Friday Night Photos Eyes On The Sky Edition

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 5:00pm

Happy Friday everyone. I hope everybody is doing well. Post any photos, memes, or music you like.

Last Saturday I drove up to Mount Palomar and toured Palomar Observatory. The observatory sits at about 5600ft elevation and has 4 telescopes, 18-inch, 48-inch, 60-inch and 200-inch. All but the 18-inch are still in use today. It's amazing how large a 200-inch telescope is. It makes my 6-inch Celestron telescope look like a child's toy.
The weather was beautiful, the drive in the mountains was enjoyable and the tour was informative. All in all a very good day.

Here's a few links that can explain things better than I can.
https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/about/history.html
https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/about/telescopes.html

Diagram of the telescope. The yellow lines with black arrows show the path of light as it enters the telescope and is reflected from the mirror to the prime focus cage. From the focus cage the light is sent down the tube in the center of the mirror to the recording instrumentation mounted below the mirror

Instrument cage mounted to the bottom of the mirror

Somewhere out there, there is intelligent life. I still have my doubts about intelligent life here on earth.

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Submitted by QMS on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 6:25pm

your shots of the big eye in the sky

are amazing. Looks like what I see when dissecting a carburetor

Since we are close to July, want to share anticipation of the annual
return of the fireflies ..

bright eyes

tanks man - stop the wars

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 7:30pm

Hi, QMS.

@QMS
Nice shot of the Firefly. It's one of those critters we don't get here but I did get a chance to see them years ago during a trip to New York in late spring.
Love the AP selection.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:21pm

Hi Q

@QMS

Lucky you to get to experience firefly season in NE!

One of my most memorable experiences was walking through a field of grasses toward the waters edge moments after sunset when the NE sky turns soft blues and pinks. Then all of a sudden there were thousands of faint bright lights. It was wow. Even seeing a single firefly is a wonder.

Enjoy!

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:38pm

It is like magic

@janis b

stepping out into the night and being treated to the silent signals
broadcast in the air. A visual reminder of the wonders around us.

time lapse photo

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:02pm

Thank you for the magical photo

@QMS

Funny enough, just this week a friend who spent a few years in America said to me, "one of the things I miss most from my time in America are the fireflies". There are none here.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:04pm

Hi Social

The image at sunset is a wonder-full photo. You must have enjoyed being there at those moments when everything is transformed. It also brings to mind a scene from some quirky film.

Too bad you can't visit the observatory at night. Is the sunset photo taken in the neighbourhood of the observatory? It's a very memorable image.

Thank you for sharing and hosting.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:06pm

Hi, Janis

@janis b
The last image was taken at 9:45 at night in the desert at Ocotillo Wells about an hours drive east of the observatory. The glow on the horizon is from the lights of El Centro and Brawley.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:39pm

Thanks Social for the orientation

@Socialprogressive

One can get lost in a photo of that nature.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:27pm

Some textures of sand and water

Have a good weekend all

Submitted by QMS on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:40pm

The way you capture the flow

@janis b

presents as a ghost of fish in the sand
beautiful

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 9:51pm

Thank you very much

@QMS

I appreciate your poetic associations.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:13pm

Very nice textures and sand, Janis

@janis b
I agree with QMS, these have a ghost in sand quality about them. Very intriguing.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:43pm

I hope they

@Socialprogressive

conjure up benign ghosts.

Cheers

Submitted by snoopydawg on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 10:50pm

Wow!

@janis b

I too love the way the you captured the light on the sand. I’ve never seen sand art like what you get to see so often. You really ought to think of selling your sand art prints. I can see these 4 in a grouping.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Submitted by janis b on Fri, 06/30/2023 - 11:58pm

Hi snoopy

@snoopydawg

You have always enjoyed the sand drawings I find here. I don't know how many times I've walked on this beach, and each time it always feels fresh. It's not difficult to find interesting patterns, and the light is often quite special.

I do consider printing some for our next local exhibition, planned for February.

Here is how it looked as I was leaving in the rain that day. The light on the water and in the air was very green, more than I was able to capture.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 11:24am

Yep I do

@janis b

I’m drawn to your sand art and have been since you posted the first one that you sent to me years ago. Maybe they sing to my soul, but whatever it is I so enjoy them. I’d love to see them in person, but alas the chances are slim.

