Extremely energetic charged particles called cosmic rays are accelerated by violent cosmic objects before raining down on Earth from all directions. Protons and heavier nuclei make up these cosmic rays, which can then collide with other particles in the atmosphere to produce secondary particles that cascade into so-called “air showers.” For more than a century, […]
Last week at the Pole there was a mix of activities. First up was a short visit from a small group of NSF personnel and Congressional staffers. They arrived on a small plane and spent several hours at the Pole—with a tour of the B2 science lab, several presentations, and some outdoor photo ops—before heading […]
It was on the quiet side last week at the Pole. Weather and other delays kept incoming flights to a minimum. Only one LC-130 flight arrived last week, and unfortunately it was not carrying any IceCube cargo, which added to the quietness of the week for IceCube’s summer staff currently at the Pole. Still, there’s […]
It’s almost the new year, which means it’s time for the 2025 IceCube Calendar! Featuring breathtaking photos taken by our winterovers from the past few years, this calendar will teach you something new about the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the South Pole every month. The calendar is available to download in three different sizes in either […]
Business as usual for the start of summer at the South Pole. IceCube’s winterovers had plenty of maintenance operations, including software upgrades, to keep them busy. There were more comings and goings last week at the Pole, with people bidding each other welcome and farewell out on the ice. Indoors, excitement came in the form […]
Summer season at the Pole starts out slowly, with the first small plane to arrive bearing fruit but not many people, but then gains momentum with the arrival of the first LC-130, a larger aircraft able to transport more passengers and cargo. Last week at the Pole, the first LC-130 of the season showed up, […]
The time has come for our current winterovers, Connor and Kalvin, to pass the torch to the new winterovers that arrived at the South Pole in early November. As a winterover, individuals brave the unforgiving environment to spend a year—sometimes longer—at the South Pole, half of which is enveloped in complete darkness. Every year, two […]
Out with the old, in with the new. It’s that time of year again, when IceCube’s two incoming winterovers arrive at the Pole and overlap for a short period with the outgoing crew. Often they find an opportunity to take a nice “changing of the guard” photo, with all four winterovers together. IceCube’s newly arrived […]
They’re back! The planes, that is—and the people. It happens every year. Last week marked the arrival of the first Basler plane bringing passengers to the South Pole for the season. That makes the station officially open for summer. Fourteen people arrived to the Pole, bringing 200 pounds of fresh produce along with them, and […]
More incoming flights means more freshies! They get pretty excited at the Pole for almost any kind of fresh fruit or vegetable after going all winter without. Last week, in addition to the standard apples and oranges, the station was treated to pineapple, avocados, and garlic! Another activity that signals the start of summer season […]