Week 18 at the Pole

Friday, May 10, 2013 - 3:45pm

Could it be sushi?
B. Kuo Tiong, Icecube/NSF

What’s this? Almost looks like a sample from the sushi plate (yep, we’ve already confirmed they eat well at the Pole) fell off outside and rolled around in the snow.

Arctic style sushi...
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF

But no, it’s yukimarimo. You heard right—a real word for a real thing—tiny, lightweight tumbleweeds of the Antarctic. The orange is just the light from the photographer’s headlamp. The next photo also has some headlamp lighting, in this case writing out “300” with a long camera exposure. It was taken to commemorate the season’s first time reaching -100 °F, which meant some action for the 300 Club. The action is still in the skies, too, with the stars providing a great backdrop for auroras as well as the moon.

300 written out to commemorate it reaching -100˚F
B. Kuo Tiong, Icecubr/NSF

Auroras in the background of the station at the Pole
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF

Night sky with the sun setting on the Pole
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF