Astrophotos Archives

October 15, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Weekend Aurora Gives Time for ‘Reflection’

The Northern Lights over Kilmany, Scotland reflect in a body of water. Credit: Corinne Mills

Wow, what a gorgeous view of the aurora in Scotland over the weekend, taken by astrophotographer Corine Mills! This image garnered dozens of rave reviews on Flickr, and rightly so. A solar wind stream struck Earth’s magnetic field over the weekend, igniting a G1-class geomagnetic storm that lasted more than 15 hours, according to SpaceWeather.com. Auroras with rare pulsations and vibrant colors were sighted in the northern latitudes. Below is an almost psychedelic “purple haze” aurora as seen over Saskatchewan, Canada.

Continue reading “Weekend Aurora Gives Time for ‘Reflection’”

October 14, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Thierry Legault: Moonbow and Meteor over Australia’s Wallaman Falls

Night vision under a full Moon at Wallaman Falls in Queensland, Australia. Credit and copyright: Thierry Legault. Used by permission.

Astrophotographer extraordinaire Thierry Legault traveled to Australia for the Transit of Venus this past June, but he didn’t stop with just taking incredible images of the Transit and then head home to France. He’s just published an wonderful collection of night sky images he took from his time in Australia, including this beautifully stunning image of a ‘Moonbow’ over Wallaman Falls, located in between Townsville and Cairns in north Queensland. If you’ve not seen a Moonbow before, you’re probably not alone. Many times, they are only visible in long exposure photographs, as the Moonlight effect is usually too faint for human eyes to discern. But the Moonlight on the water mist from the falls creates a Moonbow.

“The gibbous Moon makes a Moonbow over the falls while a bright meteor crosses the Milky Way,” Thierry wrote to Universe Today, sharing his new images. “Other visitors were sleeping in the camping area, but not me!”

See his entire collection of his Australian Nights images from June 2012 — they’re simply wonderful, and confirms the beauty of the night sky from down under!

October 5, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Once in a Lifetime Image: Emperor Penguins Under the Aurora Australis

Emperor Penguins on the Antarctic Sea Ice Under the Aurora Australis. Credit and copyright: Stefan Christmann. Used by permission.

Photographer Stefan Christmann called this incredible Antarctic view a once in a lifetime experience.

“It was the most impressive experience to sit on the sea-ice and watch the Aurora Australis dance above the penguin colony with the sounds of the chicks and the adult penguins. I feel truly blessed for having had the opportunity to witness this once in a lifetime experience,” he told Universe Today.

Christmann is currently based in Antarctica, working at the German Antarctic research station Neumayer III. He is an “overwinterer” — scientific and technical staff who stay at the base for the entire southern winter — and will stay in Antarctica for an uninterrupted 14 months. “As a physicist, my duty is to maintain the data acquisition of our seismological and geomagnetic observatories as well as the analysis of the collected data,” Christmann said.

But he is also an accomplished photographer. His website and Facebook page are filled with beautiful nature images from around the world, and recently feature the Emperor penguins and their adorable chicks, as well as the stark beauty of the Antarctic landscape.

Originally from Germany, he studied photography in the US, and his work has now brought him to an extended stay in Antarctica.

Christmann explained the conditions and the difficulties in obtaining this shot, one he had long hoped for, the planning of it always in the back of his mind.

“The picture was taken at Atka-Bay on the sea-ice. The bay is roughly 8 km away from our station so the penguin colony is a popular destination for free-time trips. The idea of a photo of the Aurora Australis above the penguin colony had been in my head for a long time, but the conditions have to be just right –which usually never happens. You need a full Moon, high magnetic activity and a cloudless sky. Also the penguins should be standing close enough to the ice-berg. I made multiple attempts to get the photo, but we either had incoming clouds, low activity or had to cancel our stay because of wind picking up (which can be really dangerous out on the sea-ice).”

And time was short, as after he had been outside for a few hours the wind picked up and he and his accomplices had to leave the ice for safety reasons. “Otherwise we probably would have sat there all night!” Christmann said. The image was taken on October 1, 2012.

Christmann shared what equipment he uses as well as a few tips for Antarctic and cold weather photography.

“I used a Nikon D700 Fullframe DSLR with an AF-S G-Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8. ISO settings varied with the intensity of the aurora from ISO 500-800,” he said. “F-Stops in the range of 4.0-5.6 and Exposure times from 20s to 30s. I try to keep ISO as low as possible for noise reasons and also try to limit the exposure time in order not to get star trails. It’s either super long star trails or almost star-dots, but I don’t really like the in between. A full battery charge (in my case around 2500mAh) lasts around 1h in the cold, so I had to switch batteries twice during our stay out on the ice!”

Asked what other details he felt was important to share about this image, Christmann said, “Antarctica is an incredible place where nature dwarfs anything made by humans. Hopefully people will gain even more interest in this continent and help to protect it as well as its inhabitants.”

To see more of Christmann’s work visit his website, Nature in Focus or his Facebook page, where he shares many pictures of his Antarctic adventure.

Please note: This image may not be re-posted, used or copied without the express permission of Stefan Christmann.

October 4, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Stunning Sun Halo Revisited

When we posted an astrophoto earlier this week of a spectacular 22-degree Sun halo seen in Kuala Lumpur, we quickly got a note from Theo Wellington from Madison, Tennessee USA, who may have one-upped that image. Make that two-upped. “Not only did we have the 22 degree halo, but a circumscribed halo AND a parhelic circle as well!” Wellington wrote. “I became a distracted driver and had to pull off the road to look and photograph.” He added that Moon halo was seen the night before in the same location, as well.

What a stunning view — like a giant eyeball looking back at you!

Wellington used a Pentax K100D, 11mm fisheye lens, f13 1/4000, iso 400.

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October 2, 2012April 26, 2016 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Spectacular 22-Degree Sun Halo Over Kuala Lumpur

A 22 degree Sun halo was seen in Kuala Lumpur on October 2, 2012. Credit: Shahrin Ahmad

Denizens of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were treated to a stunning mid-day meteorological phenomenon today (October 2, 2012,) a Sun Halo. A ‘rainbow’ of sorts forms around the Sun (or the Moon, too) when the light is refracted by ice crystals from high cirrostratus clouds.

News reports said the spectacle began around 12.30pm local time, “a sight which drew gasps of wonder from office workers on their way to lunch.”

Shahrin Ahmad captured the beautiful view and sent it to Universe Today.

“This is among the cleanest view of the Halo I’ve seen so far, and created quite a buzz everywhere,” he said.

September 28, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: The Crescent Nebula & Wolf Rayet Star by John Chumack

NGC6888 The Crescent Nebula & Wolf Rayet Star (WR136). Credit: John Chumack.

Here’s an impressive shot of NGC 6888, also known as the Crescent Nebula, which is a cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across. It is part of the massive Gamma Cygni Nebula region, and in the center is a powerful, bright and massive Wolf-Rayet star. “The very energetic Wolf-Rayet star is shedding its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of the Sun’s mass every 10,000 years,” explains prolific and talented astrophotographer John Chumack. “This cosmic bubble is located in this very rich star studded field, which is about 3,000 light years away.”

To capture this image, John used a QHY8 cooled Color CCD Camera and his homemade 16″ Newtonian Scope, with a 90 minute exposure, taken on August 24, 2012 at his observatory in Yellow Springs, Ohio. See more of his work at his website, Galactic Images.

September 27, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Amateur Astronomer Creates Detailed Map of Ganymede

The original observations (top) and interpretations (bottom) of the first ever amateur albedo map of Ganymede. Credit: Manos Kardasis.

As our frequent “Astrophoto” posts from amateur astronomers and photographers attest – as well as the rise of citizen science — , the latest technology allows amatuers to make significant contributions to the field of astronomy. Case in point: Emmanuel I. Kardasis of the Hellenic Amateur Astronomy Association has produced the first amateur albedo map of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. He used an off-the-shelf telescope, camera and computer equipment, but put his experienced observing skills to the test.

“Ganymede has a tiny disk as seen from Earth so was a good test for my techniques,” said Kardasis. “If the same methods were applied to other worlds, perhaps the volcanic moon Io, we could capture surface fluctuations. Professional observatories may create better images but they cannot monitor our rapidly and ever-changing Universe.”

Albedo maps of Ganymede (left) and how they relate to known surface features (right). Credit: Manos Kardasis.

