![pole posing](https://icecube.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/news_attachment.file_.bd8357f858f54713.706f6c655f706f73696e672e6a7067.jpg)
In summer at the South Pole, the traditional place for photo ops is the ceremonial Pole, where a mirrored sphere is mounted on a post and surrounded by a semicircular lineup of flags. But in the dark of winter, any place is as good as another as long as you have a nice aurora as backdrop. Here is IceCube winterover Christian standing alongside station physician Hamish at the geographic South Pole, flanked by the US flag and the South Pole sign, with a bright enormous aurora bursting above them. They also captured a long exposure shot of the stars directly overhead, forming sharp concentric star trails. Lighting of a different sort gave the back of the station a particularly devilish appearance, bathed in red by exterior lights at Destination Zulu.
![star trails](https://icecube.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/news_attachment.file_.bba6370535b87f31.706f6c655f747261696c73322e6a7067.jpg)
![Dest Zulu](https://icecube.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/news_attachment.file_.87522729a2e15c01.646573745f7a756c752e6a7067.jpg)