Last week was quiet for the IceCube detector but not so quiet for the South Pole station—lots of activity going on there. The third and final South Pole traverse of the season, SPOT 3, arrived with its long load of fuel bladders, shown above and below, under a sun halo. SPOT3 was there just long enough to unload its cargo and head back out on its return trip. Summer season is ending not just at the South Pole station but at other Antarctic stations as well, and some of those flights stop at the Pole to refuel during their long trips. A plane is shown parked below with the South Pole satellite domes in the background. IceCube winterover Moreno got his turn at touring the South Pole tunnels, after Celas had already done so a few weeks back. And there was also a trip back out to the End of the World—check out the bottom two images, which show the wall up close and as it appears in the distance.
