Week 51 at the Pole

Group of a dozen or so people walking or running in a race on the ice at the South Pole.
Tim Lynch, NSF

A lot happened at the Pole last week, even though there aren’t a lot of pictures to show for it. First of all, IceCube winterover Celas returned after a short necessary trip to McMurdo Station, much to the delight of IceCube winterover Moreno, who had been holding down the fort on his own in the meantime. Also, the second South Pole traverse of the season, SPOT2, arrived. Finally, there was a multitude of Christmas and holiday celebrations, including a fine meal, presents, and a variety show. Below are Moreno and Celas goofing around with some of the presents they opened. Last week, Moreno participated in the annual Race Around the World, shown in image above.

Close-up of two people posing as dentist and patient, one wearing surgical mask and holding flashlight and another tool while peering into the other’s open mouth.
Wenceslas Marie-Sainte, IceCube/NSF