McMurdo at night is surreal. It’s pindrop quiet except the low background hum of generators and furnaces. The snow is crisp. The station population is still very low, and sometimes it feels like you have the entire town to yourself.
It’s bitterly cold, getting dressed takes 15 minutes, and the act of taking a photo without freezing your fingers off is a chore.
Some people who work outside all the time are better equipped for this; I’m not. A lot of these were taken in -30°F weather. At -30°F, I can take off my gloves for 15 seconds to fiddle with my phone camera before I have to warm up again.
To be honest I’m surprised at how well some of these came out. These are all taken with my phone camera, nothing special.
You don’t have to go far to get away from the city lights. Here I’m on the outskirts of town, about as far as I can go this time of year without filing a hiking plan.
On the other side of town, Hut Point provides incredible nighttime views as well. See my post about Hut Point during the daytime here.
It’s beautiful to see our little outpost at the end of the world from afar. You can clearly see the power plant, water plant, and wastewater treatment plant here – all critical infrastructure.
Believe it or not, there are actually seals out and enjoying the brisk -30°F winter air. The photos didn’t turn out super well in the dark, but the blobs you can see here are actually seals. You can hear them loafing around.
It’s currently September, which means we’re rapidly gaining daylight. We’re getting 15-20 extra minutes of daylight per day, and more lingering sun into the late evening. I’ll welcome the warmer temperatures, but there is something magical about nighttime in Antarctica.
Until next time!
