view of Mount Erebus, which is located only 40 kilometers away here in Ross Island. Mount Erebus, with a height at 3,794 meters, is the southernmost active volcano on Earth. Since the volcano is actually hidden by some nearby hills that rise above the northern horizon—when viewed from the station itself—it is nearly impossible to see. But I think I should be able to get a good view of it once we drive back to the airfield, which will happen within the next few days, and depending on whether we get clear skies.