ESRL Global Monitoring Division - South Pole Observatory

South Pole Live Camera

The Live Camera is up!

You can also view time lapse movies from the camera.

This photo is of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station taken every 15 minutes (if a relay satellite is available for transmission) from the roof of the National Science Foundation's Atmospheric Research Observatory (ARO) which houses NOAA/ESRL's Clean Air Facility.

In order to preserve the life of the camera, it is tilted down toward the snow when the sun is in the field of view, which occurs for several weeks around sunset (March) and sunrise (September) when the sun marches in a circle above the horizon. From mid-April until mid-August the moon and the aurora australis provide the only natural lighting. The camera is shut off from about mid April to early September.

View of the ARO looking from the signs on the path to the South Pole station.

Most Recent Image (Image time is in UTC)

This image is reduced in size from the original. Click on the image to view full size photo.