Posted on 07/02/2023 11:15:01 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: It was one of the better skies of this long night. In parts of Antarctica, not only is it winter, but the Sun can spend weeks below the horizon. At China's Zhongshan Station, people sometimes venture out into the cold to photograph a spectacular night sky. The featured image from one such outing was taken in mid-July of 2015, just before the end of this polar night. Pointing up, the wide angle lens captured not only the ground at the bottom, but at the top as well. In the foreground, a colleague is taking pictures. In the distance, a spherical satellite receiver and several windmills are visible. Numerous stars dot the night sky, including Sirius and Canopus. Far in the background, stretching overhead from horizon to horizon, is the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. Even further in the distance, visible as extended smudges near the top, are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, satellite galaxies near our huge Milky Way Galaxy.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
That is called the Aurora Australis, aka the southern lights. And they are beautiful. As are the northern lights, aka the Aurora Borealis.
A Why does it take 8 years for NASA to show us a picture, and B Why does NASA not have enough current cool pictures that they have to get one from China 8 years old?
I didn’t know the Chinese had a station in the Antarctic. How long has it been there? It didn’t appear on any of the old maps I saw of the seventh continent.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/18/china-antarctic-station-inexpressible-island
CSIS used satellite images taken in January to identify new support facilities, temporary buildings, a helicopter pad and foundations for a larger main building at the 5,000 sq meter (53,820 sq ft) station. It estimated that construction could be done by 2024.
First Chinese Antarctic station goes back to the ‘80s. There is a dispute with Australia over the location of at least one of several Chinese stations.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.