Curious locals wonder what all the fuss is about.

Three hours before First Contact, groups of eclipse chasers begin setting up their equipment in anticipation of an event that has brought them to the bottom of the Earth and to the most unforgiving climate in the world.

Didier Raboud from the University of Geneva aligns his equipment.

In many ways, this eclipse was unique and it drew the attention of chasers around the world. In Iran, where astronomy has been practiced for thousands of years, the amateur community is made up of only a handful of enthusiasts. Babak A. Tafreshi and Hamid Khodashenas are the most dedicated of them, and were the only Iranians in the path of totality. Throughout the expedition, they sent daily reports back to Iran in an effort to raise awareness of astronomy in their home country.

With all his equipment working in the freezing cold, Babak A. Tafreshi enjoys a moment during the pre-eclipse jitters.

The expedition was rich with learning and first-hand experiences in the Antarctic. Expedition specialists gave lectures on history, geography and ornithology, and thanks to astronomy advisors Fred Espenak from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and John Parkinson from Sheffield Hallam University in England, passengers had the opportunity to learn from the world’s best.

Eclipse veteran Fred Espenak is known for producing stunning eclipse images. This was Fred’s 18th total eclipse.

Just before the eclipse began, I gave a live interview by Iridium satellite phone to Discovery Channel Canada for their live broadcast about the eclipse. Natasha Stillwell from ‘Daily Planet’ spoke to me about the conditions on the ice, our preparations for eclipse day, and about the people we had on board the ship. As the only Canadian eclipse chaser on the expedition, it was a real thrill to speak to my country about what we were experiencing.

eclipseguy’s 4am phone call with Discovery Channel from the bow of the Khlebnikov!