Remotely sensing the physical and chemical properties of summertime aerosol at the Antarctic coastal station Neumayer has been accomplished for the first time by a combined analysis of atmospheric thermal emission spectra, measured by an FTIR spectrometer, and atmospheric visible-near infrared extinction spectra, measured by a sun photometer. From the synergy of both spectral ranges, we find that the aerosol is composed of 1.1--1.6 mg m-2 of sulfates, with the water component in the solid phase, having a bimodal size distribution with radii peaking at 0.04 and 0.64 ¿m. We also provide the first estimate of the direct thermal radiative forcing of this aerosol: +1.68 W m-2 at the surface, and +0.006 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere.