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Gilles in Antarctica

Started by RolandC, 01/30/2012 11:44PM
Posted 01/30/2012 11:44PM Opening Post
Hi All,

I recently received some photos from Gilles Cohen. He is presently at Dome C in Antarctica to do some work on the Ovision scopes that are set up for the French research team from the University of Nice. By the way,
all mounts are working well, having operated through a winter of temperatures approaching -100C.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ap-ug/photos/album/355730958/pic/list

Here is what he said in his e-mail:

Hello,

here is a picture I took this afternoon using a tripod.
I needed three days to get the good framing and light angle...sorry, I
could not remove my hood, I did not want to get frostbite within a few
seconds. Touching a screw without gloves burns instantly your finger.

I have several others, that I'll send on a DVD.
You can post this one if you want, no problemo, it is free use for
Astro-Physics :-))))) It is downsized to fit the internet bandpass of
the base.

By the way it is quite hot today, except the wind...

Current conditions
Temperature : -34.7 °C
Dew point : -38.6 °C
Wind-chill : -48
Relative humidity : 67.5 %
Pressure : 635.1 hPa
Wind origin : 193.5 °, south-south-west
Wind speed : 4.9 m/s

Gilles


Attached Image:

RolandC's attachment for post 54894
Posted 01/31/2012 12:14AM #1
Looks funny where you have the counterweight bar almost horizontal.....Reminds me of an eclipse trip to Panama a few years back and I could not understand why all the local astronomers were using their equatorial mounts in what seemed like alt-az. THen I realized that at the equator, that was kinda how it was!

Alex
Posted 01/31/2012 12:24AM #2
Way to cold for me that's for shure.
Pete
Posted 01/31/2012 11:00PM #3
Posted 02/21/2012 12:20AM #4
Roland, are those stock mounts, or are they modified in any way to operate in those brutal conditions?

Oklahoma State University--The University of Oklahoma!--GO POKES!! GO STATE!!
Posted 02/21/2012 04:37PM #5
Gilles made it back safe and sound. He is in France now. When he gets a chance, he will post some photos of his trip down under.

Rolando