Science: Polar Year

The polar dawn comes in March, sunset in September, noon in June. Last week it was mid-afternoon in the Arctic as all over the world meteorologists, astronomers and geophysicists traveled to work for the Second International Polar Year. Their most exciting assignment was to watch for the effects of the Sun's eclipse on Aug. 31. Then will follow a dull, methodical twelve months of measurements, computations and recordings.

In 1882-83 the First International Polar Year became an event when the northern nations set up a dozen meteorological and geophysical stations in the...

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