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. Bee Approaching a Pink Lupine in Patagonia. Hosteria El Pilar. (02-Jan-2011, Argentina)
Silhouettes of Jets Transiting 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 viewing the sun with a Vespera Classic and Stellina automated telescope using solar filters. I’m not sure why the solar images from the Vespera Classic telescope have a dark green background. The image from the Stellina telescope has a normal black background. There is a difference in the displayed angle of the sun between the Stellina and Vespera telescopes. Compare the position of the sunspots.
Silhouette of a jet transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5) with a solar filterSilhouette 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.
Full 360° Winter Night Sky View over New Jersey
I used a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens pointed straight up again to get images for a time-lapse 360° video of the night sky. I changed the camera settings so I would get images for the full night (8 mm, ISO 800, f/11, 30 sec) with a 3 second rather than 2 second delay between images. The time-lapse video was created using Photoshop (2K, 10p). A lot more clouds than yesterday. Many jet trails, and maybe a couple meteors. Best viewed expanded to full screen mode.
Fourteen-Years Ago Today. Early Morning View of Fitzroy from El Pilaf Hosteria in El Chalten. (01-Jan-2011, Argentina)
Winter Night Sky Over New Jersey.
During the day I got several alerts from the Space Weather Prediction Center indicating that there might be chance for an aurora. There are many sunspots visible during the current Solar Maximum that I have been showing over the last month. I set up several cameras just in case we get a display like we did on 11-October-2024. Unfortunately, I didn’t see evidence of an aurora. In the star trail composite images, I did see lots of jet trails, and a few of the Quadrantids meteors.
Full 360° Night Sky View
For the full sky (360°) view, I used a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens pointed straight up (8 mm, ISO 1600, f/8, 30 sec). The first three images are long composites 19:00-22:35 (some clouds before 20:00), 20:00-22:35 (clouds gone), and 22:38-00:30. There are a set of 30-minute composites in the slide show. And finally, a time-lapse video created using the individual 30 second exposure images. The sky is initially clear, then some passing clouds, and then clear until the camera intervalometer stopped (I must have missed a setting).
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. 19:00-22:35Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. 20:00-22:35Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. 22:38-00:30
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite 30-minute images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (8 mm, ISO 1600, f/8, 30 sec). The individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Time-lapse video of the 30 second exposures (2K video, 10 images/second)
Night Sky View Looking North
For the view looking north, I used a Hasselblad 907x camera with a 21 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, f/8, 32 sec). The star trail images were created using Photoshop (scripts, statistics, maximum). The first three images are long composites 17:45-06:22 (some clouds), the second 19:00-01:59 (no clouds), and the third a high resolution (11656 x 8742) version (no clouds). Next there is a slide show with 30-minute composites for the full night. And finally, a time-lapse video created using the individual 30 second exposure images. The sky is initially clear, then some passing clouds, clear for several hours, more clouds, then clear going into the next morning. View the high resolution (2K) video expanded to full screen in a dark room. Lots of jet trails (no drones) and a few Quadrantids meteors.
Winter Star Trails Looking North Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera and 21 mm f/4 lens. [17:45-06:22 (some clouds)].Winter Star Trails Looking North Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera and 21 mm f/4 lens. [19:00-01:59 (no clouds) 2048 x 1556].Winter Star Trails Looking North Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera and 21 mm f/4 lens. [19:00-01:59 (no clouds) 11656 x 8742].
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Looking North. Composite 30-minute images taken with a Hasselblad 907x camera with a 21 mm f/4 lens (ISO 1600, f/8, 32 sec). The individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Time-lapse video of the 30 second exposures (2K video, 10 images/second)
Fourteen-Years Ago Today. Equitrekking at Estancia Helsingfors. (31-Dec-2010, Argentina)
Silhouettes of Jets and a bird Transiting the Sun.
Today, I captured images of jets and a bird 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. The bird is ether small or a long distance away. I’m not sure why the solar images from the Vespera Classic telescope have a dark green background and the one from the Vespera Pro telescope has a dark red background.
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 bird. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Pro Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 1/714 sec) with a solar filter.
Five-Years Ago Today. Little Planet view of the Andalusia Plaza in Granada Terrace. Historic Northeast St. Petersburg. (30-Dec-2019, Florida)
Silhouettes of Birds Transiting the Sun.
Today, I captured images of three Canada Geese and a Turkey Vulture or Hawk transiting the sun while looking at the sunspots (we are at or near the solar maximum). I was viewing the sun with a Stellina and Vespera Classic automated telescope using solar filters. I am not sure if these are the type of geese that migrate south, of just fly in circles staying in New Jersey. My pond was frozen over, so they were not staying here.
Silhouette of three geese flying in front the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5) with a solar filter.Silhouette of a Hawk or 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.
