Blog

Yes, we do have clouds here. And if the moon joins them they can create interesting effects such as a moon halo or a lunar corona. A moon halo is a large ring (with a radius of approx. 22 °) around the moon. A lunar corona is much smaller and consists of several concentric colored rings around the moon. 

Moonlight and clouds: Neither one is cherished by astrophotographers. Nevertheless, they can provide a picturesque setting.Scorpius and Saturn are rising above the hills, while Alpha and Beta Centauri shine to the right and point towards the Southern Cross.

The waxing crescent Moon on April 22, 2015, with 17% of the Moon's surface illuminated.The light that is visible on the part of the moon that is not brightly illuminated, is called Earthshine. The best times to observe the Earthshine is during the waxing or waning crescent phase of the Moon.Moon and Venus shortly after sunset.

The young moon setting on the evening of April 20, 2015. The image is a 100 percent crop of a photo shot at 189 mm.

My first attempt at the Trifid Nebula (or M20), a prominent object in the constellation Sagittarius. This nebula is a rare combination of three nebulae types: an emission nebula (the lower, red portion), a reflection nebula (the upper, blue portion) and a dark nebula (the 'gaps' within the emission nebula that cause the specific appearance and give it its name). The image is a single shot (106 sec. at ISO

Scorpius rising in all its glory. The bright "star" on the far left is actually not a star, but the ring planet Saturn. The prominent reddish star is Antares, also known as the Heart of the Scorpion. The red dot in the left hand corner is the signal of a local cellular tower.

My analog Hasselblad performing under the starry skies of Chile.It's new moon and the observatory is buzzing.