Ernst Krenkel Observatory
Former Soviet rocket launch site on Heiss Island, Franz Josef Land
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Ernst Krenkel Observatory (Russian: Обсерватория имени Эрнста Кренкеля), also known as Kheysa, is a research station, a former Soviet rocket launching site and current meteorological station located on Heiss Island, Franz Josef Land.[1][2] It is named after a famous Arctic explorer Ernst Krenkel, a member of the crew of the North Pole-1 drift ice station and other notable Soviet polar expeditions.[2] It is the northernmost meteorological station in Russia.[3]
History
The observatory was initially located in Tikhaya Bay on Hooker Island, but it was moved and re-established on Heiss Island in 1957 to take more representative measurements. The new observatory was built by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, and it was originally named Druzhnaya (Russian: Дружная).[4] That year, it began launching MR-12 rockets, and the location was also used to take geomagnetic measurements in the high Arctic.[2] In 1958, atmospheric and ozone observations began as well.[4]
About 40 buildings were built on the site, with the observatory being 22 metres (72 ft) above sea level.[2][3] In 1972, the observatory was renamed after Krenkel.[4]
Launches primarily ceased after 1990, though one was performed in 2007 and another two in 2008.[1] The station was closed in 2001 due to a fire,[4] and in 2004, a new meteorological station was built. In 2018, renovations on the abandoned buildings began so that the Russian Arctic National Park service could station people there.[2] Another research station moved into the existing buildings around 2021.[5] In 2024, a new satellite communication system was installed at the site.[6]
Climate
| Climate data for Ernst Krenkel Observatory, Heiss Island | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 1.9 (35.4) |
0.1 (32.2) |
1.6 (34.9) |
0.7 (33.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
3.8 (38.8) |
1.6 (34.9) |
1.7 (35.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
1.6 (34.9) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−10.7 (12.7) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.1 (−4.2) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−20.6 (−5.1) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −23.3 (−9.9) |
−23.6 (−10.5) |
−23.8 (−10.8) |
−19.2 (−2.6) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
−21.4 (−6.5) |
−12.8 (8.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.1 (−43.8) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−43.5 (−46.3) |
−39.6 (−39.3) |
−27.7 (−17.9) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−23.2 (−9.8) |
−32.3 (−26.1) |
−39.5 (−39.1) |
−41.5 (−42.7) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 24.9 (0.98) |
26.1 (1.03) |
21.6 (0.85) |
17.6 (0.69) |
12.4 (0.49) |
11.7 (0.46) |
16.7 (0.66) |
21.6 (0.85) |
27.5 (1.08) |
17.9 (0.70) |
20.0 (0.79) |
27.8 (1.09) |
245.8 (9.67) |
| Average rainy days | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0.1 | 0 | 36 |
| Average snowy days | 21 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 14 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 230 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 82 | 82 | 80 | 81 | 85 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 85 |
| Source: pogodaiklimat.ru[7] | |||||||||||||