Resolute Bay Observatory (or Polar Cap Observatory)

Canada / Nunavut / Oqsuqtooq /
 observatory, science
This is an observatory which observes the atmosphere into the mesosphere (the lower part of outer space) electronically using vertically-pointing antenna arrays which act as radars. The antennas are almost invisible in this picture, but bumps on the ground show anchoring points for ends of the antennas or locations for other equipment.

The observatory is located here because this area is close to the north magnetic pole. Solar flares, cosmic rays, and other electrical phenomena in space are studied using data obtained here.

The web site for this observatory is at isr.sri.com/iono/epco/epco.html
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolute_Bay
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   74°43'44"N   94°54'18"W
This article was last modified 13 years ago