World's Highest Webcam

The world's highest webcam has been installed atop Mount Everest last September from the Everest expedition SHARE (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment)1. The webcam that changes at an average interval of 4 minutes and active only during daylight hours (6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Nepalese time, which corresponds to 8:15 AM to 8:15 PM Manila time), was installed at the Kala Patthar summit, 18,000 feet (5,600 meters) above sea level to monitor climate change in the Himalayan region that will collect data on the temperature, humidity, and precipitation on the mountaintop. The summit of Everest is at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level.

Image courtesy of Mobotix

Screen shot from the evk2cnr.org website

The German-made camera, an M12-type Mobotix is powered by a solar energy and can withstand temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 degrees celsius)2. The webcam is a project run by the Italian Scientific Committee, EVK2CNR (evk2cnr.org) in collaboration with Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and the Department of Hydrology Nepal. It is supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and the Italian National Research Council. Real-time image can be viewed at Everest Webcam (refresh your browser once linked).

References:

1 Our Amazing Planet, "World's Highest Webcam Installed Atop Mount Everest", http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/highest-webcam-mount-everest-2101/
2 Mobotix, "Mount Everest in Focus", 08 September 2011, http://www.mobotix.com/eng_US/Company/News/News-2011/Mount-Everest-in-Focus