South Pole con't

little gouache  painting of the South Pole TelescopeSouth Pole Telescope and BICEP 

Inside the base of SPT

 

cables for ICE CUBE

I was given a full tour of the three telescopes at the South Pole by their respective scientists. The South Pole telescope was immediately noticeable by its extraordinary form. You can find out more about this telescope at http://pole.uchicago.edu/blog/2008_10_01_archive.html. I found all telescopes at the South Pole so sophisticated that I know if I begin to describe their function I will get it wrong--they all sound like science fiction to me--for that reason I will refer to websites.

Housed in the same building is BICEP. This is the acronym for Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization, and again I will refer to a link because I can't begin to explain this telescope although it was graciously and generously explained to me.  http://www.polartrec.com/node/11229

I did not see much of the neutrino telescope Ice Cube as much of their visible work was finished for the season. They have a very extensive website with detailed explanations at http://www.icecube.wisc.edu/info.

out the window --South Pole gouache painting

and another......

in the tunnel
I also visited the clean air facility (AR0) and the underground tunnels that carry water and fuel and are about minus 60 degrees at all times.

one last painting--the celebratory marker of the South Pole

And speaking of minus 60 --that seems to be the temperature there right now!

And the magnetic Pole--with Gumby in his Big Red....