Picture of the Week: Antarctiluna

As red as that is, that (of course) is not Mars but our beloved Luna, seen over Antarctica.

Antarctica and the Moon have fates that are intertwined in this era (as Modest Mouse have illustrated), as both are frontiers and similarily hostile environments. Antarctica has become known as "the closest place to Mars", and as a result, has become a testing ground for habitats for Lunar and Martian colonization.

Within 20-50 years (when I'll be 44-74), the population of humans on the Moon could well exceed that of those on Antarctica, which is an odd thought.

Fly Me to...Antarctica?

In order to begin testing potential habitats for a moon colony, NASA is sending a prototype inflatable habitat into an extreme region of Antarctica.

Cozy, eh? It's 384 square feet (larger than my own previous apartment...), heated, and powered, despite looking like a "backyard bounce house for children", as the press release (linked above) puts it.

Hmmm...