Tag: New Jersey

Wednesday (01-January-2025) — New Jersey

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.
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. 19:00-22:35
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens.
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. 20:00-22:35
Winter Night Sky Star Trails Over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens.
Winter 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.
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.
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.
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)

Tuesday (31-December-2024) — New Jersey

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.
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.
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.

Monday (30-December-2024) — New Jersey

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 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.
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.

Thursday (26-December-2024) — New Jersey

Thirteen-Years Ago Today. Kermit & Mirror Ball Selfie. Marie Selby Gardens, Sarasota. (26-Dec-2011, Florida)

Silhouettes of Jets with Condensation Trail Transiting the Sun.

Today, I captured images of two jets with contrails 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 a Vespera Pro automated telescope using solar filters. Additional images of just the contrail silhouettes are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Silhouette of a jet with condensation trail transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet with condensation trail transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5) with a solar filter.
Silhouette of a jet with a condensation trail 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 with a condensation trail 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 with a condensation trail 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 with a condensation trail transiting the sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Vaonis Vespera Classic Telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1/4000 sec) with a solar filter.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

The comet is getting fainter and the tail much shorter. Now that the Stellina telescope is back, I have images from both the Stellina, and Vespera Pro telescopes. I am only showing the longer (21 min 40 sec) composite images. The comet is barely visible in the Stellina image. You may need to look closely; the comet is in the center of the frame. The magnitude is now 11.2. The shorter (5 min 20 sec and 10 min 40 sec) composite images are available in my PhotoShelter gallery.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 64 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 640 sec).
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). Composite of 64 10 sec images taken with a Vaonis Stellina Telescope (250 mm, f/5, 640 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).

Monday (23-December-2024) — New Jersey

Sixteen-Years Ago Today. Osprey in flight with a fish. Fort DeSoto Park. (23-Dec-2008, Florida).

Stellina has Returned from a round trip to France.

The Vaonis Stellina automated telescope arrived back today after a trip to France to repair the camera sensor. The instrument was still under warranty so the only cost was a getting shipping fly case so the telescope would be protected while in transit. I dropped the package off at a local UPS store on the 11th and it arrived back today. The sun was shining so I set it up on a tripod and tested it with a solar observation. Clouds are forecasted for tonight, so I will need to wait to check it out at night. Hopefully, the comet will still be visible.

Sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5)
Sun with sunspots. Image taken with a Stellina Telescope (400 mm, f/5)

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. One of the jets had a trailing condensation trail that continued in front of the sun for 12 additional images (~15 seconds)

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.
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.
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.

Jet with condensation trail passing in front of the sun. Images captured with a Vespera Classic telescope fitted with a solar filter. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery