If it’s not the coolest place on earth, it’s certainly in that neighborhood. The South Pole has long been the hangout of choice for a select brand of researchers who don’t mind freezing their nasal hairs and who relish the crystal-clear views of the sky. Now those scientists have a new home at the bottom of the world. The National Science Foundation last Saturday dedicated the recently completed Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

This is the third version of an American station at the spot. The first one, built in the 1950s, has long since disappeared under 30 feet of snow. The second one, housed inside a giant geodesic dome, was showing signs of age and getting buried by snow every winter, requiring heroic efforts to keep it functioning. The new station is built on stilts, so the relentless winds will help keep the station from getting buried. And the stilts can be jacked up to raise the whole station. Pictures and diagrams of the new facility are available here. But if you want to know what’s going on at the South Pole right now, check out the Webcam. —Richard Monastersky