I am so sick and tired and tired of being sick and tired of winter, it's either frigging cold or it warms up only to snow. The weather here needless to say has not been cooperating with my celestial viewing habits, missed the Lunar/Pleiades conjunction earlier this month and this morning missed the Lunar, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars conjunction due to clouds, all was not lost though, the clouds which prevented me from seeing and imaging the planets allowed me to capture a beautiful Sunrise.
Atmospheric refraction stretched out the bottom of the Sun giving the it a cool oblonged shape.
Even got a Green Flash.
As well as a Red Flash
I'm hoping the weather will work with me March 2, the next major conjunction. Look to the West the evening of March 2 for another gathering of the Moon and Pleiades, they will be close together most of the night in North America but will be their closest together as the pair sets together around 2:30 am CST.
We had a penumbral eclipse February 9, oh and by the way I missed it as well due to clouds. A Penumbral eclipse is when the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbral shadow, what you see is a slight Earth shadow on the Lunar surface making part of the Moon look darker. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency released what the event looked like from the Moon. Using Kaguya's, High Definition camera, the orbiter captured a beautiful image of what we know all too well , the diamond ring effect that happens during a Total Solar Eclipse here on Earth, very pretty.
Kaguya is Japan's Lunar Orbiter who's mission it is to gather data such as the Moon's mineralogy and geographic data as well as magnetic and gravity field information so as to better understand the Moon's origin and evolution. Kaguya is expected to ends it's mission with a controlled fall to the Lunar surface sometime in June. I'll leave you now with a clip of the event.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunrise Images and A Total Solar Eclipse
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58 comments:
Hi Bob!
Ohhhhh myyyyy I’m number one!!!!
I hear you on winter! Its one of the reasons we went to Hawaii! We have had more snow this year than in the past 20 combined! However is has also meant less rain which means less overcast days which has been nice…The night sky in Hawaii is glorious! (And it is warm at night at sea level!)
Wonderful Sun images!!!! Really wonderful…..
Wow what a video! You don’t fool me I know that is really a video of Mrs.Bob’s engagement ring!
Ahhh so nice to be back here in orbit with you Astro-Bob…
I am really ready for winter to be on its way as well. Your photos are fab, look at the rainbow of flashes!
You are the 8th wonder of the astronomical world.
Yeah it warmed up enough to rain here. Tomorrow is supposed to be real windy and wet and I will be working outside in it all day!
That photo you linked to from Japan Aerospace is really neat. Yours are great too, but you just can't compete with the ability to put a camera in Moon orbit!
How long do those red and green flashes last? I think you said once, but I don't remember. I can really see the green one in your photo, but the red one doesn't jump out at me.
Sorry to hear the weather is not cooperating, but you find ways to be creative anyway! Beautiful sunrise photos! (Do you ever sleep? LOL...)
Yes you are Livingsword, you are numero uno. I would love to spend some time in Hawaii viewing the heavens, and the Sunrise/Sunsets over the ocean must look fab, good to see you again, have a great week.\m/\m/
Cool video and I LOVE the sunrise pictures. Clouds can be a pain for the astronomy types, but I love their effect on the sun and moon.
Of course, I live in Houston, so winter isn't nearly the burden it is for you.
Thanks Don, I see you folks have had your fair share of snow as well. Winter started early here and hasn't let up, so ready to move on to spring,lol.\m/\m/
Thanks Will, it actually warmed up a little here then we had rain that froze causing a whole new problem , terrible icy road conditions.
The flashes last just for a second at the most, they never show in more then one image on my camera's memory card, and I am continually taking images, never stop during the crucial times when I think they may occur.\m/\m/
Lol, thanks Lynda, well I have been sleeping a little more then usual, since I haven't been imaging at night for some time, thanks again to clouds and snow.\m/\m/
Thanks Stephanie. I like clouds for the same reason you do, they do add atmosphere for Lunar and Solar images, unfortunately here they usually cover all the sky almost all the time, very depressing.\m/\m/
wow, those are great sunrise photos, they are amazing. i woke up today with a heavily clouded sky, it made for a good sunrise, but nothing like what you have.
