We are observing aurora australis (southern lights) at the South Pole Station.

Real-time data product (2009)
Archive data product (1997-2008)
Sample images
Instrument
Publication
Presentation
Contact
Acknowledgement
since 2009.

Latest pseudo-color images (2009-08-27)

00 UT01 UT02 UT03 UT04 UT05 UT
06 UT07 UT08 UT09 UT10 UT11 UT
12 UT13 UT14 UT15 UT16 UT17 UT
18 UT19 UT20 UT21 UT22 UT23 UT
[MPEG MOVIE] [Quick Time MOVIE] [Flash MOVIE]






Objectives
  • To study the dayside auroral phenomena at the cusp/cleft region, the afternoon auroral developments and the polar cap aurora, all associated with the magnetic storm/substorm activities and the solar wind conditions.
  • To investigate the gravity waves and tidal oscillations at the South Pole, using multi-wavelength airglow.
Instrument

(1) Optics

Objective Lens Nikkor F1.4, f-6mm, 180degree FOV, Fish-eye
Throughput AΩ=0.91cm2str
Filters (1997-2000) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 730.0nm, Panchromatic
Filters (2002) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 589.0nm, 730.0nm
Filters (2003) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 589.0nm, 486.1nm
Filters (2004) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 589.0nm, 486.1nm
Filters (2005) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 589.0nm, 486.1nm
Filters (2008) 427.8nm, 557.7nm, 630.0nm, 589.0nm, 486.1nm

(2) Image Sensor

Image Sensor Back-illuminated charge coupled device (CCD)
Image size 512x512 pixels
A/D resolution 14bit

(3) Data/Control System

PC for control HP NetServer E200 (Windows NT 4.0 Server)
PC for storage Pentium III 500 MHz (RedHat Linux 8.0)
Time Synchronization GPS Network Time Server

(4) Data Transfer

Command upload Internet (approx. 100Byte/day)
Data download TDRS/Ku-band (approx. 1-3 GByte/day)
Schematic of data/command link.
Archive data product
2003 Composite image Decomposite image Keogram Raw movie Raw data
2004 Composite image Decomposite image Keogram Raw movie Raw data
2005 Composite image Decomposite image Keogram Raw movie Raw data
2008 Composite image Decomposite image Keogram Raw movie Raw data

Older data for 1997-2002 is also available.

Please contact Yusuke Ebihara before presenting any of these data publically.
Sample

(1) Aurora

Diurnal variation of aurora (Windows Media Movie)

(2) Airglow

2000 UT on June 16, 2002
Contact
Representative of the imager: Yusuke Ebihara (Nagoya University, Institute for Advanced Studies, Japan)


Acknowledgement

Since 2007, this project is collaboration between the Nagoya University, the National Institute of Polar Research (Japan) and Siena College (USA) with support provided from the U.S. National Science Foundation under award ANT-0638587. The Principal Investigator of that project is Prof. Allan Weatherwax (Siena College, New York). For further information, please see www.space-antarctica.org.