Scientists Turned Antarctic Ice Into The First Of Its Kind Particle 'Telescope'

The IceCube Observatory at the South Pole received its first upgrade since 2010, adding hundreds of new light sensors that are 2–3 times more sensitive than older ones, along with new calibration instruments. The NSF allocated $53 million for the project through 2031.

• Detector buried up to 8000 feet, ice volume about 3300×3300 feet
• More than 5000 optical sensors capture Cherenkov light
• New sensors are 2–3 times more sensitive than previous ones
• NSF approved $53 million for project through 2031