Astronomy - David Mathre Photography

Friday (25-October-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Autumn Nature in New Jersey.

While taking the recycling out to the curb early in the morning I noticed the sky lighting up with colorful clouds and a waning moon. I went back in a picked up a camera with a fisheye lens to try and capture it all.

Colorful clouds and waning crescent moon at dawn. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 64, 15 mm, f/5.6, 5 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (59.2 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (29.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More clouds than yesterday. At this time of the year the sun is lower, and the Sycamore tree leaves shadow the solar panels part of the day. Overall a net deficit of 29.6 kWh.

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Seven-Years Ago (01-September-2012) — Celtic Sea

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 10: At Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Celtic Sea, and Irish Sea.

There were several Northern Gannets following the MV Explorer. I wanted to get an image of one crossing the full moon. I took lots of pictures, but only came close a few times. Then there was the issue of whether the moon, or the bird should be in focus.

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.

Ten-Years Ago (31-August-2009) — Alaska

Gone to See North America Road Trip. Day 10: Alaska Marine Highway on the MV Columbia. Haines, Alaska.

After arriving at Haines, Alaska we disembarked from the MV Columbia. I could have slept in the RV, but decided to splurge and spend the night at the Halsingland Hotel (B&B). They even put benchmarks in the ground to mark the location of hotels in Haines — 118 feet above mean sea level. I set a camera up looking out my window to capture night sky star trails. I also managed to capture Northern Lights which I was not expecting.

Hotel Halsingland Bench Mark -- 118 Feet Above Mean Sea Level. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec) (David J Mathre) — Hotel Halsingland Bench Mark — 118 Feet Above Mean Sea Level. Image taken with a Nikon D300 camera and 18-300 mm lens (ISO 200, 200 mm, f/5.6, 1/160 sec) (David J Mathre)

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.

Seven-Years Ago (30-August-2012) — North Atlantic Ocean

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 08: At Sea, North Atlantic Ocean.

The early dawn sky was full of pink jet contrails when I got out on deck. The contrails would be from all of the red-eye flights crossing the Atlantic ocean from North America to Europe. A sign we were getting close to the end of our first leg at sea. As the sun came up, the contrails changed from pink to yellow.

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.

Seven-Years Ago (28-August-2012) — North Atlantic Ocean

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 06: At Sea, North Atlantic Ocean.

It was another rough night with heavy seas. I got a picture of the waves outside my cabin portal. By dawn all of the water in the pool had sloshed out and the deck chairs were all tied down. During the day the wind reduced and the seas had calmed. By early evening the happy students escaping from cabin fever were out on deck for sunset. While shooting sunset, I looked behind and saw some students on the upper deck with the waxing Gibbous Moon in the sky next to them. I would watch out for this type of moon shot on subsequent Semester at Sea voyages. I am waiting for a camera and telephoto lens combination where both the people and moon are in focus (infinite depth of field, and infinite ISO, with no noise).

Rough Seas at Night from my Cabin Portal. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 16 mm f/2.8 fisheye lens (ISO 25600, 16 mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Click on the above image to access the individual images in the slideshow.