Our last sunrise.
Through a complete fluke, I got the chance to head out to Pegasus to catch the final sunrise and sunset. Someone had pulled one of my computers out of the smurf shack that they need for another month. They were going to put it back by themselves in the morning, but I assured them that I didn't mind the extra trip. I would just have to take it after lunch when the last sun happened to be rising and falling instead of the morning. Yeah for luck!
The sun peaking lighting up the sky behind Ross , Tent, and Inaccessible Islands.
Sunrise.
As far as our naked eye could tell, the highest the sun got was when it was behind Inaccessible and Tent Islands around 1pm. After that, it just seemed to move across the horizon for a little while before slipping away at 1:12pm.
Sunset!
Goodbye, sun. It's been fun!
When I saw the sun go down, I think this was the first time where I mentally gulped. It was really sinking in that it is going to be dark, really dark. We'll have ambient light that carries really well across the ice for the next couple weeks, but by the end of May it should be dark. In early August, we should return to that ambient light and then we should get a sunrise on August 19th at 12:09pm. When I type that, it seems really far away. May, June, July, August. Four months. 120 days. It might be time to get out the penguin timer, but recalibrate to be a sunrise timer. You never know what you have until you lose it, right? Whoever thought I'd lose the sun!
Light to the Northwest.
That night, the light was still sitting on the horizon. I'm not sure if I've been here too long or just never noticed this back home, but it looks very well lit to the North. It looks like they have plenty of light. It makes me think of a scene from a movie where the dark/light side of the moon is rotating and there is a clear transition. I'm struggling to put words to it and I'm not sure the picture will do it justice.
Me! (photo by K. Klassy)
I just talked to skua #2 and it completely made my day!
wow, that looks truly incredible, i can't imagine how it must feel to think you won't see the sun for all that time. does it feel really isolated and lonely there? or do you have a good few number in your working community? i would love to experience your part of the world, what a journey you are on!
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't really feel isolated here. There are enough people and ways to communicate with friends back home to make me feel connected. There are times I feel a little lonely because I haven't made the close friendships down here yet, but they will come with time. I'l find those good few in the community.
ReplyDeleteHey Brody!
ReplyDeleteIts Dave Voorhees... happenned on your blog cause I was searching to see what the last sunset was - nice site--
hope you're having a good time! sounds like it
hey, you never sent me those pix from
Erebus... when you have a chance can you email em to me?? Thx
Hard to believe you have no sun to look at now! I'm gazing at it for you...
Cheers!
Dave
Dave,
ReplyDeleteI've wanted to email you those pictures for a while now, but I don't have an e-mail address for you. Send that to me and I'll send you pictures right back :-)
-Brody
brotman@alumni.pitt.edu