Envisat images delivered to Antarctic eclipse spotters (Forwarded)

ESA News
http://www.esa.int

26 November 2003

Envisat images delivered to Antarctic eclipse spotters

The great white expanse of Antarctica experienced the eerie darkness of a total
solar eclipse late Sunday night. A lucky few people had reached the scene by
icebreaker to see it happen -- their route mapped out for them by Envisat
satellite imagery.

The passengers of Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov experienced a little
under two minutes of totality around 2340 CEST (2240 UTC) on Sunday 23 November,
as the shadow of the Moon blocked out the Sun across eastern Antarctica. Local
penguins are accustomed to near-permanent daylight during the south polar summer
but they are not reported to have become upset.

A project called Antarctica 2003 has enabled thousands of school children across
the world to follow the Kapitan Khlebnikov's journey to this remarkable event
from their computers. The International Polar Foundation and the Footbridge
Science Centre of the University of Geneva joined together to send specially
selected 18-year-old Swiss student Loren Coquille on the trip, together with two
accompanying scientists and also radio journalists.

Loren and the two scientists work as special correspondents during the trip,
writing dispatches for the Antarctica 2003 website and also carrying out a
variety of experiments. Schools across French-speaking Switzerland, France,
Belgium, the United Kingdom and Canada are taking part in the project, designed
to boost students' interest in science.

Eduspace, the European Earth Observation website for secondary schools, also
contributed by supplying Envisat imagery of areas the ship was sailing into.
MERIS and AATSR images are being used in open sea areas to compare against local
chlorophyll and temperature measurements carried out from the ship, but while
the Kapitan Khlebnikov made its way through the ice to make its eclipse
deadline, ASAR radar imagery was sent.

"One of the scientist teachers, Didier Raboud, said he was very interested in
comparing the radar data with the ice situation as presented on the ground, and
also gave the images to the icebreaker's captain," said Juerg Lichtenegger,
Eduspace team co-ordinator, and the person responsible for relaying the images
to the ship.

Radar images work through clouds and darkness, and because they record surface
roughness instead of reflected light, they can provide information on ice
texture and thickness.

As the Kapitan Khlebnikov prepared to reach its planned berth off the Russian
Antarctic base of Mirny last week, ASAR images were sent more frequently. On
Thursday, Lichtenegger received an image of the region within three hours of its
acquisition.

"I modified it for easier dissemination and interpretation and then sent it
directly on to the ship and the website," said Lichtenegger. "So they were able
to view it that same day. To get to them the image had journeyed twice around
the world -- acquired by Envisat over Antarctica, then downlinked to the ESA
station at Kiruna in northern Sweden, then via internet to my computer in
Switzerland, and finally back to Antarctica again!"

Antarctic weather is always unpredictable, although luckily the sky stayed clear
enough for Loren and the others to see the eclipse, although at the last moment
thin clouds prevented seeing the corona. And the darkness from the Moon's
5000-km-long shadow was striking. Loren was thrilled with her first ever
eclipse, and you can hear her describe it in her own words at a radio report on
the Anatarctica 2003 website.

The passengers of Kapitan Khlebnikov are spending the next few days on a very
busy sightseeing itinerary. The icebreaker leaves the area on 27 November, due
to dock at Hobart in Tasmania on 3 December. "They will continue receiving ASAR
images in near real time up to the ice edge around 60 degrees south," explained
Lichtenegger. "Envisat will then acquire further ASAR samples, and coverage of
MERIS and AATSR for offline delivery and later evaluation using the measurements
performed onboard." And you can follow the rest of their trip out of the ice via
the internet.

Related articles

* Iceberg's end caught by Envisat
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMCPWWLDMD_FeatureWeek_0.html
* ESA keeps vigil on the Antarctic ice pack
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ESA6CV66K3D_index_0.html

Related links

* Eduspace
http://www.eduspace.esa.int/
* Envisat Mission
http://envisat.esa.int
* Antarctica 2003
http://www.antarctica2003.ch

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX..._index_1.html]
Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov carried the Antarctica 2003 team from
South Africa to the Antarctic coast -- through often thick sea ice to their
eventual destination near the Russian base of Mirny. Envisat ASAR data provided
information on the type of ice ahead.

Credits: Antarctica 2003 http://www.antarctica2003.ch

[Image 2:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX...html#subhead1]
EDUSPACE logo

[Image 3:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX...html#subhead2]
ASAR image acquired 21 November 2003, showing an 424 x 445km area of the
Antarctic coast the total solar eclipse was due to occur in. Note the area of
bright points representing glacier-calved icebergs towards the centre of the
image; this region is where the Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker was located by 23
November. Envisat and Meteosat satellite images have been provided to the
Antarctica 2003 team throughout their voyage.

Credits: ESA

[Image 4:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX...html#subhead3]
This full resolution 90 x 97.5 km image taken from the above 21 November 2003
ASAR image shows the location of the Kapitan Khlebnikov on 23 November 2003 at
23.30 GMT - 65-55S, 89-16E. The image comes from the area of small glaciar
calved icebergs (bright points) seen close to the centre of the previous image,
a little toward the lower right corner.

Credits: ESA

[Image 5:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMX...html#subhead4]
ASAR image of the section of the Antarctic coast where the solar eclipse was due
to occur, acquired 20 November 2003 and delivered to the Antarctica 2003 team
the same day. This picture shows the continuation of the coast westward of the
ASAR image shown above. The huge round ice field is part of the West Ice Shelf.
The oblong (60x20km) tabular iceberg (67S 77-20E) in the upper left corner has
been reported to the ice breaker before arriving and they passed to the west of
it. Australia's Davis Station is located at the left end of the image.

Credits: ESA