Word-of-the-day: yukimarimo. New for some, while others may already be familiar with this uncommon word, which refers to tiny, lightweight snowball-tumbleweeds of the Antarctic. IceCube winterover John got down to the level of the yukimarimo to photograph it head-on, lit in red from his headlamp with the moon shining brightly in the background. Last week at the Pole saw the opening ceremonies and beginning events of the “Polympics,” one of the South Pole station’s newer traditions, including a 400-meter dash, ECW (extreme cold weather) high jump, weightlifting, and an 8-ball tournament. The auroras were outside competing against the Milky Way.
