Photo: Aurora Australis over Concordia research station in Antarctica

The French-Italian Concordia station’s programme of research includes glaciology, human biology and the atmosphere. ESA uses the base to prepare for future long-duration missions beyond Earth. During the winter, Concordia is under almost total darkness, with an average temperature of -51*C and a record low of -85*C. It is an ideal place to study the effects on small, multicultural teams isolated for long periods in an extreme, hostile environment. Auroras occur frequently over both the North and South polar regions, but are often difficult to see from populated areas Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA – E. Macdonald-Nethercott