The Mount Everest webcam is a camera located on Kala Patthar, a mountain in the Nepalese Himalaya, at an altitude of 5,675 metres (18,619 ft). The webcam captures video footage of the summit of Mount Everest[1] and is the highest webcam in the world.[1] It was installed by Italian scientists as part of the Everest Share 2011 research project by the Nepalese Ev-K2-CNR team,[2] which is intended to gather information regarding climate change by working together with the Everest weather station.
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The camera is an M12-type model made by the German-based company Mobotix.[2] It is powered by solar cells and operates from 6am to 6pm local time[1] (UTC +5:45). It is capable of operating at temperatures as low as −30 °C (−22 °F) and broadcasts its live high definition video worldwide via the internet.[2][3] It is expected to work in conjunction with the Everest weather station – located at an altitude of 8,000 m (26,250 ft) on Mount Everest – to provide scientists with details regarding climate change.[3]
The captured video is transmitted wirelessly to the Ev-K2-CNR Pyramid Laboratory/Observatory, located on the slopes of Mount Everest at an altitude of 5,050 m (16,568 ft). The live video is analyzed in the observatory, then sent to Italy for further processing.[2]
Kala Patthar was chosen as the location for the webcam because of its excellent view of the summit of Mount Everest, including both the north and south-west faces as well as the west ridge.[2]
As of May 17, 2011[4], it is the highest webcam in the world.[1] When installed, it surpassed the previous record holder, a base camp at Mount Aconcagua, Argentina, at an altitude of 4,389 m (14,400 ft).[3][5]