Antártica fun fact 1: Scientists have recorded mysterious signals coming from deep within the Antarctic ice, described as “gunshot sounds.” These were detected in 2006 and 2014 by NASA’s ANITA (Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna) experiment. Instead of neutrinos, the instruments picked up inexplicable radio waves that seem to emerge from inside the Earth. To this day, there is no scientific consensus on their origin.

Antártica fun fact 2: Since all lines of longitude converge at the South Pole, technically every time zone meets there. Research stations usually adopt the time zone of their home country or supply base.

Antártica fun fact 3: In 1983, the Soviet station Vostok measured −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F), the lowest natural temperature ever recorded on Earth.

Antártica fun fact 4: In East Antarctica, a glacier leaks red-colored water known as Blood Falls. The color comes from iron-rich brine oxidizing when it hits the air, creating a hauntingly dramatic sight.

Antártica fun fact 5: Antarctica experiences katabatic winds — gravity-driven gusts that can reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h). These winds make survival and travel extremely difficult in some regions.