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Sunday, November 15, 2015

Orion (constellation) Astrophotography

His head is made of stars, but not yet arranged into constellations. 

-- Elias Canetti


One of the most recognizable constellations in the sky is Orion. There is my collection of Orion astrophotography from different counties. 

Orion Constellation Astrophotography Israel
Orion Constellation Astrophotography Culebra Island Puerto Rico


Orion Constellation and Northern Light Island Astrophotography

Orion Nebula M42 Urban NYC Astrophotography

Orion Constellation Astrophotography
Constellation Orion Israel Astrophotography from Kfar Szold Kibbutz

Constellation Orion Astrophotography Puerto Rico

Friday, November 6, 2015

Green Sky Utah Airglow Astrophotography Canon 60Da

The sky is green, the night is dark - as simple as possible. This photo was done at Bryce Canyon, Utah. Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Green Sky Utah Airglow Astrophotography Canon 60Da
The natural moonless night sky is dark but not black; it is not even blue (no scattering light from sun and moon). Earth atmosphere  emits green, red, orange, yellow light- Airglow!

About 60% of the natural brightness of the night sky at zenith is made up of Airglow. Maximum brightest usually appears at about 10-15 degrees above the horizon, because of the greater the depth of atmosphere at this angle. Airglow is not always uniform. Gravity waves may create considerable variation of Airglow brightness.

You can see Airglow only in real dark sky, but naked eye could not recognize colors. Photos with long exposure able get the colors of Airglow.

The usually dominant color of airglow is green originated from molecular oxygen at 90 to 100 km high. Orange and reddish hue caused by atomic oxygen in 150-300 km above the ground, Yellow light comes from sodium atoms in a layer at about 90 km.

Friday, October 23, 2015

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Constellation Wide Field Astrophotography



There is my small collection of the Big Dipper photos. The photos were done from different places on the Earth, so even it is the same constellation it looks different.

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Yellowstone Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Grand Teton Astrophotography

Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Yellowstone Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Puerto Rico Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Bryce Canyon Astrophotography

Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Puerto Rico Astrophotography


The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) New York Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Catskills NY Astrophotography

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Utah Astrophotography

The sky calls to us.
If we do not destroy ourselves,
we will one day venture to the stars.
--Carl Sagan


Utah is one of the best places for landscape Astrophotography in USA and maybe one of top 10 in the word. It has true and excellent amazing dark sky.

Utah Astrophotography - Milky Way and Airglow over Road
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Eruption of  Milky Way Utah Landscape Astrophotography
Airglow and Milky Way Utah Landscape Astrophotography
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 23sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400
Night Parking Utah Landscape Astrophotography
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 15sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Natural Color of Night Sky - Airglow and Big Dipper Utah Astrophotography
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 21sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400
 

Night sky observation with the Astronomy Rangers at Bryce Canyon National Park
Martian landscape from Bryce Canyon
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400
Milky Road
 Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Utah Backyard Astrophotography

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Airglow Astrophotography - Bryce Canyon National Park - Sunset Point

Night sky with green Airglow, the Milky Way, Seven Sisters and Andromeda Galaxy is on the top; hoodoos, caused by erosion over many millennia are on bottom.  This photo was done from my trip to Bryce Canyon in Sunset Point.

Airglow Astrophotography in Bryce Canyon National Park
Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

On this picture you can see a lot of green color on the sky. If this is real color or just effect of camera filter? This question directly connected to other question “What is natural color of night sky?”

I started to learn astronomy many years ago reading the book with black and white pictures. So in these books I didn't see color picture of the natural sky. Most of time I was living in big city with a lot of light pollution, and I am not able to see natural color of sky.

Still remember when first time recognize that some starts has color and after that read article about color of stars cannot be green. After that article I assumed that green color is very rear on the sky. But this is not correct.

Most of Comet Tails has green color. Some Nebular are green too. Northern Light mostly has green colors. But Northern Light visible only near North Pole, comets are rear so still assume that this green colors are exceptions. When I started see Internet picture I saw a lot of strange colors so assuming that these is Photoshop. Especially after reading article how to remove light pollution in Photoshop. And only made some my own pictures I recognized that green color from Airglow effect is gives a lot of green on the natural sky. So a green color is pretty common on the natural sky too.

This photo got about 1.5K likes on National Parks Traveler Facebook

National Parks Traveler Facebook Astrophotography

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 Brooklyn New York

Total Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 Brooklyn New York


Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 4 sec; f/5.6; ISO 640

Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 New York Brooklyn
Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 1 sec; f/5.6; ISO 640

Super Blood Moon New York City
Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 1 sec; f/9; ISO 320
Lunar Eclipse New York City

Cloudy Lunar Eclipse Brooklyn Astronomy

Cloudy Total Lunar Eclipse
Between clouds Total Lunar Eclipse

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Utah Astrophotography and Astronomy - Bryce Canyon National Park - Milky Way



The entrance sign to Bryce Canyon National park has amazing location – especially under the Milky Way with green Airglow night sky. 

Utah Astrophotography and Astronomy - Bryce Canyon National Park - Milky Way
 Canon 60Da, Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO-6400, F3.5; 30 sec

This photo got first place in AstronomyForum.net 3rd quarter 2015 competition in Nightscape Category
Astronomy Forum Winner 3rd Quarter 2015 Nightscape Category


 

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Milky Way over Sunset Point of Bryce Canyon - Astrophotography

A still more glorious dawn awaits.
Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise.
A morning filled with 400 billion suns, the rising of the milky way.

Carl Sagan


This photo is from my trip to Bryce Canyon. It is continue my serious of night sky photos from National Parks. Bryce Canyon night sky is really very dark – you can see it from photo where the starry sky has natural green color – result of Airglow.

Photo is panorama of 7 shots; it is done in Sunset Point – Milky Way over Hoodoos.  Duration of one shot was 30 seconds, Camera – Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, F/3.5;   ISO 6400.

Milky Way over Sunset Point of Bryce Canyon - Astrophotography

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

White Lake, New York - Astrophotography

All these photos were done in New York Upstate Catskill Mountains near White Lake London Cottages Resort.  Canon 60Da with Ultra Wide Angle Canon Lens EF 16 35mm f2.8L II U.

Night Reflection - White Lake, Catskill, New York
London Cottages at night - White Lake Catskill New York Upstate
Cloudy Night Sky at Catskill Mountains NY Upstate
Trees and Starry Night - Canon 60Da
Catskill  Bungalows White Lake NY Upstate Night Sky Astrophotography
New York Milky Way
Night Road and Starry Sky