My wife bought a new-to-us car yesterday, a minivan. We were due to replace her car and she needed a vehicle to help get her dad around. A specific make and model, actually, to accommodate a wheelchair lift in the back. She's been looking for quite some time but it seemed as soon as one became available it sold. She got lucky this weekend and found one online on Friday afternoon, called the dealer, and arranged for a test drive first thing Saturday morning. It's a Dodge, so we are no longer an exclusively Toyota household, but that's okay as long as it fits the bill. Next step is getting the lift installed, and I think once they get it delivered to the shop it will take maybe a week to install. Just in time for the good weather!
We got the grill out and had burgers last night and it was delicious! I had really missed grilled food all winter. Later, I was out by the fire and we had a pretty nice and clear night sky so I managed to get a few shots of the easy to find constellations. Not a bad view for the trees around us and living right in the city, I thought. Of course, I had known the ISS was going to fly by but I totally forgot when I was out there so missed that opportunity. These pics were taken about an hour after. I'll also put a mystery picture after the break. I will entertain guesses as to what it is, but at this time I will neither confirm nor deny!
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Facing SSW, Orion is partially behind the tree.
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| Then facing NNW is Cassiopeia with the North Star in the upper right. And Cassiopeia always points over to.. |
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...the Big Dipper, here in the NNE sky. And the top two stars of the Big Dipper
always form a line that points back to the North Star, out of the shot to the left.
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| The mystery picture! |
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| And just for the heck of it, one of the random Krokus' that pops up in the back yard in Spring. |
8 comments:
Love the start shots....having Orion hanging over the house here is one of the favourite evening sights this time of year.
Funny to see what we call the Plough (The Big Dipper) at that angle, I don't think we ever get it quite that angle with it pointing fully left to the pole star....hmm shall have to check on that!
The mystery picture is at least BW Blue, whatever it is...
I'm amazed by how differently angled the constellations are just 300 miles north. The Milky Way visible here again this week - too cloudy or too Moony the last few weeks.
Both of us being in the northern hemisphere, I would think our views would be similar. just at different times of the day, Nic. But I'm certainly no expert.
I will always envy your view of the sky, BW!
It used to be like it is at Coven Nord, at Coven Sud, 20-odd years ago, but has slowly disappeared as the developers have destroyed the countryside, and brought light pollution. I'm amazed that you can take such good pictures of the sky as there must be quite a lot of artifical light around you?
Is it latitude and longitude combining that gives the different constellation orientations? I've no idea either, but just a thought!
Just taking a regular picture only shows black. I used the night vision feature on my phone so I have to hold still for several seconds. It makes houses and trees look brighter than actual from the ambient city lights, but if I held still it captures the stars nicely. Many don't turn out because I moved, so I'll take several so some will surely turn out. But I still may not take as many as you, BW!
And neither of us take as many as NiC I suspect Scoakat!
I miss his damsel fly (and other nature) pictures (hint hint NiC ;))
Excellent pictures and I have made a note that my next mobile will have a night vision feature.
There is too much light pollution around here. Perhaps a trip to the Wolds one cloudless night and see what can be seen from there as well as any photos.
Thank you. And yes, picture taking is fun. After we get more normal and you can visit old churches like you've talked about, I look forward to those pictures!
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