Mawson Station

Scott Anderson von der Antarctic Division in Australien hat für uns freundlicherweise folgende Mini-FAQ über MAWSON STATION geschickt:
THANX SCOTT!

What are you doing in Antarctica ?

I actually live in Tasmania where I work for the Australian Antarctic Division. I have once stayed at Mawson for a couple of months over summer, doing computer work for the Atmospheric and Space Physics people there.

How cold is it down there ?

Antarctica isnt always the inhospitable place that people imagine. Summer temperatures at Mawson are usually about -10 to 0 degrees C. I’ve been there when it was +9C. Winters get to about -35C, but the wind speed is frequently over 100 kmh.

What is the camera used for ?

The Mawson camera is mainly used to watch operations on a helicopter landing pad, putting the picture on the web is an unofficial thing I’ve set up just for fun. The helicopters are used over summer to move people and equipment between Australia’s 3 Antarctic stations, and also to other places like the Prince Charles Mountains where research is carried out.

Can you control what the camera is pointing at ?

I’d love to do that, but the camera is controlled by people at Mawson.

Can I send email to the people at Mawson ?

In general it isnt allowed to direct casual messages to people at the Australian stations – if we allowed that then they wouldnt get any work done. However if you know someone down there we will pass on your request. Send the message to [email protected] saying who you want it forwarded to.

What software and hardware do you use ?

On a Macintosh (a PowerMac 6100AV) I use Applescript and freeware or shareware applications called PhotoCapture to catch the picture, Clip2gif to convert from PICT to GIF, and Anarchie to copy the file to our web server.

Is it possible to watch the Aurora Australis with this camera?

Um … I guess so – come back and have a look later in the year. I really dont know if the camera is sensitive enough.

Cheers, Scott.