—

Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Submitted by janis b on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 11:12pm

I'd be happy

@snoopydawg

to send you a print when I make prints.

It's a direct overnight flight from LA to Auckland, but unfortunately Sam would not be able to accompany you. That makes it impossible. At least it is somewhat satisfying to share images of our environments.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 11:44pm

Yeah no traveling without the Sam

@janis b

I just couldn’t stand to be separated from her. We seem to get closer every day and she comes up with new ways to tell me how much I mean to her. Now if I give her a hug while getting up she stands up and puts pressure on my neck to push me back down so she can snuggle on my neck.

As for the light you had that day it reminds me of when I was in the Bay Area and it started raining. I started home, but then saw how the light was playing on things and turned around and went on a hike and got the best pictures. It’s on my other iPad and I can’t get it here right now but I’ll look for a way and post it next week. One of my favorites.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Submitted by janis b on Sun, 07/02/2023 - 2:00am

What a beautiful collision

@snoopydawg

Submitted by orlbucfan on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 12:48pm

FWIW, I hope everyone is hunkered down

in a cool, clean air spot. Nope, the Canadian wildfires haven't affected me this far south, but it is HOT! Sp, speaking of space, I watched the launch of the Euclid Space Telescope this am. It is primarily a European Space project, but NASA provided advice, launch site--Cape Canaveral, and Space X rocket. Perfect weather and launch. I love your Palomar series. You bet this NASA brat knows about Palomar. I recall the fireflies from my very young days in DC and the MD suburbs. They don't exist down here in Dumbsville. jb, how do you do it? Your pictures always make me think of paintings. I'm not an artist, but I know talent, and that's why I am a regular here every week. You all behave. LOL. Rec'd!!

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 4:51pm

Hi, orlbucfan

@orlbucfan
NASA has some great accomplishments over the years. For me, putting a man on the moon tops the list.
Photographing a rocket launch from the cape is on my bucket list.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 11:25pm

"Inner and Outer Space: The Final Frontiers"

@orlbucfan

You said it! They seem like opposite poles, but they are connected.

Thank you for your appreciation of my art. I hope it connects the inner and outer.

Submitted by orlbucfan on Sun, 07/02/2023 - 6:35am

It does, believe me.

@janis b

—

Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

Submitted by janis b on Mon, 07/03/2023 - 12:16am

I believe you,

@orlbucfan

and thanks for being receptive.

I hope your climate behaves itself.

Submitted by dystopian on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 4:02pm

Hi pixelators

Hi all,

Sorry I missed y'all last night... too busy with work, and doing so now...

Great Palomar pics SP! Last time I was there was maybe '81, camped at the state park in order to hear a Saw-whet Owl in San Diego county. Don't think there is anywhere else to do so. Love that habitat in the pines up there. Some big trees and nice forest. They have a nice set of scopes too...

Was a restaurant called Las Palmas in Brawley, where all birders ate for 50 years.

Firefly are beetles of course, just in case any unawares. At youtube search Synchronous Firefly, a species in I know Tenn. and the Smokies, not sure where all they are found. There are 150-200 species in the U.S. Ours at 100W x 30 N fly later April to late June. And again in fall.

Janis, I thought of a name for your book of photos of imprints and impressions in the sand: Lines in the Sand. Beautiful work as always!

Thanks all!

—

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

Submitted by QMS on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 5:12pm

a good descriptor

@dystopian

lines in the sand

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 5:30pm

Nice selection

@QMS
Thanks, QMS.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 5:21pm

Hi, dystopian

@dystopian
Glad you're able to take a break from work and stop by, otherwise I won't have learned that a firefly is a beetle. I just assumed from the name it was a fly. Don't work to hard. Hope the heat's not to bad where you are.

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by janis b on Sat, 07/01/2023 - 11:35pm

Hi dystopian

@dystopian

Thank you for your response to my photos. It's quite a nice feeling to imagine a book of Lines in the Sand.

I trust your environment continues to entertain. I hope everyone is managing the heat well enough.