“The Citadel”, one of the structures built by indigenous people who lived here from 500-1200 CE, provides a focus for a nighttime exposure. The Arizona skies are clear except for a cloud condensed by the contrasting air flows over the monument.
15 May 2021
Wupatki National Monument
Flagstaff AZ
Canon EOS 6D with Sigma 14mm f/1.82 sec @ f/2, ISO 3200
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I had another camera in the sunflower field. This one faced south and caught the arcs of stars and planets near the ecliptic. Eventually the full moon entered the scene.
2 September 2020
Otsego MN
Canon EOS 6D with EF 17-40mm(@17mm)
Blended 10 sec intervals at f/4, ISO 800, 1/2 hour elapsed
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When the moon, in its monthly travel around Earth, moves across a bright star, it is called an occultation. On this date, the moon is moving toward the bright star Regulus. Here is a superposed series of pictures taken over 1 hour as Regulus apparently “approaches” and then is eclipsed by the moon.
3 November 2007
Takahashi CN212, Newtonian configuration, f/4
Canon EOS 20Da, ISO 800
1/500 sec, superposition of successive exposures, one minute apart.
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The moon is bright enough to show during broad daylight. Here a nearly full moon is framed by branches of palm trees that line the beaches of Kanapaali. As the day progresses to evening the powerful effect of moonlight will add to the already potent romance of this Hawaiian island.
It had been a late night with an unexpected adrenaline rush at the end, and so it was predictable that after finally settling down, I would sleep well into the next morning. After showering and shaving, the next order of business was to upload the photos from my digital camera and assess my success at the guided exposures from last night.
Unfortunately, my laptop did not recognize any of the raw (.CR2) image files from the camera’s memory card! This was a setback since I was planning to copy the images to the computer, and then reuse the memory card (I only had two of them and the second was filling rapidly).
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I am staying at the Hampton Inn in Kayenta Arizona. It is not your usual traveler’s stopping place that I have become accustomed to in my business travels. It is an attractive contemporary adobe building, tastefully appointed with beautiful Navajo art and artifacts. Gentle native music is piped to the public areas. An interesting Navaho outdoor exhibit is also well presented. The native American flavor is augmented by modern conveniences—full breakfast, wireless internet, pool, patio, and an attractive and comfortable lobby.
Continue readingI was 16 years old when Apollo-11 landed on the moon. Color television had been invented but most TVs were still black and white. I had seen a few color televisions on display and in other homes, but the color was usually awful, partly because the broadcasting signals had to be compatible with black and white sets.
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