A magnet for extraterrestrials: Who searches for meteorites in Antarctica and how they do it.

WHAT THE ICE HIDES

Did you know that Antarctica is often referred to as a magnet for meteorites? While this isn't entirely accurate (meteorites can fall with equal likelihood almost anywhere on Earth), they are indeed found here in greater numbers. The reason is that "aliens from space" that land in Antarctica are well-protected. They are sheltered by ice, which securely holds them in place. Then, over time, as the wind erodes layers of ice or glaciers move, exposing them, the meteorites come to light. Participants of the Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition learned about all these mechanisms at the Indian Antarctic station Maitri.

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

- The station was established in 1983 and named after one of the names of Buddha; a road marked with barrels in the colors of the Indian flag leads to it, - says our special correspondent in Antarctica, Evgeny Sazonov, who records diaries of the Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition for the listeners of Radio "Komsomolskaya Pravda." - The station is staffed by glaciologists (scientists who study ice), meteorologists, biologists, astronomers (a new large telescope has been installed at the station), and... teams of real meteorite hunters. They are easier to find in Antarctica because they stand out against the vast white landscapes. By the way, the Indian specialists have already discovered around 60 meteorites of various calibers since they began working in this location.

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Russian specialists assisted in constructing the Indian station.

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

In addition to other research, Indian scientists are actively studying lakes in Antarctica, with the station located right next to one of them.

- Americans are also studying the lakes of the Shirmakher oasis - they bring drones, entire underwater devices, both habitable and uninhabitable. They lift samples from the bottom for soil analysis. They say this soil somewhat resembles Martian soil in composition. Well, whether that's true or not is hard to say, as the Americans keep such research secret, - says Evgeny Sazonov.

Nevertheless, in Antarctica, it is customary to help one another due to the harsh conditions. Tragedies do occur: many years ago, a camp of glaciologists was set up under the glacier they were studying. One day, a mass the size of a 16-story building engulfed the scientists, completely destroying their camp.

- This led to discussions about burial traditions. If, for example, a Russian polar explorer dies, he is either buried on Buromski Island or sent home. Other countries always send the bodies of the deceased back home. Only, perhaps, the Indians first conduct cremation right in Antarctica and then send the ashes back home, - reports our special correspondent from the southern end of the Earth.

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Evening research in the company cabin.

Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

HAZARDS

For the first time in history, school and college students from the capital are participating in such a distant journey. Let's recall that the Moscow Youth Antarctic Expedition was organized by the Department of Education and Science of Moscow and the Center for Additional Education "Laboratory of Travels," with partners including the Movement of the First and the airline "Volga-Dnepr." The schoolchildren's trip to Antarctica is not just for adventure – they are collecting data for leading universities in Moscow and Russia. Moreover, for the first time, they are maintaining regular communication with scientists who guide them on how to properly collect samples and which specimens will be of interest to science.

Some samples require participants to embark on truly dangerous excursions. Recently, for example, the expedition members had to navigate through a narrow gap in a shelf glacier:

- It was billions of tons of ice stretching to the horizon. To collect samples from this ice, we had to venture deep into it. I have always feared getting stuck in a narrow passage in some cave. And we squeezed through such a narrow gap that, to me, it seemed even a cat couldn't get through. And I got stuck in that gap for several terrifying minutes until I was pulled out by everyone's efforts, - recalled Evgeny Sazonov one of the most horrifying moments.

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Photo: Evgeny SAZONOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

The expedition members have already had to climb sideways on the ice, using alpine "crampons" – special metal spikes attached to their boots. Descending to the Shirmakher oasis on an icy path right on their backsides, like children on a slide. And making their way to the Maitri Antarctic station through such impenetrable mud (during the short Antarctic summer, the snow melts quickly) that even an all-terrain vehicle got stuck in it.

But now the main concern is surviving the night with fierce winds. If previously the wind was blowing at a speed of about 20 meters per second – strong enough to step out of the tent, stretch out your arms, and "lie down" on the airflow – today, gusts have already reached 27 meters per second.

- The walls of our tents are shaking; we have reinforced them with about fifty long self-tapping screws screwed into the ice. However, tonight meteorologists predict gusts of wind up to 35 meters per second, while our tents are designed for only 30, - states Evgeny Sazonov. - They probably won't whisk us away, but the tent poles might not hold, and then the tents could collapse, covering us. We have a plan B: in case of an emergency, we can move to a large, well-fortified tent at the airfield where we landed. The tent was left over from the Antarctic marathon competitions. But we still want to live and work in our home. How we survive this night, what will happen, whether the tents will hold up, I will tell you all about this in our next issue.