Now you see him, now you don’t! Winterover Martin had some fun taking photos at the ceremonial pole last week. Although it was still quite cold outside, the light was sufficient for a much faster a selfie.
With a near perfect uptime and very few detector issues, winterovers enjoyed a quiet week.
Winterovers have been waiting for the sun for many months and the growing anticipation was heightened this week when the temperature reached a frigid -104◦F.
It was a relatively quiet week at the Pole, with most of the action outside. IceCube winterover Martin captured a nice shot of the moon, with halo and moon dogs, over the Dark Sector. You can discern a faint glow along the horizon of an impending sunrise.
No, not yet—that’s the moon, not the sun. But so bright, one would be forgiven for mistaking it for the sun. Not only is this full moon bright, but it’s sporting a nice clear halo, too, providing an excellent backdrop for a shot of the IceCube Lab.
A fairly laid back week, all things considered. The moon was rising, and IceCube winterover Martin focused his camera outside on some snowed-in heavy machinery. Looks like quite a covering for a place that hardly sees any snowfall.
Last week at the Pole, life for the IceCube winterovers was bookended by a very busy beginning and a fun and lighthearted ending. For the first few days, they had to contend with some detector issues arising from run transitions and test runs performed, but all went well. By the end of the week, they were celebrating Christmas in July.
The sun will rise again … at some point. But in the meanwhile, it’s still winter and the skies remain dark. A bright moon had been lighting things up lately, but last week it was gone, leaving it up to the auroras to provide the overhead entertainment.
Although the poker tournament continues, last week’s focus was all about the Games—the South Pole Winter Games, where they had actual medals, a closing ceremony, and even an Olympic flame.
Let the games begin! The South Pole Winter Games, that is. They feature an eclectic line-up of events, including vertical tower sprint and photography. IceCube winterovers James and Martin signed up for some individual trials but also formed a team to compete in volleyball.