Thousands of meters below the ice near the South Pole lies one of the most unusual observatories ever constructed. The instrument's nervous system comprises 86 strands of light detectors, stretching down into the ice sheet like oversize strings of pearls. Each strand features 60 basketball-size detectors, spanning the depths from 1,450 to 2,450 meters below the surface. And the body of the observatory is the ice itself, an abundant medium with an astonishing natural clarity.
Altogether, the instrument, known as IceCube, spans a cubic kilometer of ice. Scientists have for years been taking data using the partially built observatory, but on December 18 the 86th and final string of detectors was lowered into place, marking the completion of construction on the estimated $270-million project. The observatory will likely start running at full strength in April, according to communications manager Laurel Bacqué.
To read the full, original article click on this link: World's Largest Neutrino Detector Completed at South Pole: Scientific American
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