Milky Way and Zodiacal Light
The band of the Milky Way stretches nicely across this pre-dawn fisheye view. The noticeable round dot in the Milky Way is the bright planet Jupiter. The light pillar extending from the horizon toward the Milky Way is the zodiacal light. And what appears to be a smudge on the bottom right hand of the image, is in fact the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), an irregular dwarf galaxy that can
Morning Planets
Another morning meant another opportunity to catch the lovely show of the planets. As the moon was quite literally out of the picture, the rather faint glow of the zodiacal light was visible. The zodiacal light is a pillar of light that is visible in the east just before sunrise during fall in the Southern Hemisphere.A few minutes later dawn set in, and Mercury became visible above the
Foggy Morning
While chasing the planets in the early morning hours, I was captivated by a continuously rising sea of fog that eventually swallowed everything (including my anticipated view of the rising sun). More pics
Planet Show
These days the early bird not only catches the worm, but a lovely show of the planets, as they parade along the ecliptic (the apparent path that the sun, moon and planets follow in the Earth's sky). The next two days the waning crescent moon will cuddle up with Venus and Mercury respectively before doing its disappearing act on new moon.Please be aware that this image was taken in the
Rough Roads
While traveling on the main road that connects the Elqui valley with the Hurtado valley I came upon this damaged bridge. I am not scared easily but when I saw this fragile construction I held my breath. After a quick scan I hit the gas and drove across rather quickly (hoping that it would crash behind me, if it were to collapse). Having arrived safely at the other side, I
Jewels of the Southern Sky
This beautiful nightscape above the derelict church of Serón features many of the well-known objects of the southern sky: the bright stars Alpha and Beta Centauri, the Southern Cross, the Coalsack Nebula, the Magellanic Clouds as well as the globular clusters Omega Centauri and 47 TUC.
Rodeo in Pichasca
Rodeos in Chile differ markedly from those in the US. In Chilean rodeo, a team consisting of two riders and two horses ride laps around an arena trying to stop a calf, pinning it against large cushions. Only if they pin the calf at an exactly defined spot can they gain points. The rodeo in Pichasca is the biggest of the local rodeos. It lasts four days and attracts
Trail to El Cepo
My daughter and I went on a three-day horseback ride to the lagoon El Cepo, which is located in the Chilean cordillera at approx. 3000 meters. Although the ride was a little strenuous at times (especially for the mule), the lagoon and the surrounding area was quite spectacular. See all the pics