Pi in the Sky – Piday Art #ArtTuesday
Beautiful Mars
A Star is Born: Skywatcher Photo Captures Dark-Hued Nebula
spaceplasma:
This photo shows the cosmic region known as Sh2-239 and LDN 155, where star formation activity has caused the mix of dust and colors in the nebulas visible here. The deep colors and dark clouds in this image resemble paintings by some of history’s greatest artists.
The region lies near the southern end of Taurus located on the border of the constellations of Taurus and Perseus more than 400 light-years away. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year, or about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).
Astrophotographer Adam Block of the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter at the University of Arizona was one of the first to capture the nebula in such detail. He took multiple exposures to collect enough light for an image that would otherwise not be evident to the eye.
Credit: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona
Taking photos of the moon with an iPhone
Taking photos of the moon with an iPhone
A wonderful, low cost easy method for grabbing stunning lunar shots. Telescope required, of course.
Good Sats Hunting: Leave It To The Amateurs
Good Sats Hunting: Leave It To The Amateurs
The word amateur seems ludicrous when talking about astrophotographer Thierry Legault. Any more than William Herschel — the 18th century master astronomer — was an amateur since he wasn’t a university prof.
Solar transit of ISS and Atlantis – Last mission of Atlantis, May 16, 2010
But French engineer Legault creates his stunning and intriguing shots of the skies for love not money. And in the process teaches us much about what’s happening out there and up there. First, there are his images of planetary and deep sky phenomena; asteroid 19458 even bears his name. Then, there’s his visual tracking of the ISS and satellites. And he’s not just capturing data and pictures of the friendly climate sats buzzing about. He’s also tracking the secret military craft, some of them barely acknowledged (see Air Force’s semi-secret mini space shuttle, the X-37B).
It’s time to retire words like amateur when referring to masters like Legault. Or, at least, change our understanding of the word.
via Motherboard