Category: On This Day

Friday (13-December-2024) — New Jersey

Digital Art. Silhouette of an AI Drone Hovering in front of the Moon. (13-Dec-2024)

Silhouettes of an Airplane, Jets, and a Turkey Vulture Transiting the Sun.

Today, I captured images of an airplane, two jets, and a Turkey Vulture transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was viewing the sun with a Vespera Classic and Vespera Pro automated telescope using solar filters.

Silhouette of a Turkey Vulture passing in front of the sun. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a Turkey Vulture passing in front of the sun. Note I am guessing it is a Turkey Vulture. It could also be a Black Vulture. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of an airplane passing in front of the sun. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of an airplane passing in front of the sun. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Sun with sunspots and the silhouette of a jet. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Sun with sunspots and the silhouette of a jet. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet is getting fainter and the tail much shorter. You may need to look closely; the comet is in the center of the frame. The magnitude is now 10.4. The first image is a composite of 32 images (5 min 20 sec) and the second one is a composite of 128 images (21 min 20 sec). In the second image there is some movement of the comet head. 

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).

Thursday (12-December-2024) — New Jersey

Digital Art. Flock of geese transiting the sun. The geese flying in front of the sun are real, the rest is digital art. (12-Dec-2024)

Silhouettes of Jets and Geese Transiting the Sun.

Today, I captured images of a flock of geese and several jets transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was viewing the sun with a Vespera Classic and Vespera Pro automated telescope using solar filters.

Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Flock of geese transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet is getting fainter and the tail much shorter. You may need to look closely; the comet is in the center of the frame. The magnitude is now 10.3. The first image is a composite of 32 images (5 min 20 sec) and the second one is a composite of 128 images (21 min 20 sec). In the second image there is some movement of the comet head. 

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 32 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 320 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 128 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1280 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 128 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Vespera-Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1280 sec).

Tuesday (10-December-2024) — New Jersey.

Eleven-Years Ago Today. Birdbath and statue covered with snow. (10-Dec-2013, New Jersey).

Foggy Fogy Day

The fog persisted into the afternoon, and it remained cloudy overnight. The telescopes had the day off. I took the Leica Q2-monochrome out for a walkabout to capture the dreary mood. The patch of Cattails next to the pond has increased in size now that the pond has been enlarged. They were struggling during the drought but now should be self-seeding for next year. For the individual Cattail, I used the macro/closeup feature on the Leica Q2 camera.

Late Autumn Cattails in the Fog. Image taken with a Leica Q2M camera with a 28 mm f/1.7 lens (ISO 200, f/4, 1/125 sec).
Late Autumn Cattails in the Fog. Image taken with a Leica Q2M camera with a 28 mm f/1.7 lens (ISO 200, f/4, 1/125 sec).
Late Autumn Cattail in the Fog. Image taken with a Leica Q2M camera with a 28 mm f/1.7 lens (ISO 200, f/4, 1/160 sec).
Late Autumn Cattail in the Fog. Image taken with a Leica Q2M camera with a 28 mm f/1.7 lens (ISO 200, f/4, 1/160 sec).

Wildflower Meadow Plan

I recently mowed the back wildflower meadow in preparation for seeding. This year I am going to try seeding in the winter after it snows. I don’t plan to rototill or plow this year. I may put out some slow-release fertilizer. This will allow the wildflower seeds to be exposed to the cold for several months before germinating. The risk will be the birds and mice thinking I put the seed out for them. If it works, I should have a jump on an early flowering season next spring.

Little Planet View of the Late Autumn Backyard on a Foggy Day. Composite of 66 images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera and 38 mm f/2.5 lens (ISO 64, f/16, 1 sec). Images processed with DxO Pure Raw, Capture One, Photoshop, and PTGui (to create the 360° Little Planet.
Little Planet Foggy View of the Late Autumn Wildflower Meadow after being Mowed. Composite of 66 images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera and 38 mm f/2.5 lens (ISO 64, f/16, 1 sec). Images processed with DxO Pure Raw, Capture One, Photoshop, and PTGui (to create the 360° Little Planet View).