Katherine Marrinan
May 23, 2014
Earth Science C/Even
Current Event

The Coldest Place on Earth 

Citation: "Service Interruption." Landsat 8 Helps Unveil the Coldest Place on Earth. N.p., 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 22 May 2014.http://nsidc.org/news/newsroom/2013_ColdestPlace_PR.html

For my current event this month, I read about a satellite launched by NASA using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer measuring temperatures over Eastern Antarctica. There were many interesting things about this article to read about. An aspect that was very well presented was one of the satellite images from the satellite that sent from NASA, called the Landsat 8. This image is located towards the bottom of the article. This image really impressed me because it was very clear to look at. It also had a key of what each type of marking on the image meant. For example, the description underneath the image stated that the red dots represented the record-breaking temperatures on the surface. It also shows the dates of when some of the temperatures were recorded. Another part of the article that was well presented was the explanation of the Landsat 8 satellite. This was very interesting to learn about because it was launched to go near Antarctica. It was fascinating to learn about how it could record the temperatures, and to learn that Antarctica was one of the coldest places on earth, having temperatures dropping to -137 degrees Fahrenheit. From this satellite, we learn that NASA has amazing technology to measure freezing cold temperatures in certain regions. And a final aspect of the article that impressed me was how they put the article into many different paragraphs, and not like 2 to 3 long and lengthy paragraphs. This made it interesting and much more easier to read. 

Two things that I learned and that was new to me was the temperatures that were recorded in Antarctica. I was not expecting the temperatures to go that low, and that those low temperatures are extremely dangerous to breathe in, that they could cause one's throat to freeze. The other part that was new to me was how the satellite was in the sky since 2003 above Antarctica, making some amazing observations, like deep hollows in the ice that affects the way the cold winds blow. 

I think one thing that could have made this article better was including a little bit more detail in what happens in Antarctica. Like are there any forms of life in the hollows in the eastern part of Antarctica? 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this article because I learned new things about Antarctica and about a new satellite from NASA!