Week 38 at the Pole

Friday, October 4, 2019 - 11:30am

Sun bright and low on horizon.
Benjamin Eberhardt, IceCube/NSF

It’s time for sunglasses now at the South Pole—the sun has definitely made its presence clear.  And it’s here to stay, or rather for a good long while anyway.  The image above shows some of the first direct sun rays above the horizon this season, as seen from the roof of the South Pole station.  A few days earlier, there was a full moon, the last one that the South Pole will see for months.  IceCube winterover Benjamin spent some time last week at the ICL capturing panoramic photos.  The top one from the roof shows the full moon and the sun, both low in the sky.  The bottom one was taken from the outside stairs and is focused on a giant snow drift.

Panorama of South Pole horizon, with moon at left and sun at right, both low in the sky.
Benjamin Eberhardt, IceCube/NSF

Panoramic view from the IceCube Lab focused on a giant snow drift.
Benjamin Eberhardt, IceCube/NSF