"The Last Sunlight Disappears"

Current Conditions
Temperature: 2F
Wind Chill: -12F

The last direct sunlight disappears, that is. Today, that fat old sun in the sky is falling below the horizon for the last time. It's a shame because in the past few weeks I've seen some of the most amazing sunsets of my life. Oh yeah, and because it's going to be dark for a long time.

Unfortunately, the western flank of Mt. Erebus obscures the horizon where the last direct rays cross the ice. Still, the sun winks us a seductive farewell:

About two weeks ago, I telephoto'd in on Brian and Emily walking Hut Point Ridge at sunset. They were surprised (and a little worried) when I told them I had a candid picture. But not after I described their silhouettes on the ridge; Brian's stature is unmistakable. I like that they're in step:

I continued out to the ridge myself for this spectacular sunset:

A couple days ago, I drove out to Willey Field to check on a protostation that hasn't been working. The station is basically a very small insulated room with solar panels and wind generators for power. Inside is a bank of batteries and a dummy data collection device that transmits back to the states via satellite phone. The idea is to determine if multiple stations like this could be placed in remote areas throughout the continent and perform self-supported data collection and communication. The protostation hasn't been communicating, mostly due to low power; there's not enough light for the solar cells anymore, and the wind is inconsistent. I checked on the inoperable station just to make sure nothing was actually broken. Inside:

Oops. Perhaps in addition to more power, the station needs better door seals! The snow wasn't the problem, though. The batteries were dead, the sun was down, and the air was calm. Actually the sun had just gone down and was still illuminating the sulfurous plume from the Erebus crater. I told you that story, to show you this picture:

Eerie.