Sun, Plane, People, Mail, Freshies, and Nacreous Clouds
The winfly plane flights have come and gone, bringing with them about 350 new people, mail, fresh fruit and veggies, old friends, and new cold and flu viruses to infect us toasty winter-over folk.
The return of the sun is helping to re-energize our T3 addled brains (see the blog entry from this time last year), and general station activities involve everyone getting ready for the start of the summer season at the end of the month.
The first Winfly C-17 plane emerges out of the fog on the runway
Passenger disembarking the plane into the -45 degree air
Transporting the passengers back to McMurdo across the Ice Shelf, our first view the sun in over 4 months as it
briefly skirts the horizon at noon.
Mount Erebus to the north casts a shadow across Mount Discovery to the south-west
Polar Stratospheric Clouds (Nacreous Clouds) in the upper atmosphere being illuminated by the sun below
the horizon. These clouds form when ozone-depleting gasses crystallize in the extreme cold, creating incredible
rainbow hues when the sun hits them.
Nacreous Cloud
Nacreous Cloud behind ice ridge
Nacreous Clouds above Mount Discovery in the twilight
Nacreous Clouds being illuminated by the moon
Moon set over Salient Peak
Aurora above one of the McMurdo fuel tanks. Not too long now and it will be too light at night to see auroras with
the return of the sun.
Moon rise
And lastly, here is a video clip I made up from about 400 individual photos I took last year showing what it is like to fly from Black Island, across the ice shelf, past the Pegasus Airfield and land at McMurdo.
To watch the Hi-Def version follow the link to vimeo...
The return of the sun is helping to re-energize our T3 addled brains (see the blog entry from this time last year), and general station activities involve everyone getting ready for the start of the summer season at the end of the month.
briefly skirts the horizon at noon.
the horizon. These clouds form when ozone-depleting gasses crystallize in the extreme cold, creating incredible
rainbow hues when the sun hits them.
the return of the sun.
And lastly, here is a video clip I made up from about 400 individual photos I took last year showing what it is like to fly from Black Island, across the ice shelf, past the Pegasus Airfield and land at McMurdo.
To watch the Hi-Def version follow the link to vimeo...
Fly-Lapse from Anthony Powell on Vimeo.

Great pictures as always!
Any news about your film?
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Still working on it. Got most of the time-lapse photo sequences all re-rendered in HD now, and am getting into the more serious editing side of things.
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Dear Antz,
So, I have been a follower of your blog, your YouTube videos, 48 hour films, and pictures for quite sometime now and I thought I would finally comment! Also, I recently met someone, her name is Jana, who wintered over with you a few years ago. I love your work immensely and every time I need a cheering up, I always watch some video of yours!
I also am obsessed with Antarctica and hope to research there in the future (specifically with Adelies or Emperor Penguins). This winter break (or austral summer) I will be going on a study abroad there (only to visit the Antarctic Peninsula), but it will be the closest to making my dreams come true! I just need to winter over along with summer research to see those breathtaking aurora australis. Thank you so much for your awe-inspiring work!!
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Great to hear.
Best of luck with your plans.
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Hi Antz--I'm trying to send an email to Christine, but don't have a current address, apparently. I'm thinking of returning to the ice, and was hoping to get a miracle last-minute gig for next winter. I don't know who's running supply, or if there are other people I know that I can talk to. Please have her write...I hope you're well. Remember the Austin Film Festival (autumn) and SXSW Film Festival (also in Austin, in March) when your film is ready. Mark O'Shea
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Anthony,
Nice work, Is that a Tyler Mount? I'm in NM doing documentary work and had a few questions if you have the time.
What exactly is dc dc convertor you use for 5d MK2? I'm having power troubles and unable to get a solution going yet. It's cold here and I need to shoot for 12+ hours at 5-25 Farenheit.
Thanks for your interest.
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I just use an off the shelf cigarette lighter adapter rated at 1.5amps along with the canon dc adapter/ fake battery.
Check out the timescapes discussion board for all sorts of tips... http://www.timescapes.org/phpBB3/index.php
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