Polar bear

Nuclear Ninety North

Eclipse of the Midnight Sun

August 1st, 2008

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Tikhaya Bukhta, Hooker Island

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2008-07-29 09:45 UTC Click images for enlargements.

Gregoriy Sedov's polar expedition wintered on this island in 1913–1914; these crosses commemorate the expedition.

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2008-07-29 09:50 UTC 80°20.34'N 52°46.49'E

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2008-07-29 09:50 UTC 80°20.34'N 52°46.46'E

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2008-07-29 11:22 UTC 80°20.17'N 52°45.50'E

In 1929, the Soviet government established a research station named Sedova on the island, which was manned until 1963. Much of the station is now in ruins, but two intact buildings are used by parties visiting in the summer.

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2008-07-29 09:51 UTC 80°20.34'N 52°46.41'E

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2008-07-29 09:53 UTC 80°20.32'N 52°46.44'E

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2008-07-29 10:03 UTC 80°20.31'N 52°46.92'E

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2008-07-29 10:12 UTC 80°20.24'N 52°46.81'E

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2008-07-29 10:15 UTC 80°20.23'N 52°46.75'E

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2008-07-29 10:15 UTC 80°20.23'N 52°46.75'E

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2008-07-29 10:16 UTC 80°20.22'N 52°46.70'E

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2008-07-29 10:16 UTC 80°20.22'N 52°46.68'E

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2008-07-29 10:17 UTC 80°20.22'N 52°46.68'E

One of the intact buildings flies the Russian flag. Note that this is a structure assembled from “Lenin Logs” labeled before shipment to the site.

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2008-07-29 10:27 UTC 80°20.21'N 52°46.51'E

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2008-07-29 10:28 UTC 80°20.21'N 52°46.45'E

The hangar was used for aircraft visiting the island and for weather balloon operations. Its remaining roof provides sufficient shelter from the summer Sun that it is now mostly filled with snow.

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2008-07-29 10:29 UTC 80°20.22'N 52°46.42'E

Question: how do you build an outhouse when the ground is frozen for most of the year? Answer: see above.

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2008-07-29 10:31 UTC 80°20.23'N 52°46.37'E

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2008-07-29 10:31 UTC 80°20.23'N 52°46.37'E

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2008-07-29 10:34 UTC 80°20.24'N 52°46.26'E

He built a crooked house.

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2008-07-29 10:36 UTC

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2008-07-29 10:37 UTC 80°20.24'N 52°46.19'E

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2008-07-29 10:41 UTC 80°20.25'N 52°46.14'E

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2008-07-29 10:40 UTC 80°20.24'N 52°46.19'E

Doghouses for sled dogs.

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2008-07-29 08:07 UTC

Most of the fungus we saw was in the symbiotic form of lichen (composed of a fungus and algæ), but on Hooker Island I spotted this leathery fungus among some reindeer moss and plants.


by John Walker
August 20th, 2008
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This document is in the public domain.