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http://GigapanMagazine.org vol 1 issue 2
Here is a panorama of the Amundsen Scott South Pole Station on the evening of December 31, 2008. The snowy landscape around the Pole is fairly quiet, as almost everyone is getting ready for the New Year’s Eve party in the gymnasium of the elevated station. We have not yet taken apart our Christmas tree, and the 2008 Pole marker remains in the snow where it was placed on January 1 of last year. Tomorrow during a 1pm ceremony, the Geographic Pole marker will change to its 2009 version, which was designed and made by the 2008 overwinter crew. The new marker will be set onto a post in a new hole in the ice that is located about 30 feet closer to the Dome. The American Flag and the sign with its brief written accounts of Amundsen's and Scott's arrival at the Pole will move along with it. The South Pole Station is situated on top of the largest sheet of ice on Planet Earth. The elevated station, the Dome, and everything else that you see here drift a little bit toward grid northwest each day. Once each year the location of the Geographic Pole is officially corrected to place it once again over the axis of rotation of the planet. In 2008, we use GPS to confirm the location of the Pole. All of this constant, predictable glacial motion and the annual marker movement create an interesting pastime for the crew and visitors to the station, especially for the folks who brought their own GPS’s to the Pole. In the summer of 1911-12, Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott had a much more difficult time confirming that they and their parties had in fact arrived at 90 degrees south latitude. On the left of the image you see the ice-carving efforts of some of the station crew. They have been working on these giant blocks for several weeks, and their art will be judged on January 4. The ambient temperature, which has now risen to approach 0 degrees Fahrenheit, makes ice carving a comfortable exercise, as long as the wind is fairly calm. It looks like they had some great ideas and that they have been busy at their task. Which carving would earn your vote? The 30 images of this panorama were photographed with a Nikon D 80 and stitched with Autopano Pro. Please enjoy The South Pole on New Year's Eve 2008. |
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This is a panorama of our Haft-sin table captured some minutes before the beginning of the new solar year (1388).
You may like to watch the president's (Obama) message to the Iranian people about Nowruz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY_utC-hrjI _________________________________________________________________ Haft Sîn (Persian: هفت سین) or the seven 'S's is a major tradition of Nowruz, the traditional Iranian new year. Today the haft sin table includes seven specific items, all starting with the letter S or Sîn (س in the Persian alphabet). The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals protecting them. Originally called Haft Chin (هفت چین), the Haft Sin has evolved over time, but has kept its symbolism. Traditionally, families attempt to set as beautiful a Haft Sîn table as they can, as it is not only of traditional and spiritual value, but also noticed by visitors during Nowruzi visitations and is a reflection of their good taste. The Haft Sin items are: 1. sabzeh(سبزه) - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth 2. samanu (سمنو)- a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence 3. senjed (سنجد)- the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love 4. sîr (سیر)- garlic - symbolizing medicine 5. sîb (سیب)- apples - symbolizing beauty and health 6. somaq (سماق)- sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise 7. serkeh (سرکه)- vinegar - symbolizing age and patience ... (( More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haft_sin_table )) |
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In this Gigapan you see people has come out of their homes for shopping. This is the day before the new year in Iran and people are very happy. The cars were almost unable to move in Sattar Khan St, because people are almost everywhere.
Nowrūz (Persian: نوروز /noʊruz/ ↔ [noʊɾuːz]; Kurdish: نهورۆز; with various local pronunciations and spellings, meaning 'New Day') is the traditional Iranian new year holiday celebrated by Iranian people and initiated in Ancient Iran. Apart from Iran, the holiday is celebrated in many other parts of the world (specifically countries or regions that belonged to the Greater Iran such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iraqi Kurdistan, and the Kurdish southeast of Turkey) including parts of West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Northwestern China, the Caucasus, the Crimea, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and the Republic of Macedonia. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the Iranian year. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (the start of spring in the northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. As well as being a Zoroastrian holiday and having significance amongst the Zoroastrian ancestors of modern Iranian, it is also a holy day for Alawites, Alevis, Nizari Ismaili Muslims and adherents of the Bahá'í Faith. (( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz )) |
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Harbin International Snow and Ice Festival 2008 China. In North East China (Heilongjiang Province).
In the background can be seen an international Snow Carving competition attended by such countries as Britain, Argentina, Canada, Spain, Japan, Russia... |
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2009 new year's activities in front of the presidential building. |