At
Concordia Research Station in Antarctica, scientists are studying how an extreme environment can be a risk to the human body and mind. Their ultimate goal is preparing humans for life in outer space beyond
low-Earth orbit. In early May, the sun set for winter at the facility. The photo above captured the scene. The European Space Agency (
ESA) wrote:
The 16th crew at
Concordia Research Station in Antarctica to spend a full winter at the facility wave goodbye to the sun as it descends below the horizon, not to return for four months. May 3, 2020, marked the start of the crew’s winter-over period. The 12-member group will spend the next few months in total darkness. This is in addition to their nine-month isolation in one of the most extreme environments on Earth.
Concordia research station is one of three stations operating year round for science in the middle of the Antarctic ice sheet. Located at
Dome C on the Antarctic peninsula, the station sits about 10,500 feet (3,200 meters) above sea level.
If the altitude does not steal your breath, the cold certainly will: temperatures can drop to -80°C (-112 F) in the winter, with a yearly average temperature of -50°C (-58 F).
