Week 22 at the Pole

Multicolored auroras fanning out across sky above IceCube Lab, in full shadow.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF

To really enjoy auroras, you want a nice dark sky. And in winter, the South Pole enjoys very dark skies (also great for stargazing). Last week, aurora-viewing conditions were favorable, and the Pole was treated to a variety of displays, including some with a mix of colors and others where big green auroras dominated. But then, competition arrived—the moon. A very bright moon at that. In the last few photos, it almost appears as if a klieg light were set up for a nighttime film shoot.

Multicolored auroras fanning out across sky above IceCube Lab, shown almost from side, in full shadow.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF
Large, bright green auroras across sky above South Pole Telescope, and reflected on surface ice, too.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF
Green aurora formed like a large comma in the sky.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF
Bright moon peaking from behind exhaust cloud, with some swirly green auroras in the sky.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF
Person in shadow in the distance, with arms raised and standing on snowdrifted shipping container, under bright moon, a few wispy green auroras overhead.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/NSF
IceCube Lab under dark but clear winter sky, strongly lit by a bright moon.
Ilya Bodo, IceCube/