Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in Antarctic polynias are observed with NOAA-7 imagery. The study demonstrates the possibility of separating open water areas from clouds and ice with Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) channels 1, 3, 4 and 5 accurately enough for surface-temperature retrievals. Measurements from subsequent overpasses at different viewing angles agree with each other within the theoretically derived error bounds of 0.5 to 1 deg K. It is shown that even the cold Antarctic atmosphere requires a correction to the 11 μm satellite measurements to obtain adequate SST measurements.