One of my favorite aspects of Antarctic voyages is the creative artwork people produce during our time at sea. On board the RSV Nuyina, our crew and expedition team have a talented group of artists. A tradition on many voyages is creating artwork for a commemorative patch or T-shirt. During my first Antarctic voyage, I designed the voyage patch, while my friend Alison created an impressive T-shirt design.
For the Denman Marine Science campaign, our engineering team embarked on the Nuyina for a four-day round trip to Burnie to refuel. With a tight turnaround after the vessel’s return from its previous voyage, we chose to get on board early to set up the science systems, ensuring we could troubleshoot any hardware or electronic issues before heading 3000km into the remote ocean. Thanks to solid planning and preparation, we enjoyed an unexpected lull during the transit to the Denman Glacier, with nearly a week of relatively quiet time. To stay engaged, a few of us used the opportunity to brush up on our JavaScript skills by creating some marine science-themed games for the ship’s intranet.
Nestled in the picturesque Huon Valley of Southern Tasmania, I’m privileged to witness breathtaking night skies, untainted by excessive light pollution. Moreover, my location at 42 degrees South affords me semi-regular glimpses of spectacular auroral displays. Seizing the opportunity to capture these celestial wonders, I embarked on building an Allsky camera in November 2023. If the camera is operational, it is available at https://allsky.rigby.systems/allsky/
As I embark on lengthy voyages at sea, the familiar comforts of gaming have become a cherished escape from the vast expanse of ocean. Especially after a long 12 hour shift. But for years, my trusty work laptop’s outdated hardware limited me to retro classics like Counter-Strike and Age of Empires II. Recently, I seized the opportunity to upgrade my desktop computer after a decade of faithful service, and a bold idea began to take shape: repurposing the old parts into a portable, rugged “pelican case” PC - a cyberdeck capable of bringing modern gaming to the high seas.
As part of my work with the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), I’ve been developing control software for the Nuyina Underwater Towed Termination System (NUTTS). Designed by the Polar Tech Design Team, NUTTS is a system that enables the operation of deep-sea science equipment. The system features four Electro-Optical-Mechanical (EOM) cables and supporting equipment, which provide power and interface capabilities for a range of deep-sea science platforms.
Each system operates on a dedicated Linux computer, which can be accessed and controlled through a KVM switch. This setup allows us to display the desktop interface of any system on multiple monitors throughout the Science Operations room on the Nuyina. To visually differentiate between the identical systems, we utilize custom desktop backgrounds. Initially, we used simple solid colors with text labels, but during my downtime at sea, I created had a bit of fun designing backgrounds using Inkscape, adding a touch of personality to our monitoring setup.
On May 12, 2024, Tasmania was treated to a stunning aurora display. Luckily, my all-sky camera at Huon Bush Retreats captured the spectacle in this breathtaking timelapse video:
I also captured another unique aurora timelapse in August 2024, using a camera without an IR filter. This allowed it to record both visible and near-infrared light, resulting in a distinctive and captivating footage:
