Week 30 at the Pole

Friday, August 2, 2013 - 5:30am

Celebrating Christmas in July with a homemade tree.
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF

Since December is a summer month in the Southern Hemisphere, many countries like Australia and New Zealand hold Christmas in July events in order to have a Christmas with a wintry feel. They were celebrating Christmas in July at the Pole last week, but of course their climate is always wintry so maybe it was just an excuse to bake some sweet treats. They made cutout cookies with IceCube designs and a dessert, bibingka, traditionally eaten in the Philipines at Christmas time. Clear skies yielded some great photos of auroras (bottom two), first of winterovers Felipe and Blaise with the IceCube Lab in the background, then of the South Pole Telescope.

Made cutout cookies with Icecube design.
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF

Bibingka, which is a Philippine desert traditionally eaten at Christmas time
B. Kuo Tiong, Icecube/NSF

Two winterovers standing with the Icecube lab behind them.
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF

The South Pole telescope with auroras in the background.
F. Pedreros, Icecube/NSF