Week 11 at the Pole

Friday, April 1, 2016 - 9:30am

sun halo at sunset at the South Pole
Christian Krueger, IceCube/NSF

With so little time left above the horizon, the sun is making a nice spectacle of itself at the South Pole.  Here we see it bright and orange and surrounded by a clear halo as it hovers above the satellite stations.  Following is a view of the South Pole station during this twilight period.  The photos don’t tell, but it was a bit windier than usual, making it even less pleasant for outdoor photography.  Inside, station life was quiet.  A power supply investigation revealed a burst capacitor, the striking appearance of whose innards was much “appreciated” (as they put it) by the onlookers.

South Pole station at twilight
Christian Krueger, IceCube/NSF

burst capacitor on power supply
Christian Krueger, IceCube/NSF