This group is all smiles, so it looks like they survived their 14-hour journey following Frodo and Sam from the Shire to Mount Doom. Well, “follow” in this case means doing cardio for the duration of the movies’ combined run times. This was their “Walk to Mordor,” which was preceded a while back by a […]
The window of good weather that IceCube’s winterovers were waiting for arrived, so last week saw the installation of the IceAct telescope. Half a dozen station members came out to assist the winterovers in the operation. There’s lots of helping out at the South Pole, especially with the small crew during the winter. They still […]
You may have seen one midwinter at the Pole, but that doesn’t mean you’ve seen them all. Although it’s an annual tradition, each year’s crew puts their individual spin on this celebratory event, whether in the details of the formal table settings (notice fresh flowers from the greenhouse) or in the planned activities that follow […]
That’s the IceCube Lab after dark, showing off its form as it’s backlit by red lights and standing under a multitude of stars overhead. The IceCube Lab—or ICL, as it’s called—is the building that houses all the computers collecting raw data from the detector. The silos on either side are where the cables come up […]
The photos from last week are all indoor shots, but clearly auroras aren’t the only source of color at the Pole. Last week the station celebrated a New Orleans–themed cocktail party, hosted by the SPT and BICEP winterovers. Décor and dress code were in the spirit of Mardi Gras (colorful), and all attendees enjoyed an […]
The moon from the previous week is long gone—with the darker skies, the stars and auroras get to take center stage. At the Pole last week, IceCube winterovers remained busy testing and verifying components of the new IceAct telescope. Connor also visited MAPO to help out the BICEP winterovers, and took the opportunity to photograph […]
The moon returned to the Pole last week, and bright enough so that they could temporarily remove some window covers (something to get excited about in the dark winter months). The “moon” theme continued with a special video call last week featuring Fred Haise, NASA astronaut. He described his career both before and after the […]
With record-breaking winds last week, the South Pole station spent a few days in lockdown mode, restricting off-station travel to critical operations only. Staying indoors might put a halt to outdoor photography plans, but it doesn’t hamper fun activities held indoors. Last week, the station had a burger bar (that’s IceCube winterover Kalvin, above, whipping […]
There they are—those big, expansive, colorful auroras that seem to fill the sky! The highlight for last week at the Pole might have been the auroras, but it’s worth noting that capturing these lovely photographs required braving really cold temperatures and high winds. Still, auroras alone might be enough motivation for some folks to venture […]
A very large moon halo dominated the sky, here seen above the South Pole Telescope when conditions were just right last week. IceCube’s winterovers were busy as usual last week, and a few of their activities took them outside. With clear weather, they were able to enjoy views of auroras (no photos though) in addition […]