Hi Bob,
Oh my wow what awesome shots you captured. I am sorry you missed what you wanted to see.
But, I think it was to our advantage. The sunrise shots are simply incredible.
I know this probably won't help you feel any better about your cold weather. But, some of it is blowing down across the plains and hitting us too!
It's not freezing or anything, but, the nights are definitely cold and our winds are more like March than February.
I hope you guys get a break up there soon!
Happy week:-)
As much as I love winter, I'm ready for something else too.
Way to make lemonade though, with these sunrise shots.
Thanks for the March 2 tip, Don and I will hope for clear skies to view from the hot tub.
That's neat about NASA/ESA!
Did you get pictures of the comet that's coming this way, yet?
You have neat pictures and images on your site. Thanks for sharing, and I to am getting tired of winter. Had more snow yesterday and it is doing snow showers today. Been months since I have looked through the scope at our local astronomy group
Hi Bob! :D
Oh how I understand you!! I too was sick and tired of winter!! But then God looked my way and now I am experiencing the most delightful Spring time I have ever experienced :D!
Oh I am so sorry for your winterish situation (and I am not mocking)...if I could I would transform your weather into a constant Spring time :)!
Utterly beautiful photos, Lord of the Astropics!! :D Your green and red flashes are magical...I can't get enough of looking at them!
I will be crossing my fingers for March 2 :D!
Oh my God...I felt like in a Sci-fi movie...what a fantastic video! What was that glow exactly?
Have a great week, Bob!
Cheers
Thanks a lot betchai, hope you got some shots of your Sunrise.\m/\m/
Thanks Shinade, I'm thinking this winter is taking it's toll on a lot of people. Hopefully we'll get a break soon,thanks for dropping by, and good luck with your weather.\m/\m/
Thanks Ruth, good luck with your viewing in the tub of the conjunction, so far it is looking good , the forecast shows clear but I don't usually go by it till an hour or so before,lol.\m/\m/
Hey Marvin, haven't had an opportunity to get a pic of the comet yet hopefully will before it fades away.\m/\m/
Hey thanks Mike, it is snowing here right now as I'm typing, just seems to never stop, haven't looked through my scope in a few months either, just to cold to operate.\m/\m/
Thanks Max and happy for your spring type weather, thanks for crossing your fingers Max, it seems to be working, so far the weather is looking good,lol.
The glow is the last of the Sun hiding behind the Earth, always gives off a glow just before it is totally blacked out, they call it the diamond ring effect, the faint line around the Earth is the Sun's circumference, the diamond , or glow is the Sun as well just before it hides behind the Earth, hope this helps.\m/\m/
Hey Bob!
It helped a lot! Thanks :D!
Cheers
No problem Max, glad it helped.\m/\m/
awesome shots. rarely see the sun so close up
Want a girlfriend but too shy?
Hi! I think atmospheric refraction had something to do with how my backside looks. Yes, it's seen better days!
Thanking you for the link to the Victorian fires. We don't get a true idea of how big this event is until we see it from space.
As for your winter perhaps it's time you viewed space from Downunder.
Take Care,
Peter
Thanks Flirt for dropping by.\m/\m/
Lol, hi Peter, no problem, the NASA Earth Observatory is actually quite amazing, I'm on their mailing list, always remarkable images from space.I would love to be downunder right about now,lol.\m/\m/
Well, living in Florida, we have plenty of lovely sunrise's like this, and today especially, I am bundled up with a scarve on a day it will reach a temp of 67 Degrees. Burr! lol
Bob, not sick, but been sick of winter too, I feel like I been living in the cage all winter long. Wow that is a big sun, never seen one like that, I hope one day. Seems so powerful. So you missed lot of stuff. I think you need a air plane so you can travel longer distances where there are no clouds, lol. Its been like that here in Toronto area too, however, yesterday it was clear and on the West side I saw bright star, or planet, at first I thought it was plane going my direction, as it was on the path where the planes fly....
