The secrets of Antarctica Its excavation did not happen as early as expected. Between the frozen seas and glaciers, people had to face the toughest conditions man has ever experienced.

However, these difficulties curiosity about nature and could not restrain his determination.

The discovery of Antarctica took place on January 28, 1820 under the leadership of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev.

We’re talking about a physical discovery, but… discovery of Antarctica, actually BC It dates back to the thoughts of Greek philosophers between 600 and 300 BC. The first physical contact occurred when the continent was sighted in 1820.

So why haven’t you been here before? my name couldn’t throw?

Throughout history, people have tried to reach the south, with the logic that the north pole should be symmetrical to the south pole.

European explorers continued to move south, exploring routes to southern Africa in the 15th century. But in the 17th century, the discovery of Australia turned everything upside down. Because with this discovery of the South Pole The thought that it was over also ended.

From the discovery of Australia in the 1820s, Russian, British and American sailors They began to explore the coast of Antarctica. Until the 1820s, there was no definitive knowledge of the existence of Antarctica.

Today, many countries have research stations on this continent.

in 1821 European and American explorers, they traveled around the continent and explored several ice islands in the region. The years 1838-1842 were a period when exploration activities gained momentum.

American Captain Charles Wilkes, of the Balany Islands He reached the Antarctic lands to the west and revealed that this was a continent, and he named this region “Wilkes Land”. Since this date, investigations have continued continuously and investigations are still ongoing.

So why was the discovery of the mysterious Antarctica postponed until the early 19th century?

A different planet than Earth While even the discovery of Uranus took place in the 18th century One can’t help but wonder. Was discovering a continent on Earth more difficult than discovering a planet?

No, it wasn’t. There were many reasons for this. The first reason was that the geographical features of the continent and extremely harsh climatic conditions made expeditions impossible. Dense ice capsThe dangerous sea conditions and extreme cold made expeditions extremely risky and challenging.

Furthermore, in those years, the inadequacy of travel technology was a factor that delayed discovery.

Although using a telescope was enough to explore Uranus, which is located in the depths of space, Antarctica was one of the most remote and rugged areas in the world. The fact that it was covered with snow and ice and the extremely cold climate were factors that made exploration work very difficult.

Moreover, the discovery of Uranus Suitable for use by astronomers and astronomers It became possible with the development of telescope technology. It was necessary to wait for the development of suitable technology and equipment and for progress in maritime transport for the exploration of Antarctica.

Naturally, the lack of interest in exploring the region also played a role.

As a continent without commercial value Antarctica, European explorers and did not attract much attention from his sailors. Therefore, the discovery of this continent was a lower priority than other geographical discoveries. All these reasons required that the discovery of the Antarctic continent had to wait until 1820.

This continent, which even today still keeps its mystery, scientific studies is also the center.

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