Eleven-Years Ago Today. Trolls Playing in the Snow. (03-Jan-2014, New Jersey)
Silhouettes of Jets and Birds Transiting the Sun.
Today, I captured images of jets and birds transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was viewing the sun with a Stellina automated telescope using solar filters. The silhouette of one of the jets was much larger that the majority of previously observed images. Still a long way away. If someone could identify the type of jet, we could estimate the distance relative to the angular diameter of the sun.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5) with a solar filter
Jets and birds passing in front of the sun. Images captured with a Stellina telescope fitted with a solar filter. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery
Fourteen-Years Ago Today. Yellow Flower in front of a Locked Vault. Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires. (28-Dec-2010, Argentina)
Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015: Day 13 – At Sea on the Hurtigruten MS Fram in the South Atlantic Ocean
The wind and waves were not as bad as the Hurtigruten MS Fram continued traveling south and west from South Georgia to Antarctica. Still not many folks were up and around either in the observation deck or in the dining rooms. I didn’t take any sea-sick medication and was doing fine as long as I kept eating the meals and could view the horizon. The ship’s musician was playing Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” on the piano in observation deck in the background during this short video clip recorded on a Leica T camera.
Thirteen-Years Ago Today. Alligator with its Jaw Wide Open. Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. (27-Dec-2011, Florida)
Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015: Day 12 – At Sea on the Hurtigruten MS Fram in the South Atlantic Ocean
Short videos from the observation deck of the Hurtigruten MS Fram of the sea conditions while traveling between South Georgia and Antarctica. I didn’t get seasick but remember that there were not many folks in the dining room. I did notice that my GPS track for the day had about six times as many data points from all of the rocking and rolling. We were going into some really heavy head winds, which reduced the speed of the ship from about 15 knots to 7 knots.
Ten-Years Ago Today. Ocean Tramp anchored at the harbor in Ushuaia, Argentina. (19-Dec-2014)
Flock of Geese Passing the Sun.
Today, I captured an image of a flock of geese transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I assume the geese are flying south before the snow predicted for tomorrow. I was viewing the sun with a Vespera Classic automated telescope using a solar filter. The exposure time for solar observations with the Vespera Classic telescope is 250 microseconds (1/4000 sec)
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.
Four-Years Ago Today. American Crow feeding on a cold day. (18-Dec-2020, New Jersey).
Silhouettes of Jets Passing in Front of the Sun.
Today, I captured images of jets transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was observing the sun with a Vespera Classic and a Vespera Pro telescope fitted with a solar filter. The exposure time for solar observations with the Vespera Classic telescope is 250 microseconds (1/4000 sec) and with the Vespera Pro telescope is 1400 microseconds (1/714 sec). The Vespera Classic takes 51-52 solar images per minute and the Vespera Pro takes 8-9 solar images per minute.
The same jet appears in the first two Vespera Classic images showing the distance it traveled in ~1.2 seconds. The third image from the Vespera Pro shows a jet with condensation trails. Even though the exposure time is longer (1400 vs 250 microseconds) the image of the jet is still relatively sharp.
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, 1/714 sec) with a solar filter.