Hope you get better, and lets hope winter goes soon....
Anna :)
The winter is pretty bad here this year too. I cannot imagine how much worse it must be up north where you are. Brrr...
Have you heard about the comet next to Saturn last night? It was "view-able" around 11 est. I missed it cause of my bed time...
Thanks, well even if it isn't clear, we'll have the hot tub!
Bob,
Hey Bob, great post - the last two actually. I am very excited about europa - to think I'll get to see it in my life time (God willing). Also I saw the green flash - very cool. Thank you sir. Looking forward to more great posts.
Jesse
Lol Dr.Lauren, it is snowing again here and -18c, looks like snow off and on till spring now, sometime in July,lol.\m/\m/
Thanks Anna, you saw Venus, very bright right now. It has been snowing lots again, looks like I'll miss the conjunction. I think all I need is a vacation somewhere south,like Egypt,lol.\m/\m/
Hi Ivanhoe, the winter seems to be bad all over. As far as the comet goes I haven't had a break in the clouds to view it, I would like to snap a picture of it before it goes away, highly doubt it though.\m/\m/
Have fun with the Hot tubbing Ruth, my wife would like one, may get one when our house is paid off next year.\m/\m/
Thanks Jesse, Europa has been an interest of mine since 2010 a Space Odyssey.\m/\m/
Bob:
I sympathize with you over the bloody weather. Not good for any outdoor activities, especially astronomy. Too cold.
The Japanese video was very cool. They've got the whole digital thing wired, that's for sure. Super resolution. Too bad about the whole Newton law thing that says that everything that goes up, must eventually come down.
Happy trails.
Lol Bob, I think you just need big cloud blower, lol....Yeah vacations would be nice, but why Egypt? Anna :)
Hey swubird, for sure too cold, and Kaguya too cool, all good things must come to an end though, it'll be interesting to learn more about their discoveries in the coming months and years.\m/\m/
Lol, Anna, cloud blower, I like it. Egypt because it is warm and beautiful skies for viewing the heavens, plus I want to see the Great Pyramids before I die.\m/\m/
Bob time for a trip down south my friend!! Bring your camera and telescope!!
Hey Roger, you still have cold,lol, no problem though I'll stop by with my non existent Lear Jet on my way to my non existent vacation to Egypt,lol.
very romantic scene of a sunset, I love it! I'm sorry but If I copy it and make it my desktop wallpaper. I just adore the beauty of it
I mean sunrise! sorry! great stuff
The sunrise shots are simply incredible.
Glad you like the Sunrise your"Health Assistant" no problem with using it as your desktop, I did too,lol.\m/\m/
Thanks so much Amrul.\m/\m/
how beautiful! Though I could see green in the Green flash shot, I love that view all the same. thanks for sharing
awwnn beatiful pictures =3
Bob, I have 11 inches of heavy snow moving in. Where can I hide???
I'm with you!!! We need SPRING!!!
What glorious sunrise photos!!! AWESOME!!!
I'm sorry you missed all of those sky happenings. But you covered yourself well. :D All of your posts are delightful.
I have SQUEE!!! news but can't say what just yet.
Am a little behind with visiting blogs because I'm trying to keep up with my new life.
Have a super weekend, dear friend. I'll post a warm photo in a couple of days so we can have a break from winter.
Hugs, JJ
Having trouble posting...am trying again...
Thanks kRiZ cPEc, glad you liked the Sunrise shots.\m/\m/
Thanks so much lubasa.\m/\m/
Lol JJ, no where to hide here, sure tell me about the great news and leave me hanging,lol.\m/\m/
This sunrise shot is absolutely, well, you know, the usual. You've heard it all. 55 comments and nearly all of them with the same message. WOWSERS!
More so than your awesome photos, your determination and dedication is tremendously inspiring to the celestially illiterate like myself.
Coming by your blog is always such a treat!
Lol, thanks a lot Genie.\m/\m/
Awesome pics....Thanks a bunch for sharing....
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