Astrolabe Island facts for kids

Astrolabe Island from northwest, with the Dragons Teeth on the left, and Drumohar Peak and Rogach Peak dominating the island.

Astrolabe Island (#15) in relation to Antarctica and other peninsula islands

Astrolabe Island, located at 63°17′S 58°40′W, is an island 5 km (3 mi) long, lying in the Bransfield Strait 23 km (14 mi) northwest of Cape Ducorps, Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. It was discovered by the French expedition, 1837–40, under Captain Jules Dumont d'Urville, and named by him for his chief expedition ship, the Astrolabe. The island was photographed from the air and triangulated by FIDASE, 1956–57.

Geology

Astrolabe Island is predominantly volcanic rocks, with coarse grained mafic dolerite making up most of the landing site on the east end. The steep pyramid peaks, called the Dragons Teeth, may be the vents of an old volcanic complex, probably related to the Shetland subduction zone to the north.