Week 31 at the Pole

Brightgreenaurorawithperson
Yuya Makino, IceCube/NSF

The sky was the center of attention at the Pole last week—and for a number of reasons. Sure, there were auroras, stunning as always. But there was also a moon bright enough to be confused with a sunset, as seen in the image below of the flag line out to the IceCube Lab. And then there were the stars, a multitude filling the sky, as seen in the bottom image of the Milky Way stretching overhead at the Atmospheric Research Observatory (ARO). With the moon having gone below the horizon, the lingering light seen in the last image means the sun is on its way, and astronomical twilight has begun. It is the beginning of the end of their long night at the Pole.

Brightmoonlikesunset
Yuya Makino, IceCube/NSF
MilkyWayoverARO
Yuya Makino, IceCube/NSF