Week 14 at the Pole
Didn’t we say the sun had set already? We did. But that doesn’t mean the sky goes absolutely dark right away. It’s a slow sunset, with light lingering even after the sun has dipped below the horizon. The image above shows a great twilight shot of a clear sky with some color along the horizon and the IceCube Lab in the distance. Below is the South Pole station, where you can still see light from the windows (they’ll be covered up soon), and another image from below the station, showing that the building is elevated to reduce snow drifts accumulating against the structure. As winter settles in, the station personnel find routines to entertain themselves, including basketball, volleyball, and climbing. But what better activity when you’re stuck indoors than an 18,000-piece jigsaw puzzle? Hopefully we’ll get some photos as that endeavor progresses.
