Multi-day horseback riding tour
Here are some images from the first multi-day horseback riding trip that I accompanied as a guide. Trying to take pictures while the horse was walking was a bit of a challenge
Lunar Eclipse
A total lunar eclipse happened today, April 4, 2015, shortly before sunrise. The total phase lasted less than five minutes, making it the shortest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century. Well, for me it was even shorter. Due to the high mountain ranges surrounding the Hacienda, I only got a glimpse of the beginning total phase before the moon disappeared behind a mountain.
Severe weather
On March 24th the northern part of Chile was hit by intense rains and thunderstorms that lead to heavy mudflows. Our area was affected as well, but we were lucky. Our Internet and cell phone coverage was lost for a week, but we had water and electricity, and the main road remained accessible most of the time.
A visit to Tololo
A wonderful visit to Cerro Tololo together with Friedhelm and Horia, two astro-photographers from Germany. The site was quite spectacular, as was the road leading to it (approx. 80 km, 72 of which were unpaved and at times very rough). And, in case you are wondering - yes, I drove.
Omega Centauri
An image of Omega Centauri, the largest - and in my view also the most beautiful - globular cluster in the Milky Way. Omega Centauri has a diameter of 150 light years, and contains some 10 million stars (haven't counted them yet
The Eta Carinae Nebula
My first try at a deep sky object, the Eta Carinae Nebula, a large and bright emission nebula located in the constellation Carina. The image was shot at 1600 mm, f/8, using an 8" refractor telescope as lens.
A door to the sky
As new buildings are added to the observatory site, the basic framework (including the doors with keys) is already done, while the remaining structure is yet to be completed.
Startrails
Startrails around the Southern celestial pole. The image is a composite of 73 single images.