Like many amateurs, Kardasis attached a camera to his telescope and recorded a video of Ganymede. Selecting only the sharpest frames of the video allowed him to obtain a series of images when the atmospheric conditions – known as ‘seeing’ – were most favorable. These best images were then stacked and aligned, before being enhanced through photo-editing software.

An albedo map details higher areas of reflectivity on an object’s surface recording where material is brighter or darker. Kardasis’ albedo map closely aligns with professional images of Ganymede’s surface, indicating features such as Phrygia Sulcus (furrows and ridges 3,700 km across) and the Nicholson region (a low-lying darker area).

Amateur photographs of Jupiter and Ganymede, accompanied with a professionally-obtained labeled map (bottom right). Credit: Manos Kardasis.

“Creating useful images of planets requires a telescope with a diameter of at least eight inches, said Kardasis. “For tiny discs, such as the moons of Jupiter, bigger is definitely better. My Ganymede images were made using an 11-inch telescope. You also need a good motor drive on your tripod, a sensitive camera, some freely-available software, and lots of patience!”

Kardasis presented his images at the European Planetary Science Congress this week in Madrid, Spain. He suggests that future amateur programs could monitor both surface and atmospheric changes on worlds as varied as Uranus, Neptune and Titan, complementing more detailed but far less regular observations made by professionals. Kardasis says, “I hope my work will inspire anyone interested in astronomy to use whatever equipment they have to make useful observations.”

Source: EPSC

September 26, 2012December 23, 2015 by Jason Major

Take a Gander at a Cosmic Gull

The head and “eye” of the Seagull Nebula (ESO)

This colorful new image from ESO’s La Silla Observatory highlights the heart of a shining stellar nursery located between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major. Officially named Sharpless 2-292, the cloud of gas and dust forms the “head” of the Seagull Nebula (IC 2177) and gets its glow from the energy emitted by the young, bright star within its “eye”.

A wide-angle image of the Seagull Nebula shows the soaring birdlike shape that gives it its nickname. The cloud seen above forms the gull’s head.

A wide-field view of the Seagull Nebula from the ESO’s Digitized Sky Survey 2 (ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin)

The wings of this gull span an impressive 100 light-years from tip to tip. A birthplace for new stars, the nebula is located within our galaxy about 3,700 light-years away.

For an idea of how far that is, if the distance between the Sun and Earth were scaled down to 1 inch (2.5 cm) and you were standing in New York City, the stars in the Seagull Nebula would be in Paris, France (considering the most direct flight route.)

Powerful radiation from young stars causes the surrounding hydrogen gas to glow with a red color. Light from the hot blue-white stars also gets scattered off tiny dust particles in the nebula to create a blue haze.

Astrophoto: A Year of Mars Observations by Efrain Morales

Mars from July, 2011 to June 2012. Credit: Efrain Morales, Jaicoa Observatory

Superman has nothing on this big “S” created by putting together views of Mars for one full year. Efrain Morales from the Jaicoa Observatory in Puerto Rico compiled just a few images of Mars he captured from July of 2011 to June of 2012, and this collage shows the size differences in how Mars appeared in a telescope as the planet moved toward and then reached opposition in March of 2012, and how it appeared during the months afterward. Also visible is how the North Polar Cap decreased in size as the seasons changed on the red Planet.

Equipment: LX200ACF 12 inch, OTA, CGE mount, Flea3 CCD, TeleVue 3x barlows, Astronomik LRGB filter set. See more of Efrain’s work at his website.

September 21, 2012December 23, 2015 by Nancy Atkinson

Astrophoto: Crescent Moon Crossing

Astrophotographer Ken Lord caught an airplane crossing in front of a setting crescent Moon in British Columbia, Canada. Credit: Ken Lord

The things you can see out your door! On a previous image in this sequence, Ken Lord from British Columbia, Canada said he stuck his head out the door and happened to see a great view of the setting crescent Moon, so he ran and got his camera, took a few shots, and then managed to capture an airplane crossing directly in front of the beautiful crescent. Ken notes the mountains on the horizon are on Vancouver Island.

He used a Canon T1i, 170mm, 0.8 second exposure, ISO3200, F5.6. See more of Ken’s images at his Flickr page.