Why investigate space weather from SANAE?
The particles and radiation emitted by the sun are channeled by the earth’s magnetic field to concentrate above the poles (north and south). We can therefore observe phenomena in the Antarctic that would be impossible to record from elsewhere in the world. Also, just as one would walk around a statue to observe it from all sides, it is important to observe these phenomena from as many viewpoints as possible. SANAE provides a platform for just such another viewpoint – this is why SANAE data are of value in the international scientific community. The Antarctic also offers a clean environment – there is virtually no pollution, and there are few unnecessary electromagnetic (or radio) waves that could interfere with the observations.
