logo
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 4 of 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
I know there are BellaOnline readers who live near the Equator or in the southern hemisphere. But most of us are in the northern hemisphere, so this view of the sky is unfamiliar.

I once was able to make a short visit to the southern hemisphere and see the stars shown in the picture. The two bright stars are Alpha and Beta Centauri. (Alpha Centauri is the nearest neighbor to our Solar System.) You can also see the Southern Cross. Since it's a dark sky, the Milky Way is there too.

But there's something else in this sky: lots of yellow streaks. They are real, but the streakiness comes from a long exposure. Sometimes we see star trails in a photo. These are firefly trails!

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 06/08/15 02:54 AM.
Sponsored Post Advertisement
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
An exquisite picture of Mt Rainier, Washington, USA. You can see the Milky Way here, and a green color to the sky that is not an aurora. It's airglow. Unlike aurorae, airglow covers the entire planet and is there all the time, caused by reactions between solar energy and certain air molecules. It's just not visible in daytime due to sunlight, and is hard to spot at night from other light pollution.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 05/05/15 11:10 PM.
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
That's beautiful Mona! Wow! There are certainly some wonders to be seen in the night sky. I need to get myself back out and do some star gazing again one of these days.

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
This isn't an astronomical photo, but rather a meteorological one. It's a breathtaking stormy sky photographed recently in Germany. The lightning and the dramatic clouds are fantastic. The photographer, Jonathan Besler, has captured a splendid panorama. (I can't say that I'm happy with the light pollution in evidence here, though it does add interest to the photo.)

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,671
Chipmunk
Offline
Chipmunk
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,671
Thank you so much Mona for bringing all these great things to my attention. I find myself looking up at the night sky now instead of just drawing the curtains and getting the room darker.


Former Chocolate Editor. Also known as Daisybun.
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
I love that stormy sky. Thanks for sharing Mona! Yes, many thanks for all the wonderful things you have shared.

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
Achoo! There's – achoo! – pollen around. Runny eyes, itchy nose, and pollen coronas. Achoo!

Hang on. Wait a minute. What's a pollen corona?

It's kind of like an ice halo, but it's the alignment of pollen grains in the air that cause the effect, not ice crystals. Ice halos are also big and easy to see, but pollen coronas are much smaller, fainter and closer to the Sun or Moon. This closeness means they get swamped by sunlight or moonlight.

Astronomer Bob King suggests getting something solid in front of you that will block the bright disc of the Sun or Moon, and then letting your eyes get used to the dark. “Look for an oval glow, sometimes tinted with rainbow colors, right up next to the Moon or Sun's edge.” A full Moon in June is a good time to look, he says.

And here's a colorful pollen grain lunar corona.

Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
I'm going to try that tonight. If my brain cooperates with me. smile It seems I need to set things in my cell phone to remember them.

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,915
Likes: 30
Here is a very rare sight, and in an rather unexpected place. It's a sky full of mammatus clouds. These clouds look like little pouches, or indeed breasts. after which they're named. We usually associate them with warm tropic weather, so they were a real surprise on June 4th in Novosibirsk in Siberia. Some people joked about it, but other seemed more serious, in saying that it looked like the end of the world.

Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Chipmunk
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,500
I love the colors. Beautiful clouds.

Page 4 of 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14

Moderated by  Mona - Astronomy 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Brand New Posts
Make It Sew Easier
by Cheryl - Sewing Editor - 03/27/24 04:34 PM
2024 - on this day in the past ...
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/27/24 01:31 PM
Planner Template Kit - Weekly Layout Template
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:39 PM
Planner Template Kit - Yearly Layout Template
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:37 PM
How to Use Digital Planner Template Kit
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:36 PM
Review - 20 Illustrator Color tips Helen Bradley
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:32 PM
March Equinox to June Solstice
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/26/24 12:27 PM
Hobotrader unleashes never seen opportunity with i
by Jamal molla - 03/26/24 11:55 AM
Psalm for the day
by Angie - 03/25/24 09:05 AM
Genealogy, Sort of
by Angie - 03/24/24 05:39 PM
Sponsor
Safety
We take forum safety very seriously here at BellaOnline. Please be sure to read through our Forum Guidelines. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!
Privacy
This forum uses cookies to ensure smooth navigation from page to page of a thread. If you choose to register and provide your email, that email is solely used to get your password to you and updates on any topics you choose to watch. Nothing else. Ask with any questions!


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2022 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5