Have we mentioned that the ICL (IceCube Lab) is a rather photogenic building? I think we have, recently, and also that the sun sets only once a year at the South Pole. This once-a-year sunset is a slow one, and although the sun has now officially set, there was still enough residual light last week to get a nice shot of the ICL—in shadow with a clear, colorful sky behind it. Each year, once the sun goes down, indoor window coverings go up throughout the station. They’re installed to limit light pollution for the light-sensitive experiments at the Pole. The windows along the station’s galley wall, below, are adorned mostly with sunny or tropical images on their covers. These warm weather reminders might strike an even stronger chord later on, as the South Pole digs deeper into winter.
