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Queen Maud Land Solar Eclipse Expedition
12:10 p.m. EDT Jul 24, 2003
A total eclipse of the sun is a rare and spectacular event witnessed by few people. The experience really leaves something to remember. At first, there is an odd shadow in the air. You can't quite figure out what's wrong, only that something is different.
Then, within a few minutes, darkness increasingly blankets the landscape. Birds stop signing and a remarkable silence enters. Stars appear and the sun turns into a black disc. Like never before, you realize that we actually are a planet floating in Universe. Fire shoots out from the sun Corona. And then, just as quickly, the darkness give way, the stars disappear, birds and insects start shrieking and the light returns.
This is your regular total eclipse. Now imagine it at Antarctica. The sudden, bitter cold that enter with the blackness. The Auroras. The Halos.
On or about November 1, Mike Libecki, Andrew McLean, Kristoffer Erickson and Doug Stoup will use kites to traverse to the Wohlthat Mountains, Queen Maud Land. They plan to explore, climb and ski on a landscape that can best be described as "other worldly." On the 23rd a Total Solar Eclipse will be visible from their location. The team plans to send back daily audio, video and photos via satellite and their website.
We hope that the team will be within the 100% eclipse range. It's important as even only a few percent off will alter the experience dramatically. You will still see the eclipse, but lose the enveloping darkness. In any case, this expedition holds a promise of a true adventure.
Image courtesy of IceAxe TV
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