Week 21 at the Pole

Streak of bright green aurora stretching up almost vertically in dark sky.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF

Last week at the Pole, the winterovers enjoyed some incredible auroras. And we were reminded that auroras are not always so easy to capture in photos. Ahh…but to be there in person is a treat. The panoramic view in the bottom image stretches from the IceCube Lab on the left to the South Pole station on the distant right. Last week was busy with plenty of indoor activities. There was a clean-up task in the operations area, with cookies as a post-clean-up bonus. Then the station reviewed proposals and voted on the design for the next South Pole marker (winner to remain a secret until January 1). Finally, they held a station-wide science fair, learning about historical temperature trends that point out the likelihood of hitting –100 °F this year as well as fun South Pole food facts, including a sourdough starter raised at the station.

Several people working in warehouse/garage.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF
People milling about a group of tables at science fair.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF
Panoramic view of faint auroras at South Pole, IceCube Lab to the left and South Pole station to distant right.
Camille Parisel, IceCube/NSF