![Click to enlarge](img/th_5372.jpg) | An ice crystal halo around the sun. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5373.jpg) | Mt. Erebus behind thin cloud. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5374.jpg) | The payload bays. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5375.jpg) | Chris Field works on the SIP, our telemetry package which is provided by the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF). |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5376.jpg) | Picking up the mirror crate. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5377.jpg) | Waiting for the mirror to get here. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5378.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5379.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5380.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5381.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5382.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5383.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5384.jpg) | Bringing the mirror inside. When the big doors are open like this, it gets cold inside very fast. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5385.jpg) | Erebus emerges from the cloud. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5386.jpg) | The slowest forklift in Antarctica. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5387.jpg) | Carefully removing the forks from underneath the primary mirror. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5388.jpg) | Both star cameras up and running on the bench. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5389.jpg) | Another shot of Erebus, note the prominent plume. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5390.jpg) | The closest thing to vegetation on the continent: a forest of flags. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5391.jpg) | Putting the mirror insulation onto the inner frame. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5392.jpg) | Putting the mirror insulation onto the inner frame. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5393.jpg) | Chris and Mark discuss strategy. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5394.jpg) | The primary mirror in its protective cocoon. |
![Click to play](img/th_5396.jpg) | Three minutes in the highbay. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5397.jpg) | Enzo's sun sensor mount. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5398.jpg) | The primary and secondary mirror assembled. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5400.jpg) | Looking up at the secondary mirror. In the reflection you can see the primary mirror's cocoon. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5401.jpg) | Batteries mounted on the gondola. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5402.jpg) | Me and Enzo on the bus. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5403.jpg) | Me looking dapper. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5404.jpg) | Me looking dapper. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5405.jpg) | Picking up hitch-hikers on the road back to base. Likely they've just returned from a trek to Castle Rock or the Kiwi Ski Hill. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5408.jpg) | A map of the environs. South is generally towards the top. Willy Field is east (left) of Scott Base. |
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![Click to Enlarge](img/th_ice_runway_1.jpg) |
(6287x1348, 4255.21 kb) A view from McMurdo across the ice runway to the south. On the left is the foot
of Ob Hill. Black Island is partially obscured by clouds, almost due South; to
the right of it, Mt. Discovery pushes above the clouds. Continuing rightward,
is Brown Peninsula, and then the Royal Society Range. Peaks further right are
part of the Asgard Range, where the dry valleys are. Out on the ice runway,
five LC-130 "Hercules" are sitting.
Buildings in the foreground include, from left:
- the Gym (hut 75), the semicircular building
- the Helicopter Hangar (hut 129), the green building behind the gym,
- the Dive Shack (hut 144), the small white building near centre,
- Administration & GSE Shop (hut 159), white building mostly obscured behind the dive shack
- Cold Storage (hut 157), the prominent green building at centre
- Supply (hut 156), the next green building to the right of Cold Storage
- the Water Plant (hut 198), the yellow building party obscured
- Chapel of the Snows (hut 7), the building with a steeple at right
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5414.jpg) | Ob Hill. Note the cross at the top. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5415.jpg) | The chalet. |
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![Click to Enlarge](img/th_ice_runway_2.jpg) |
(6452x1073, 3296.08 kb) Another shot looking over the the ice shelf from McMurdo. At left is the foot
of Ob Hill. At right is Hut Point.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5421.jpg) | Hut Point. The prominent building is Discovery Hut, built by Scot in 1902. |
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![Click to Enlarge](img/th_winter_quarters_bay.jpg) |
(3864x1260, 2770.70 kb) Winter Quarters Bay, at the west end of the base. In the winter of 1901/02
Robert Scott's ship Discovery was iced in here, hence the name. During
this time they built Discovery Hut (now usually called Scott's Hut) on Hut
Point. Winter Quarters Bay is the main deep water port for Ross Island and,
when it warms up, they'll have an ice pier here. In former times Winter
Quarters Bay was considered one of the most polluted places on Earth, but
significant clean up has happened since then.
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![Click to enlarge](img/th_5425.jpg) | Chapel of the Snows. Mormon, Catholic and Protestant services are offered. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5426.jpg) | Derelict Junction, the main bus stop in town. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5427.jpg) | Looking over the ice shelf. The Highbay and Willy field are on the left. To the right is AnDRILL, the Antarctic Geological Drilling Experiment. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5428.jpg) | Looking over at Mt. Erebus (left) and Mt. Terror (right). Down below is the start of the ice road. There are several lanes, only one is open, which permits resurfacing of the other lanes, without blocking traffic. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5429.jpg) | The same. |
![Click to enlarge](img/th_5430.jpg) | Pressure ridges. |