#cosray

Journey to the Pole: UChicago Astrophysics Major Travels to Antarctica

Third-year Lindsay Berkhout took winter quarter off to work on the CosRay neutron monitors at the South Pole. The data from these monitors is used to study geomagnetic fields, 

At the beginning of this quarter, Berkhout enrolled in a full schedule of classes but soon decided to take a leave of absence to pursue the three-week trip with the CosRay experiment. “It was definitely worth it,” Berkhout said. “It will probably be an experience I’ll never get to do again. I can always take my classes next year.”

After a flight from Chicago to San Francisco, another to New Zealand, and a military flight to McMurdo station on the coast of the Antarctic continent, Berkhout faced the polar elements for the first time.

“Every time I would walk outside my breath would freeze to my hair, so I would have icicles hanging off [of] it!” At a coastal stop, she and her team observed some local wildlife. “We saw some penguins, some whales, lots of seals, and a couple of birds called skua, which are these really ugly, aggressive birds. You’re not allowed to bring food outside because they will dive bomb you.”

Nycc ft @not-a-hope-in-hell 💞 as deku, me as uraraka, my brother as bakugou, and @dadwheresthemilk as link and the photographer for most of these