Sunday, April 2, 2017

A tour of the Dark Sector part 2





Sunset dinner. I'm the fourth on the left. Photo credit: Robert Schwarz


South Pole Telescope/Dark Science Lab on the left and the Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory on the right.
Ice Cube Lab










Neutrino action on the monitor.

The view from the top of Ice Cube.

Ice Cube Lab

A fine day for the open house. -86 degrees F ambient and -118 degrees F wind chill. The 10 meter South Pole Telescope.

The Dark Sector Lab.

To open the South Pole Telescope door a high tech rope pulley system is employed! To close the door is much more difficult due to the leaning of the telescope foundation in the ice.


I climbed to the SPT dish!
That's me with my arms out in front of the 10 meter South Pole Telescope.

The Dark Sector Lab and the Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization (BICEP) telescope.

Inside the South Pole Telescope.



Dark Sector Lab (DSL)

Climbing into the SPUD/KECK Array...

for a telescope ride! It was moving back and forth scanning for cosmic microwaves.


MAPO.
Sastrugi: Windblown ice in the polar regions.

Sastrugi art from my 2013 winter.

Two weeks after this picture it is now dark.

Hello darkness my old friend...
I've come to talk with you again...
Sound of Silence


A friend took this picture of me walking back to the station. The South Pole...a very lonely place.

1 comment:

  1. Mike, these pictures show that your fascination with the science and solitary life of the South Pole has not diminished your sense of humor!I see your eyes are full of wonder and that must lead to a sense of fulfillment in your life journey. We miss you in sunny Florida and I know you are interested in Cary's environmental projects. Maybe we should share some of those to brighten your view of the winter darkness. Many people would not understand this isolation, but I think that you have found a way to channel your energy into the second FDCA book. Jocelyn has begun her entries and will send them soon. Happy Easter! Love always, Andee

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