Week 39 at the Pole

The sun just starting to peek above the horizon, brightening the sky above it in shades of yellow and orange.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF

There it is! The sun, that is—a thin sliver on the horizon, but orange and bright and lighting up the sky above it. It’s of course a welcome sight after a long polar night. (Ok, there won’t be auroras for a while, but we can handle that.) Last week kept IceCube’s winterovers busy with one troubleshooting task or another. Outside, golf was on the agenda! A group of folks planned a six-hole golf tournament, enjoyed in the newfound daylight, very cold temperatures notwithstanding. Indoors, the artificial lights in the greenhouse have been working wonders on the pepper plants.

A group in parkas playing golf at the ceremonial South Pole.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF
Close-up on pepper plants flourishing in the greenhouse.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF