tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91901219576462967562024-02-20T12:33:07.295-05:00Stellar Neophyte Astronomy BlogMy learn-by-doing astronomy and astrophotography blog and observing journalEric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.comBlogger555125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-75896069080076046872021-08-11T22:17:00.005-04:002021-08-30T06:46:36.229-04:00Kree Skrull Alliance Circle Logo for Emperor Hulkling<p>I recognize that this is extremely nerdy and not entirely astronomy related (although not NOT astronomy related) but I haven't seen a high quality version of this anywhere online so I decided to make one myself and post it in case anyone else is looking for it. If you read Marvel comics, this is the concentric circle logo for the Kree Skrull Alliance, basically the emblem for Emperor Hulkling's reign as Dorrek VIII, King of Space.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwynNc-dFr3FMvALtZbPLF1qmHfwAujx23ehBqYXPvBZEQ29lToxtYSq4y33ftyqYKwDGSQj0kC2hIP57t6lu7t7OXyBbbifaISKFh0ajN9_v6ApZn0ozCrIe8j8iltKXL7eI4-nHjGXyR/s1000/kree+skrull+alliance+circle+logo.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kree Skrull Alliance Circle Logo for Emperor Hulkling" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwynNc-dFr3FMvALtZbPLF1qmHfwAujx23ehBqYXPvBZEQ29lToxtYSq4y33ftyqYKwDGSQj0kC2hIP57t6lu7t7OXyBbbifaISKFh0ajN9_v6ApZn0ozCrIe8j8iltKXL7eI4-nHjGXyR/w400-h400/kree+skrull+alliance+circle+logo.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for full size version</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>And then here's one with a transparent background:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4HvMiTCjBIVe_AjfD3zBwJeMLwyH8BBkS7862f7LMev6OtcKn8GP-CLexxVXxPjIUF7OebPXRNv1Dyzo-i3v2hz3RnIgWOKLjqhqSRVBoRUefAtHz_RUzz7ukL29x3Qrr8gTcoaYXWJo/s1000/kree+skrull+alliance+circle+logo+transparent.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kree Skrull Alliance Circle Logo for Emperor Hulkling" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4HvMiTCjBIVe_AjfD3zBwJeMLwyH8BBkS7862f7LMev6OtcKn8GP-CLexxVXxPjIUF7OebPXRNv1Dyzo-i3v2hz3RnIgWOKLjqhqSRVBoRUefAtHz_RUzz7ukL29x3Qrr8gTcoaYXWJo/w400-h400/kree+skrull+alliance+circle+logo+transparent.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for full size version</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I'm not sure if Blogger is compressing the colors or something because they look a little bit off but close enough. I got the color straight from the swatches in the design. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTO0YL1wBkW-ktwLdY5wKEq1fTm6aWq1KU2YLhIW2FjWxpQaxnlDp9gu_5nlE3T-FS8sb2RU3unzxjdMMFq74CgvhdRFn6FLzb5AA9hRAQsCEFgl51fNFpJYdcKW-6mzmrxI-3Lnk-6V/s900/Kree+Skrull+army+character+design+Valerio+Schiti.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTO0YL1wBkW-ktwLdY5wKEq1fTm6aWq1KU2YLhIW2FjWxpQaxnlDp9gu_5nlE3T-FS8sb2RU3unzxjdMMFq74CgvhdRFn6FLzb5AA9hRAQsCEFgl51fNFpJYdcKW-6mzmrxI-3Lnk-6V/w400-h400/Kree+Skrull+army+character+design+Valerio+Schiti.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>According to the <a href="https://twitter.com/ValerioSchiti/status/1233398640904941569" target="_blank">original design by Valerio Schiti</a>, inker on the Empyre books, the logo is a planet with two orbiting rings around it as viewed from above to represent "2 people 1 goal". </p><p>Well anyway, I hope I saved someone out there a few minutes of searching to have these more readily available online. Enjoy!</p><p>Here is a slightly different color and size that I saw in S.W.O.R.D. #7 (a great Hulkling issue, no spoilers). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIGjKeMqtnLTJKMBGvdwD-AFny7zV63tEsJfhZCKQXscL1XUxavahofX4OpTcXrj_kmaxiVl_YViwiQsazitQXiaqw1n6G9idTc-hGC3NrfD6TbI80vuMuRkxpdn6iUlg9jT3msTJGtf6/s1125/kree+skrull+alliance+logo+sword+color+match.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="marvel kree skrull alliance logo hulkling colors" border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIGjKeMqtnLTJKMBGvdwD-AFny7zV63tEsJfhZCKQXscL1XUxavahofX4OpTcXrj_kmaxiVl_YViwiQsazitQXiaqw1n6G9idTc-hGC3NrfD6TbI80vuMuRkxpdn6iUlg9jT3msTJGtf6/w320-h320/kree+skrull+alliance+logo+sword+color+match.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKQs8imuG1z2_YmGZCI71t_plMItGpr2ocVhZPe-HBBr1O6g9OCAu8Ib-w0MIc7rKTTRJH3nq6yXYKSKo2sGcEHdGm5amc0x_C2GqbvuWWeTDugdNREX94mfWP7qkvwvpW1g6JvC0t19D/s4032/IMG_2396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKQs8imuG1z2_YmGZCI71t_plMItGpr2ocVhZPe-HBBr1O6g9OCAu8Ib-w0MIc7rKTTRJH3nq6yXYKSKo2sGcEHdGm5amc0x_C2GqbvuWWeTDugdNREX94mfWP7qkvwvpW1g6JvC0t19D/s320/IMG_2396.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-24540052921246805172021-05-23T11:43:00.001-04:002021-05-23T11:43:48.889-04:00May 2021 Lunar Eclipse Clickbait<p>I have a love/hate relationship with local news outlets capitalizing on astronomical events. Do I want the public to be interested in what's happening in the night sky above them? Absolutely! But I feel like hijacking this fascination with downright misleading headlines and articles is not only dishonest, but actually makes <a href="https://www.ericteske.com/2014/10/my-first-total-lunar-eclipse-october-8.html">the real thing</a> seem more commonplace. </p><p>Check out these tweets:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35AUUzx_V-pJAd9RH_A9Ixy3WBaCz-MQ8Sh7uM-5klBrpNikkJh9ChVj_gEK1n4IWbZR6ixC3I7kWPFJqQ-VszxyyD7wS3TafVXub8jzsfgVkq9BIyxHVUXhVFj3z0dgq6vdhctbU5g3x/s1190/abc7+chicago+lunar+eclipse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tweet about the may 26 lunar eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1190" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35AUUzx_V-pJAd9RH_A9Ixy3WBaCz-MQ8Sh7uM-5klBrpNikkJh9ChVj_gEK1n4IWbZR6ixC3I7kWPFJqQ-VszxyyD7wS3TafVXub8jzsfgVkq9BIyxHVUXhVFj3z0dgq6vdhctbU5g3x/w400-h356/abc7+chicago+lunar+eclipse.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"How to see it"? Simple, just move to Colorado</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkY_Lku37pynTVOpJR43LnXY2tZdKYJrBnpfkKB7oK6FU192V5IIwTEdqk34PG0twONZIubmeIB1YryrYCtGLUFrzy3YXs5ymiVjjU_7VizIsQZUKxYvJ0iHmOtJSyb0YFK4hQb26bhik/s1188/wrtv+indianapolis+lunar+eclipse+tweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tweet about may 2021 lunar eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1188" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkY_Lku37pynTVOpJR43LnXY2tZdKYJrBnpfkKB7oK6FU192V5IIwTEdqk34PG0twONZIubmeIB1YryrYCtGLUFrzy3YXs5ymiVjjU_7VizIsQZUKxYvJ0iHmOtJSyb0YFK4hQb26bhik/w400-h324/wrtv+indianapolis+lunar+eclipse+tweet.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes "mark your calendar" for 7:00am but the moon sets at 6:26am</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p>Most articles I've seen are at least helpful in linking to the end-all-be-all eclipse resource <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/">timeanddate.com</a>, which has interactive maps and guides for not just the <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2021-may-26">May 26 eclipse</a>, but all future eclipses. </p><p>Here is the timeanddate.com <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/indianapolis">eclipse page for Indianapolis</a> that shows everything we have coming up.</p><p>The landing page for the May 26 eclipse that has an <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2021-may-26">interactive map</a> where you can search for what to expect in different cities. The helpful icon shows the maximum eclipse visible before the moon sets, and lists times for each phase (and whether the moon is below the horizon). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGDr38snFt78VO0g2x3hiLLs0CwNjSQR694KJDS5W1DB0PsQzBFgj9-n227o4TlcqN261w57D6gRu90fZHz5j2-pCwQj8aNhKLW6m1Z9wkKug0bu9dodfeCDi65P9O94AzDAVU8ixzkTY/s2418/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+11.31.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="map of lunar eclipse with search function" border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="2418" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMGDr38snFt78VO0g2x3hiLLs0CwNjSQR694KJDS5W1DB0PsQzBFgj9-n227o4TlcqN261w57D6gRu90fZHz5j2-pCwQj8aNhKLW6m1Z9wkKug0bu9dodfeCDi65P9O94AzDAVU8ixzkTY/w400-h215/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+11.31.11+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Basically this post is a big fan plug for timeanddate.com, it's seriously awesome!</p><p>You can also preview the eclipse in different night sky apps, like <a href="http://stellarium.org/">Stellarium</a> (which is totally free). In this image I was able to generate a simulation of what the eclipse would look like from my exact location in Noblesville. This is what the lunar eclipse will look like in Noblesville on May 26, 2021 at 6:00am:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoLF-2KsXRimmHCG0QRBpavqzW4b57UehEszpmdYt0tOshcPL5SHySzCtMnSmIiEer1Y6e54FmVii-_uhcl1yFQacoGf9xotamYUO-cuLW-JZJIzfnsh_BEVUBx4BJXToiOl8BmE9zoMH/s1730/May+26+2021+lunar+eclipse+from+indiana.png" imageanchor="1"><img alt="what the lunar eclipse will look like in Indianapolis on May 26, 2021" border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="1730" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoLF-2KsXRimmHCG0QRBpavqzW4b57UehEszpmdYt0tOshcPL5SHySzCtMnSmIiEer1Y6e54FmVii-_uhcl1yFQacoGf9xotamYUO-cuLW-JZJIzfnsh_BEVUBx4BJXToiOl8BmE9zoMH/w400-h378/May+26+2021+lunar+eclipse+from+indiana.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This shows at 6:00am the moon will be a little more than 3° above the horizon, and remember that your <a href="https://www.ericteske.com/2014/10/three-methods-to-measure-elevation-of.html">pinky fingernail held at arm's length is about 1° elevation</a>, so you'd need a very unobstructed view of the horizon. </p><p>So if you are really excited about a partial lunar eclipse low to the horizon on May 26 in Indiana, great! But if you were expecting to gaze up at a blood red moon overhead, now you can sleep in. </p>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-25108079952762891542021-02-22T20:40:00.000-05:002021-02-22T20:40:01.273-05:00Using RGB Channel Data to Process Raw Images from Mars Perseverance Rover<p>Learn something new everyday! I was just scrolling on Twitter when I saw my astronomy crush Will Gater <a href="https://twitter.com/willgater/status/1363987126875004928" target="_blank">tweet</a> about using the <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/" target="_blank">raw black and white images from the Perseverance Rover</a> on Mars to create colored images. Here's how to do it yourself, and a little about how it works.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6VzQNi560TQQlrXDqohlPou6eCwyhygwKJ0q7UjstzsYKUvKO_YOHlHwfG3BdnJccIhSfSue8YvUhwtrkwz6rwwYH5dF2LkJoeF0OG4CjeyZV-TBbQTsy3jhYRHz2wT5bwtMwRbPXEA0/s1280/Using+RGB+Channel+Data+to+Process+Raw+Images+from+Mars+Perseverance+Rover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Using RGB Channel Data to Process Raw Images from Mars Perseverance Rover" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6VzQNi560TQQlrXDqohlPou6eCwyhygwKJ0q7UjstzsYKUvKO_YOHlHwfG3BdnJccIhSfSue8YvUhwtrkwz6rwwYH5dF2LkJoeF0OG4CjeyZV-TBbQTsy3jhYRHz2wT5bwtMwRbPXEA0/w400-h300/Using+RGB+Channel+Data+to+Process+Raw+Images+from+Mars+Perseverance+Rover.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My color processed image from Mars!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Any 24-bit color image is really made up of 3 individual 8-bit images - one for red, one for green, and one for blue (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_(digital_image)">Wikipedia</a>). These are referred to as RGB channel data. But how can a black and white image represent a color? The black and white images show how prominent the color is - the white represents the color and the black represents the absence of the color. So the brighter the image, the more of that color is present. </p><p>All you have to do to get a color photo out of the individual 8-bit images is the combine them. All the information is already right there, you just have to tell the computer which black and white image represents which color channel. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cQ5CUvkA3bg876jR9y_vv_LP-vO5BdIKTvuLXMKvoTsoxC1Hv3dZ2QXmwSGjMYtYqP60RPasVYaTfIYSRuFqkmyJW3bzyhzBECcJv1uxi1L15bQHcPDslfWgP6fJ70UZFnHdp2g1kmpz/s2376/rgb+channels.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="combine black and white photos for red blue green color image in photoshop" border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="2376" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cQ5CUvkA3bg876jR9y_vv_LP-vO5BdIKTvuLXMKvoTsoxC1Hv3dZ2QXmwSGjMYtYqP60RPasVYaTfIYSRuFqkmyJW3bzyhzBECcJv1uxi1L15bQHcPDslfWgP6fJ70UZFnHdp2g1kmpz/w400-h89/rgb+channels.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Alright so the first thing you need is raw RGB channel images from Mars. Luckily NASA has tons of free images that you can use. After all, your taxes paid to get this rover to Mars in the first place. Here's a link to the page where you can download raw images: <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/">https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/</a></p><p>I just looked for 3 of the same image in the gallery assuming the 3 nearly identical images go together to create one color photo. The next bit took me a second, which one is which color? It's a safe bet that if you have a photo of the red soil that red should be the brightest image. I played around with it for a bit and then realized the photos are actually labeled in the file name. Here are the 3 raw images I used to make my photo: <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/NLR_0002_0667130086_514ECM_N0010052AUT_04096_00_2I3J01" target="_blank">Red</a>, <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/NLG_0002_0667130097_156ECM_N0010052AUT_04096_00_2I3J01">Green</a>, <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/NLB_0002_0667130127_539ECM_N0010052AUT_04096_00_2I3J01">Blue</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6stxtFFzaOeh4p0l9V_6tgl-sLwOxeMUa7PNagJ3E9ZNS_nkbAynunt8VL8nhGARmywzviqEaIwUdJACxfzl-HM0-WTyRJE-CS_-rIkEKDKYpZyusJijjPYcV37mo8inYkwvB_tqY1-kH/s1066/mono+color+layers+label.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="combine black and white nasa photos into color image" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1066" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6stxtFFzaOeh4p0l9V_6tgl-sLwOxeMUa7PNagJ3E9ZNS_nkbAynunt8VL8nhGARmywzviqEaIwUdJACxfzl-HM0-WTyRJE-CS_-rIkEKDKYpZyusJijjPYcV37mo8inYkwvB_tqY1-kH/w400-h180/mono+color+layers+label.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Next, assign the images to the RGB channel layers in Photoshop. This is actually really easy. I watched this <a href="https://youtu.be/INKD45kdML4" target="_blank">helpful video</a>, but I think I can just show you in screen shots.</p><p>First open all 3 images. Start with the red image (says NLR in file name) and then go to the Channel tab in the bottom right. All 3 channels are the same because this is a black and white image. All you have to do is copy the green image and paste it into the green tab, copy the blue image and paste it into the blue tab, and that's it!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5sUw13hOVHUEnXhn4kI-cIKr6V1kkz3fAvV6K-LqIr1i0JJFkd7bwuYPnNDl_-awIf_H1lzeqLZ8ymC0-G7bznSIud6SZ5zLXHqFbSIwpPAOnRRNsCOG9yWTvQ_VHEy37cscCKlPE8GQ/s1334/photoshop+rgb+channel+tab.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="use channels tab in photoshop to combine RGB layers" border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1334" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5sUw13hOVHUEnXhn4kI-cIKr6V1kkz3fAvV6K-LqIr1i0JJFkd7bwuYPnNDl_-awIf_H1lzeqLZ8ymC0-G7bznSIud6SZ5zLXHqFbSIwpPAOnRRNsCOG9yWTvQ_VHEy37cscCKlPE8GQ/w400-h210/photoshop+rgb+channel+tab.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the Channel tab then click on a layer to paste the image for that color. If you started with the red image, you only have to paste blue and green to complete it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKDnwzJHnScFUCSEhlrE11R6utcRnA3afZD9lSGP8pMyoXfJpG2ljajtkTDXjQNtpIaK873w4f4K4xtNfM_4h9J7BI4looujxnEbMKfEh54_M1IH9xp9lViYzvVRcs_rUvdJRvTYeoiPw/s1384/Screen+Shot+2021-02-22+at+8.34.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="combined RGB channel layers in photoshop" border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1384" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKDnwzJHnScFUCSEhlrE11R6utcRnA3afZD9lSGP8pMyoXfJpG2ljajtkTDXjQNtpIaK873w4f4K4xtNfM_4h9J7BI4looujxnEbMKfEh54_M1IH9xp9lViYzvVRcs_rUvdJRvTYeoiPw/w400-h193/Screen+Shot+2021-02-22+at+8.34.23+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will see the color change after each layer you add, and the final image is all 3 channels combined</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I didn't do much post processing at all, just adjusted the white balance to the body of the rover ever so slightly. How cool is this! This color photo hasn't even been released to the public yet but I created it myself from the raw images. </p>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-88789815332253273222020-12-20T21:58:00.001-05:002020-12-20T21:58:16.535-05:00The Great Conjunction, Saturn and Jupiter with Visible Moons at 300mm<p>I didn't have high hopes to get a glimpse of the great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter this month. I've gotten my hopes up too many times and gotten burned by Indiana weather in December. Like my husband says, better to be pessimistic and pleasantly surprised if it works out. When I saw the clouds clearing up a bit this evening around sunset, I dusted off my camera and tripod. </p><p>The conjunction wasn't visible at first, so I used a great iPhone app one-two punch to find what I was looking for. First I opened <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/star-walk-find-stars-planets/id295430577" target="_blank">Star Walk</a> and found Saturn, then clicked for more information to get the exact altitude (degrees above the horizon) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_coordinate_system" target="_blank">azimuth</a> (horizontal degrees clockwise from true north). So this gave me the numbers for where Saturn should appear.</p><p>Next, I use one of my absolute favorite apps called <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/theodolite/id339393884">Theodolite</a> that uses the camera with on-screen display that shows altitude, azimuth, lets you take screen shots, and a whole bunch of other things. It feels like a professional grade surveyor app. So knowing Saturn should be about 15° above the horizon and 222° SW it was a snap finding where I should be pointing to make sure I had a clear view over the tree line. </p><p>Once the sky got a little darker it was obvious because Jupiter and Saturn are so bright, but I think the planning helped me decide if I should even bother setting up in the backyard or if my view would be completely blocked. </p><p>I was pleased I could get some trees in the foreground rather than just the conjunction against a wash background. Here's what I got...</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYqtUdjzaIk8K6t6o1NIB28g3tY4EHF3fiWW4Ur1GyO47kCO_oYiyNru6SOwpGg0smhMny8DrCfjiSyTgnGB62Dz9-nBh6J7PDgeJmgRGjOEYuJVu0Ieu1W20EvimlFnciRCaKv05XuUS/s5184/20201220+great+conjunction.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jupiter and saturn conjunction 300mm december 20" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYqtUdjzaIk8K6t6o1NIB28g3tY4EHF3fiWW4Ur1GyO47kCO_oYiyNru6SOwpGg0smhMny8DrCfjiSyTgnGB62Dz9-nBh6J7PDgeJmgRGjOEYuJVu0Ieu1W20EvimlFnciRCaKv05XuUS/w400-h266/20201220+great+conjunction.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jupiter and Saturn taken with DSLR on fixed tripod, 300mm, f/5.6, ISO 800, 0.3 sec</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaUacl3ZWVfFlR5ZSU1_oc3wszkl-J6bzRywWSvQBzY7wEpODzYXSRi7CsCAa1FUTTi1iw7NBISeTnkYJFFlb-nE6Hj0_uzKP7J5NqG5XK8m1zAsEdrE9F9Cmxtuv6TyeWLoB-KsQzkgi/s5184/great+conjunction+label.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="december 20 2020 jupiter saturn 300mm photo" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfaUacl3ZWVfFlR5ZSU1_oc3wszkl-J6bzRywWSvQBzY7wEpODzYXSRi7CsCAa1FUTTi1iw7NBISeTnkYJFFlb-nE6Hj0_uzKP7J5NqG5XK8m1zAsEdrE9F9Cmxtuv6TyeWLoB-KsQzkgi/w400-h266/great+conjunction+label.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same photo as above with labels added</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jjvMghR2giyCwGnchR1uHKJUxGv1GLkKmM3u2ylKnBTJbna-Oa91mBJSuzGM8j9x2XBJtI5jiG-EWn6bshrNFK7lriYMe5_emFHeyLiYr6LRGLOj0oN2iHJZBMOQS34bIpkDjbLYImWp/s1440/conjunction+crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="jupiter saturn conjunction december 20 2020 with moons label" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jjvMghR2giyCwGnchR1uHKJUxGv1GLkKmM3u2ylKnBTJbna-Oa91mBJSuzGM8j9x2XBJtI5jiG-EWn6bshrNFK7lriYMe5_emFHeyLiYr6LRGLOj0oN2iHJZBMOQS34bIpkDjbLYImWp/w400-h400/conjunction+crop.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwyvNw7IDpMtWw9XJdRYBwdAetEGScrVEiIVPk74vuY0vcYl3rN3StNZzAZwIZl2qcEELU1z069F007ospo8QCyCrfehyfIzj50QNRr4Cg4wv1HIEthw6HZe3rh_nCHn-HRCO0yXdXDH6/s4032/Theodolite+app+screenshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="theodolite app screen shot jupiter saturn conjunction" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwyvNw7IDpMtWw9XJdRYBwdAetEGScrVEiIVPk74vuY0vcYl3rN3StNZzAZwIZl2qcEELU1z069F007ospo8QCyCrfehyfIzj50QNRr4Cg4wv1HIEthw6HZe3rh_nCHn-HRCO0yXdXDH6/w400-h300/Theodolite+app+screenshot.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen shot of Theodolite app tagging the Alt/Az of the conjunction and timestamp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I learned from the my <a href="https://www.ericteske.com/2020/07/c2020-f3-neowise-at-501am-from-indiana.html">comet Neowise photo</a> that if I tweet at Sean Ash he'll sometimes feature astronomical photos on the WHTR Indianapolis channel 13 evening news, and sure enough he asked if he could feature the photo that same night. I'm famous! </p>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0Noblesville, IN, USA40.0455917 -86.008595511.735357863821157 -121.1648455 68.355825536178855 -50.8523455tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-79369469763066700322020-07-13T06:12:00.001-04:002020-07-13T06:12:12.666-04:00c/2020 F3 NEOWISE at 5:01am from Indiana July 13, 2020<div>Visible to the naked eye this morning. Comet c/2020 F3 NEOWISE at 5:01 a.m. facing NE in Noblesville, Indiana. Shot with DSLR on tripod.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSEkn3glhj-dqOoCfo9HPyKtuyKb0Qg5ZglCb07Ledq99kHq8LXjCnr1d283_Wuwvi_oIo0gkv3ldLDQCORDipC536D5QDC24TtseVP_mZnkFxUj-puWkQfQCoHHIw6Aq-cxiuILZmJSU/s5184/comet+neowise.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="comet neowise in the morning sky july 13 2020" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSEkn3glhj-dqOoCfo9HPyKtuyKb0Qg5ZglCb07Ledq99kHq8LXjCnr1d283_Wuwvi_oIo0gkv3ldLDQCORDipC536D5QDC24TtseVP_mZnkFxUj-puWkQfQCoHHIw6Aq-cxiuILZmJSU/w500-h333/comet+neowise.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon T5i, ISO 3200, 75mm, f/4, 4s</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br />I set an alarm for 4:30 a.m. but I was up at 4:15 because I was too excited. I made some coffee and doused myself in bug spray, ready to head out to a spot I scouted the evening before with Chris. I used an app called Theodolite to scout my location because it accurately measures through my iPhone the direction and elevation of the crosshairs in my camera viewfinder so I can tell if I have a clear view of the NE sky at 10 degrees above the horizon. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUqq2ofMIoIgY06thxNi4PQdIZE2LZoxBEGsLtLxCTmA9RcQJ-AVonRi7B7O554UuTt0NDhEjVjerWt8D7pEfJtMm6PnvgIxKyL8GnlM4sQUoMngKAEU9qFTdu1y7hH_GR56-4uz6e9Kt/s3088/good+morning+head+lamp+coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="coffee and head lamp" border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUqq2ofMIoIgY06thxNi4PQdIZE2LZoxBEGsLtLxCTmA9RcQJ-AVonRi7B7O554UuTt0NDhEjVjerWt8D7pEfJtMm6PnvgIxKyL8GnlM4sQUoMngKAEU9qFTdu1y7hH_GR56-4uz6e9Kt/w500-h375/good+morning+head+lamp+coffee.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't even have time to drink my coffee. I figured I'd be waiting around for the comet to rise above the building across the street, but I guess I under estimated how high it would be by 5am. When I got to the sidewalk, I quickly got my bearings spotting Venus and Aldebaran in close conjunction and looked to the left. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw9VXAGbS9jHBFJxWRZ-HYBNxiXlq1cvQBJqQNMhNACDGeYDG-A4JBTMO7wcRYXXpk_79XR00-xjYE0FeKPZFO8WHf0MKhA7F-hlivAkhLh9EqQOOdCAI5UDGq3OeJCsAS3ckINS_QwFU/s4032/camera+on+tripod+on+sidewalk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tripod on sidewalk at night" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw9VXAGbS9jHBFJxWRZ-HYBNxiXlq1cvQBJqQNMhNACDGeYDG-A4JBTMO7wcRYXXpk_79XR00-xjYE0FeKPZFO8WHf0MKhA7F-hlivAkhLh9EqQOOdCAI5UDGq3OeJCsAS3ckINS_QwFU/w500-h375/camera+on+tripod+on+sidewalk.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dawn was quickly approaching, and I just used the spray and pray method, using all different combinations of duration and ISO so that I wouldn't come home with a bunch of streaky blurry or extremely noisy shots. I didn't do anything fancy, these are just single exposures and I turned the yellow tint down ever so slightly because I was surrounded by street lights. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwcRqnuo_I2v6_O7YuPHZVarDgRm9R2VcbqSsZPTnEVkT4E9Fxx9fUj93MVNG7PRe7JKHQcCGrzxOS_nwgQ9eVDl5OZrNUSN2Xf0LgoKaLCkq14oLdlTECcuIdbmXhHnxmkVWaBd5AF2v/s5184/c2020+f3+neowise+comet.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="c2020 f3 comet neowise july 13 2020" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwcRqnuo_I2v6_O7YuPHZVarDgRm9R2VcbqSsZPTnEVkT4E9Fxx9fUj93MVNG7PRe7JKHQcCGrzxOS_nwgQ9eVDl5OZrNUSN2Xf0LgoKaLCkq14oLdlTECcuIdbmXhHnxmkVWaBd5AF2v/w500-h333/c2020+f3+neowise+comet.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon T5i, ISO 3200, 55mm, f/5.6, 8s</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3aJ6BZ-jVT-4CL1c_qvULZKAy5r0VUUacrUiOoKiRD_GZ_cPC30Kp7t8wBxQsCx__DLaHl4K5PPffzWzHmxjBsjI4XPJNOawfnVRRN5cuA51E7DJ4uP6CdP0gTAyH58wwtzDMNE7m48H/s5184/comet+just+before+sunrise.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="comet neowise at dawn before sunrise" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3aJ6BZ-jVT-4CL1c_qvULZKAy5r0VUUacrUiOoKiRD_GZ_cPC30Kp7t8wBxQsCx__DLaHl4K5PPffzWzHmxjBsjI4XPJNOawfnVRRN5cuA51E7DJ4uP6CdP0gTAyH58wwtzDMNE7m48H/w500-h333/comet+just+before+sunrise.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15 minutes later already much lighter</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg232m2YFOM6rH5uye3g3mwQ4EZTGbG0Wy23ybmfP2KLb8ZOptaZAa9lg60h5UOjWQBcczDbFpmAU18GK6ogE5rcolMGEo9OwI6v5lceERgFHQgFTNNHdI6PfSexSSAh_y-p-pqqbpOTZEJ/s5184/dslr+comet+neowise+300mm.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="comet neowise from indiana 300mm" border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg232m2YFOM6rH5uye3g3mwQ4EZTGbG0Wy23ybmfP2KLb8ZOptaZAa9lg60h5UOjWQBcczDbFpmAU18GK6ogE5rcolMGEo9OwI6v5lceERgFHQgFTNNHdI6PfSexSSAh_y-p-pqqbpOTZEJ/w500-h333/dslr+comet+neowise+300mm.jpeg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canon T5i, 300mm, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 2.5s</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><br /></div>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0Noblesville, IN, USA40.0455917 -86.008595511.735357863821157 -121.1648455 68.355825536178855 -50.8523455tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-242937855486427582018-08-04T10:04:00.001-04:002018-08-04T10:04:31.807-04:00Thrift Shop Meade 285 Reader Question<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got this question from a reader and I thought I'd post it here as well in case it is helpful to anyone else:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I recently bought a Meade 285 at a Thrift Shop. It is missing the eyepiece. Could you provide me any specifications (i.e. diameters) or supply sources for replacement parts? I stumbled across your blog with searching. Thanks for any info you can provide.</blockquote>
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Here is my response and photos to help with the description:</div>
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If you have the angled mirror pieces and everything and you just need the eyepiece itself, you can buy a wide variety that will work. You can buy any of the 1.25" barrel eyepieces, this is the most common type as well. <br /><br />The physical diameter of the bottom of the chrome collar is 1.50" but the eyepiece barrel itself is 1.25". I've attached photos showing the eyepiece dimensions for the ones that came with my telescope, they are the Meade MH9mm and Meade MA25mm. <div>
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The 9mm gets more magnification but is kinda cheap, and the 25mm is a great medium magnification that shows detail but still wide enough field of view that you can find your targets faster (locating it with wider view and then changing the eyepiece for a closer view). Like I said the 9mm that came with it was basically cheap plastic so I bought a <a href="http://amzn.to/2nF5pyt">Orion 8920 6mm Expanse Telescope Eyepiece</a> (<a href="http://amzn.to/2Ea7QTX">http://amzn.to/2Ea7QTX</a>) that I really like.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoN5Zpvludz4aDBTp5jBSfBseZf1Ke5v-6S_FL9GcwoVVr-D5fhwMlDmBv6UjK-VWg_WZS0mtyDahfOfv0xOM1_fAugDJpsQajLeAPtGUN4AIfiwVSHpjXQ-HJt_MWsSIHSc_pCabRd_1/s1600/barrel+diameter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="eyepiece barrel diameter" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoN5Zpvludz4aDBTp5jBSfBseZf1Ke5v-6S_FL9GcwoVVr-D5fhwMlDmBv6UjK-VWg_WZS0mtyDahfOfv0xOM1_fAugDJpsQajLeAPtGUN4AIfiwVSHpjXQ-HJt_MWsSIHSc_pCabRd_1/s400/barrel+diameter.JPG" title="eyepiece barrel diameter" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barrel diameter</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcuBpi8ydR8wsxQzEs5VqrrktWcw421UWn2e18F6cNjvOOyWMdG0IAxS2LQ5ogtJye7ziWrOFaF_EYD6CCuzGuJA_P4hUPz97-GfFz0usD5HBZHmw6w4YsbEwNtAJq9LhrSmK3noEWm_H/s1600/chrome+collar+outside+dimensions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="eyepiece barrel diameter" border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcuBpi8ydR8wsxQzEs5VqrrktWcw421UWn2e18F6cNjvOOyWMdG0IAxS2LQ5ogtJye7ziWrOFaF_EYD6CCuzGuJA_P4hUPz97-GfFz0usD5HBZHmw6w4YsbEwNtAJq9LhrSmK3noEWm_H/s400/chrome+collar+outside+dimensions.JPG" title="eyepiece barrel diameter" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chrome collar outside dimensions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx3Y3tzKQjlGSSSxH9n-65QmT9_QCi9Xw5et4cJKGkbMhrRCbp2pgnsSqqu7q25cwAm90vFllxkIaJig3nbr5eu9ItiI22xVdGe4it14sEpqdq1Q2z85hyu2ieu4FwoaLiB_yuZCNSOvJ/s1600/eyepiece+with+chrome+collar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="eyepiece with chrome collar detached" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtx3Y3tzKQjlGSSSxH9n-65QmT9_QCi9Xw5et4cJKGkbMhrRCbp2pgnsSqqu7q25cwAm90vFllxkIaJig3nbr5eu9ItiI22xVdGe4it14sEpqdq1Q2z85hyu2ieu4FwoaLiB_yuZCNSOvJ/s400/eyepiece+with+chrome+collar.JPG" title="eyepiece with chrome collar detached" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eyepiece with chrome collar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4-pHDXnFXmvuIP75qzmQ5FU45kr_O5KLKX7xDFhTTziN17ii6DXLN_ssrY5mz3goQ-ni4p_MpQ51fuja8HeFAE9Sj-sUdGrOcHQsp_wyXVasi74wHZJCdyq-ulLXTO-v4ggYUzAoo17x/s1600/eyepieces+that+came+with+meade+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="meade 285 eyepieces" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo4-pHDXnFXmvuIP75qzmQ5FU45kr_O5KLKX7xDFhTTziN17ii6DXLN_ssrY5mz3goQ-ni4p_MpQ51fuja8HeFAE9Sj-sUdGrOcHQsp_wyXVasi74wHZJCdyq-ulLXTO-v4ggYUzAoo17x/s400/eyepieces+that+came+with+meade+285.JPG" title="meade 285 eyepieces" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both eyepieces that came with my Meade 285</td></tr>
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Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-73196428247449581612018-01-30T23:19:00.002-05:002018-01-30T23:19:24.537-05:00What To Expect: January 31, 2018 Lunar Eclipse from IndianaThe weather is not looking great for the "total super blue blood moon" lunar eclipse tomorrow morning in Indiana, but would it be visible under nicer conditions? <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-january-31" target="_blank">TimeandDate.com provides eclipse calculations by location</a>, so just type in your zip code and see what the eclipse will look like at different times. <div>
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We’d hit 50% magnitude when the moon is about 6° above the horizon (similar to this photo from the April 4, 2015 lunar eclipse in Indiana), so you’d have to have a completely unobstructed view to the West to see it reach total redness as it slips under the horizon (washed out by the lighter sky as the sun rises on the opposite horizon). For reference, 3 fingers held at arms length is about 5° of elevation.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX8TevemixYey6fnzRzxOTmncE2ovNO-MCxoxcymt6lDNpvQ1Yipt9oBZDQtphVGq0G2uW-SUzZH_PwNOyFPE0tKdZbQcoqYNk-Cs4KaOYL_OErFAE0Z08fTmkZferYY0Q0V4GYEnw6LH/s1600/27336194_10104446234058178_7419177308985754979_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="April 4, 2015 lunar eclipse in Indiana" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX8TevemixYey6fnzRzxOTmncE2ovNO-MCxoxcymt6lDNpvQ1Yipt9oBZDQtphVGq0G2uW-SUzZH_PwNOyFPE0tKdZbQcoqYNk-Cs4KaOYL_OErFAE0Z08fTmkZferYY0Q0V4GYEnw6LH/s400/27336194_10104446234058178_7419177308985754979_n.jpg" title="April 4, 2015 lunar eclipse in Indiana" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2015/04/april-4-2015-lunar-eclipse-photos-from.html" target="_blank">April 4, 2015 lunar eclipse</a> from Noblesville, IN</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJINqGQU2fA6J7tzbnbPvtUcvhP2SIWvSA-InIqRJvmzjzURkE_Ayog8wkJfeQOSGJ74ogZKUPJwwmKEsEWRbUTkZdg6XqfeI7GQLvXNGIH-PlDx8Wxe8buFF3q2rKuZktXsKn7JBmiq_/s1600/27459871_10104446234063168_1275089295171917189_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3 fingers at arms length against the horizon" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJINqGQU2fA6J7tzbnbPvtUcvhP2SIWvSA-InIqRJvmzjzURkE_Ayog8wkJfeQOSGJ74ogZKUPJwwmKEsEWRbUTkZdg6XqfeI7GQLvXNGIH-PlDx8Wxe8buFF3q2rKuZktXsKn7JBmiq_/s400/27459871_10104446234063168_1275089295171917189_n.jpg" title="3 fingers at arms length against the horizon" width="400" /></a></div>
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Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-51950897186006366942017-10-21T14:09:00.000-04:002017-10-21T14:09:12.376-04:00Remove Airplanes and Clean Up Star Trail PhotosI tried to catch the Orionid Meteor Shower last night, and while I saw about 3-4 with my own eyes, I didn't catch any in the camera. That's okay though! Because one of the best consolation prizes from a meteor hunt is the star trail photos you can make from stacking all your pics together. I took 400 individual photos, each 15 seconds long, between 9:45pm and 11:35pm last night. If you live in the Midwest like me, or anywhere near civilization really, you're bound to have an airplane muck up your star trails. While this isn't necessarily bad, sometimes it's <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2013/07/busy-sky-light-trails-and-fireworks.html" target="_blank">interesting to see just how busy the sky is at night</a>, it can distract from the beautiful swirl of the stars as the Earth turns.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXwbFCXXt7p-CnmjWJpepsPJ1g-K9HDTevmjzHeRmzWr4wJ8KqTYtwVPdzSXeZ4IOENsYIiy1sKlfS2NICCGy05495QivL294MQ5n1nzGHqtffupV6fWO_FBomoGNild_lXFfAMwXdPSZ/s1600/star+trails+clean+up+before+and+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="before and after photoshop star trails" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXwbFCXXt7p-CnmjWJpepsPJ1g-K9HDTevmjzHeRmzWr4wJ8KqTYtwVPdzSXeZ4IOENsYIiy1sKlfS2NICCGy05495QivL294MQ5n1nzGHqtffupV6fWO_FBomoGNild_lXFfAMwXdPSZ/s400/star+trails+clean+up+before+and+after.jpg" title="before and after photoshop star trails" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star trails before and after with some easy touch-ups</td></tr>
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If you don't already know how to do star trails, check out the free software called <a href="http://www.markus-enzweiler.de/software/software.html" target="_blank">StarStaX</a>. In short, you can stack of bunch of individual photos to create star trails without doing one big long exposure, which is the traditional route. If you're a star trail purist, your 2 hour long exposure could be ruined by someone bumping the tripod or a car passing by with bright headlights. With star trail stacking, you can throw out or edit a frame here and there and it doesn't ruin the entire batch.<br />
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The way stacking works is the software keeps the brightest pixel from each image. It's the same as the Lighten blend option in Photoshop. So anything dark will be replaced with something lighter, and things that are bright stick around. If the stars are the brightest pixels in their pathway, their light is kept. If something is brighter like a plane or clouds, those pixels are kept instead.<br />
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We can take advantage of this to edit out the planes and other junk in the photos because making things dark is the same as erasing them, and we don't have to worry about filling the empty space because there are plenty of brighter pixels in the other photos that will take its place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-etAnuyVv8D1z2_4XM0A0AJknL7NuX28WCGvXF90aRS3knjcZdSVi5HX_b8HeQiL4psANI2yX0VI8_5GWnvSXOPp-mjogfDTSKDVRIkfM3_gnds_nCTqP5dAvlesWW54XaszmxURzSaYP/s1600/IMG_9785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="remove bright area from star trails" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-etAnuyVv8D1z2_4XM0A0AJknL7NuX28WCGvXF90aRS3knjcZdSVi5HX_b8HeQiL4psANI2yX0VI8_5GWnvSXOPp-mjogfDTSKDVRIkfM3_gnds_nCTqP5dAvlesWW54XaszmxURzSaYP/s640/IMG_9785.jpg" title="remove bright area from star trails" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's an example of a frame I edited. I want to keep the stars, but someone turned on the porch light which made the side of the house bright yellow. I did a very rough selection in Photoshop and made this area darker, knowing it would be replaced by the lighter section of the house in the other images. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIlSSaFy8LrLrmfET95r5vMRyv3gkUZFHn4fG7bSp0eFONuJaUI7kDBxyNawjC5jqcG9mkvvH3o0cVLCedH1G-vRvJ8Gw7bhyphenhyphen-uUoV5WFB90GTdyX0-vuZ_wGDjddt1CSiuDiyTjIlZFC/s1600/IMG_9611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="remove airplane from star trails" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIlSSaFy8LrLrmfET95r5vMRyv3gkUZFHn4fG7bSp0eFONuJaUI7kDBxyNawjC5jqcG9mkvvH3o0cVLCedH1G-vRvJ8Gw7bhyphenhyphen-uUoV5WFB90GTdyX0-vuZ_wGDjddt1CSiuDiyTjIlZFC/s640/IMG_9611.jpg" title="remove airplane from star trails" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's another individual image. I remove 2 light trails from planes in this image by just coloring black over them. Since the ambient sky background in other images is lighter than the black, I know that the lighter pixels will be kept and these black pixels will be thrown out anyway - so it's the same as erasing them. I don't even have to have sharp edges or straight lines, the stacking averages out everything around it and you won't see the erase marks at all. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxT8eTliUF8hWUS28MoWFJx6Tq5pKwnYd8IdReQkD8mKMzczi47E3_Al7oK7k_qZQFGRU-7VV970czxPJRa01wiKW4krMSvWMni3SHRkxmUwOFREZ17Guhmd-_SIu8DccJW3-Tl_4aQID/s1600/star+trails+edit+remove+plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="star trails natural light" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxT8eTliUF8hWUS28MoWFJx6Tq5pKwnYd8IdReQkD8mKMzczi47E3_Al7oK7k_qZQFGRU-7VV970czxPJRa01wiKW4krMSvWMni3SHRkxmUwOFREZ17Guhmd-_SIu8DccJW3-Tl_4aQID/s640/star+trails+edit+remove+plane.jpg" title="star trails natural light" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the final image without planes. 400 images stacked, each 15 sec, ISO 800, f/4.0, 18mm. The image looks too yellow because of the light pollution in the area and in the neighborhood, so there's just a couple tweaks left to make in Photoshop. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnS5yXV_Fyt0Vh1ljc1WDD7fZ5L2fslRBc4nIJiXzNjsdhFTuDNrn75-6J0jOTMshDoMLkWW2S6jTPYez8At1JKq4JPdl3VY-xHQZL3aAnpUCGroim_I8AV-qCp0Y7blK1wrcpduPfQOj/s1600/star+trails+edit+remove+plane+color+balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="purple star trails in backyard" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnS5yXV_Fyt0Vh1ljc1WDD7fZ5L2fslRBc4nIJiXzNjsdhFTuDNrn75-6J0jOTMshDoMLkWW2S6jTPYez8At1JKq4JPdl3VY-xHQZL3aAnpUCGroim_I8AV-qCp0Y7blK1wrcpduPfQOj/s640/star+trails+edit+remove+plane+color+balance.jpg" title="purple star trails in backyard" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my final product. Color balance and contrast is like cooking with spices, everyone will have their own taste. I like to go a little blue/purple to get rid of the gross yellow light - but not so purple that it looks like a disco blacklight party. I turned up the contrast a little bit to hide the yellow clouds that kinda smeared across the image, but again not too much because I don't want it to look completely fake. These 2 hour star trails are nice and long, and without the distracting planes, it looks much more peaceful. </td></tr>
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Well this really wasn't meant to be a tutorial, but I just wanted to document my process a little. Another star trail consolation prize to add to my collection, and a little bit of post processing work took it from neat to pretty cool.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-22549122936654904022017-09-04T19:46:00.000-04:002017-09-04T19:46:07.796-04:00Eerie Red Sun Through Clouds with Visible SunspotsI know you're not supposed to look directly at the sun even through clouds, but it's so tempting when you step outside and see this eerie red sun glowing to the West through a layer of uniform clouds - especially when you've been seeing tweets all day about the huge active region (sun spots) on the face of the sun right now. What an easy opportunity to try to capture some sunspots and this weird red sun in a flat background of gray. I tried looking at it first with a pair of eclipse glasses, and couldn't see anything at all, so then I took a few sideways glances and set up my camera.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-M_CjDD2lgOsJegzEzc0S48XfL-1UgtSY0-5aUfgpy_IE-Lp65-yKYwvRUGGIHeBmhAsot0n9-FuNzPmMDgjnro23Bh9ko7rEdsQvw0IcRRHtBNgX1gK2QHIhU46JwO85dDX9Ypi3QYS/s1600/sunspots+through+clouds+active+region+2674+2673.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sunspots visible through clouds active region 2674 and 2673" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-M_CjDD2lgOsJegzEzc0S48XfL-1UgtSY0-5aUfgpy_IE-Lp65-yKYwvRUGGIHeBmhAsot0n9-FuNzPmMDgjnro23Bh9ko7rEdsQvw0IcRRHtBNgX1gK2QHIhU46JwO85dDX9Ypi3QYS/s400/sunspots+through+clouds+active+region+2674+2673.png" title="sunspots visible through clouds active region 2674 and 2673" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame Canon T5i 300mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/500 sec very minor contrast tweak in iPhoto otherwise straight from the camera. Active regions visible in the middle (sunspots). </td></tr>
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Chris and Zack said they could see the sunspots with the naked eye. Eeeeeeh! I wasn't going to stare at it long enough to try to see them, but I could clearly see them through my eyepiece on the camera.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_j0JESc-Z_fzggVDfinZYCAKJa-AFIAH6BXptZA8BSmhgR4wT4c2Mq843G-mf1DPd0ry-cNsQ01DnRTU54IzHv26Yha4JwnxYlf3u5U6atCO5TWuCLHKlA4r2TogSkSt6mZYlJH7a18T/s1600/sunspots+with+canon+t5i+through+clouds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="compare canon 300mm sunspots to nasa soho image of active regions" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_j0JESc-Z_fzggVDfinZYCAKJa-AFIAH6BXptZA8BSmhgR4wT4c2Mq843G-mf1DPd0ry-cNsQ01DnRTU54IzHv26Yha4JwnxYlf3u5U6atCO5TWuCLHKlA4r2TogSkSt6mZYlJH7a18T/s400/sunspots+with+canon+t5i+through+clouds.png" title="compare canon 300mm sunspots to nasa soho image of active regions" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My photo vs. <a href="https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/" target="_blank">NASA SOHO</a> to show the labeled active regions. I played with curves and sharpness to try to bring them out a little bit more. Had to remind myself it's through clouds so it's not going to be super sharp, but WOW look at the size of those things!</td></tr>
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I tried to get some context photos, and I've found that the DirectTV dish on the roof makes a convenient foreground target, and it's vaguely space-ey so I guess it works haha.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa1hNlnlexvBLUWvf2GNaYeL2VUCF91-LlOQdJuloR4-t_PM7FdLmlvjGsPIcextLw3xvv4uANyPy8i2nA_doyV2t5TAXQ9rkTBYHXh_iIdgUfzLJKITpciyZiARDAyQ3L8eyapOrTYcL/s1600/red+sun+through+clouds+and+dish+on+roof.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="red sun through gray clouds with direct tv dish in foreground" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa1hNlnlexvBLUWvf2GNaYeL2VUCF91-LlOQdJuloR4-t_PM7FdLmlvjGsPIcextLw3xvv4uANyPy8i2nA_doyV2t5TAXQ9rkTBYHXh_iIdgUfzLJKITpciyZiARDAyQ3L8eyapOrTYcL/s400/red+sun+through+clouds+and+dish+on+roof.png" title="red sun through gray clouds with direct tv dish in foreground" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look closely you can see the sunspots even in this wider shot. Single frame with Canon T5i at 75mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1/500 sec</td></tr>
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<br />
And yet another context shot, with my iPhone before I ran inside to get my tripod. I think this weird red sun through clouds beats out <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/09/eerie-yellow-ball-appears-during-foggy.html" target="_blank">my eerie yellow sun from a few years ago</a>. What do you think?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6Fj4KuOLY6sZ87IJ6b8Mx1VTNBjAyjN023ffIRUdE9BfG1NfgyrvTlaaIOJf2_ijCzmBA3Exrx6NS7MmkQoVX5kNfhsxS48WkdQ5x-cTa3H6FueneTjCQuITEeBKrYuhousrJlZEFKn/s1600/IMG_8618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="iphone photo sun through gray clouds" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6Fj4KuOLY6sZ87IJ6b8Mx1VTNBjAyjN023ffIRUdE9BfG1NfgyrvTlaaIOJf2_ijCzmBA3Exrx6NS7MmkQoVX5kNfhsxS48WkdQ5x-cTa3H6FueneTjCQuITEeBKrYuhousrJlZEFKn/s320/IMG_8618.JPG" title="iphone photo sun through gray clouds" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPhone photo wide angle showing the sun in the sky with the solid gray clouds</td></tr>
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<br />
I guess I had HDR turned on because the roofline has a glow around it, but this wasn't meant to be a cool iPhone photo of the sun just an example of the setting with the weird gray sky and red sun high in the sky. It's like the color of a sunset but much higher away from the horizon. The iPhone photo makes it look a little darker than it really was because I was trying to properly expose the sun.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-29254518590543821092017-08-23T21:28:00.000-04:002017-08-23T21:28:14.746-04:006.4% Waxing Crescent Moon at SunsetWhen Karin and I left Indianapolis for our solar eclipse excursion we saw the slim crescent moon just before sunrise. It was cool because it was like seeing the moon on its journey toward the sun. Now tonight I looked outside and saw the waxing crescent moon at sunset - the first crescent after the eclipse.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBRNwnTnc-xq38Br_-hTH2sxADx85OHGxNgdgJjRIfPsnS7d8HYk5T0r1_fe786piVKAJ_dqyA05XR0kAO905_dz6SdnE60JjfibHXpPCamDR0cvbZTWrQX5JS5hiy8NYAuZ85FCUVPNM/s1600/waxing+crescent+moon+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crescent moon at sunset" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBRNwnTnc-xq38Br_-hTH2sxADx85OHGxNgdgJjRIfPsnS7d8HYk5T0r1_fe786piVKAJ_dqyA05XR0kAO905_dz6SdnE60JjfibHXpPCamDR0cvbZTWrQX5JS5hiy8NYAuZ85FCUVPNM/s640/waxing+crescent+moon+sunset.jpg" title="crescent moon at sunset" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxing crescent moon, single frame Canon T5i, ISO 100, 120mm, f/4.5, 1/3 sec</td></tr>
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<br />I was supervising the dogs outside so they don't eat mushrooms growing in the mulch, and I noticed the golden crescent sliding between the houses to the West. I literally ran through my house grabbing my camera, tripod, and shutter release so I could go outside and take some quick photos. I felt re-energized. I feel like I haven't been as enthusiastic for take boring old moon photos lately, but this time felt like doing it for the first time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX_fEi0ede7RUy5PzL2s5ivxt9LdTN4L1Wwp290OW98fTQuqZaa7gVF72JBTlP4qUfMlWGf_CZd_i0cqVE0V9Tfk-O1ugOa_N8UC0cX55rr4U-ZyLWOIRhNXvPhLlxTJbvduPCjd3LdwV/s1600/waxing+crescent+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crescent moon f/5" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX_fEi0ede7RUy5PzL2s5ivxt9LdTN4L1Wwp290OW98fTQuqZaa7gVF72JBTlP4qUfMlWGf_CZd_i0cqVE0V9Tfk-O1ugOa_N8UC0cX55rr4U-ZyLWOIRhNXvPhLlxTJbvduPCjd3LdwV/s640/waxing+crescent+moon.jpg" title="crescent moon f/5" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxing crescent moon 6.4%, single frame Canon T5i, ISO 100, 230mm, f/5, 1.3 sec</td></tr>
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<br />
I'm so glad I've had so many visitors to my blog this past couple months gearing up for the eclipse. I also got a few direct emails asking my opinion of different solar filters and eclipse glasses. It's really nice to hear from people who come check out my site!Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-2848847011192228102017-08-22T21:34:00.002-04:002017-08-22T22:05:15.110-04:00Personal Account of the Total Solar Eclipse from St. Joseph, Missouri August 21, 2017I saw the Great American Eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017 from St. Joseph, Missouri. I saw totality, the total phase of the eclipse, for a fleeting 10 seconds in a lucky break in the clouds during otherwise overcast and even rainy skies. The location experienced 2 minutes and 38 seconds of totality, which I felt and observed in the change in ambient light and glowing orange horizon, but only about 10 seconds standing in awe, eyes to the alien black hole in the sky. I wanted to write this longer post to get my recollection of the event down into text because I think it's the kind of thing I'll want to revisit later.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA1TSpTM4A2zt9q70U9Wgaau9obzYeO2ek4T5Fo1gUVHCJDbEAZdAU8A9-aX-uR6riZQ_Qqbr7rUu0ecXQkmlbgV5AlZpnSBtE3WP2dxf-uzHGyiy1mn83i6TuW7GAfyS9q-ZONcx44Nb/s1600/solar+eclipse+tailgate+portrait.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="portrait with camera and gear at eclipse tailgate" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA1TSpTM4A2zt9q70U9Wgaau9obzYeO2ek4T5Fo1gUVHCJDbEAZdAU8A9-aX-uR6riZQ_Qqbr7rUu0ecXQkmlbgV5AlZpnSBtE3WP2dxf-uzHGyiy1mn83i6TuW7GAfyS9q-ZONcx44Nb/s400/solar+eclipse+tailgate+portrait.JPG" title="portrait with camera and gear at eclipse tailgate" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this photo, it really captures the day and the atmosphere at the event</td></tr>
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On Monday, August 20 my sister Karin and I set out from Indianapolis, IN at 6:30am ET and although it was early, the time passed quickly on our way to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. I had never been to St. Louis before, never seen the Arch in person. This was going to be something of a consolation prize because we were already watching the pessimistic weather forecasts coming out of NW Missouri. I kept telling myself, at least I will have done something new and experienced something that would make the trip worthwhile, even if I didn't see ANY of the eclipse.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuU8JnGwEo7f8cIMd52WdGig0W3mkkerBL__5Lb-eAYZUwRXU1mhZGYZeS3iAobM3Jtij8JJ1OXfb3sXh0bkIKykun8c7qvEmAR1ZLObC9PJNMLhOayAQKIqn123uKPImv8GOsXn0yDWV/s1600/detail+of+the+gateway+arch+at+the+bottom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stainless steel detail gateway arch bottom" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuU8JnGwEo7f8cIMd52WdGig0W3mkkerBL__5Lb-eAYZUwRXU1mhZGYZeS3iAobM3Jtij8JJ1OXfb3sXh0bkIKykun8c7qvEmAR1ZLObC9PJNMLhOayAQKIqn123uKPImv8GOsXn0yDWV/s400/detail+of+the+gateway+arch+at+the+bottom.JPG" title="stainless steel detail gateway arch bottom" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to touch the actual arch to say I did. We didn't go inside because it was a 3 hour wait to the top.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC8oHs5yiF11IkCq7Bk-i62k_hRwkFhYwtj3LVU-HAJT8RLBsNEfeIS0XuQVYKbwMu6Aq1bppDpPXatCIZG2r5cp_owhOhwEcsgmts1t4pHp1fBT4KU_koT6sqR_fFg5IxsYhzEtm7AgA/s1600/under+the+gateway+arch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="under the gateway arch" border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUC8oHs5yiF11IkCq7Bk-i62k_hRwkFhYwtj3LVU-HAJT8RLBsNEfeIS0XuQVYKbwMu6Aq1bppDpPXatCIZG2r5cp_owhOhwEcsgmts1t4pHp1fBT4KU_koT6sqR_fFg5IxsYhzEtm7AgA/s400/under+the+gateway+arch.JPG" title="under the gateway arch" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The arch was very cool, felt like a mix between the Washington Monument and an alien spaceship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We continued on to Kansas City, the location of our hotel. I chose a hotel by the Kansas City airport inside the path of totality, thinking that even if traffic was so apocalyptic that we literally don't make it out of the parking lot, we would still experience totality. We got to the hotel and saw license plates from Minnesota to Washington to Texas, and saw a couple guys testing out solar filters on DSLR cameras in the parking lot on our way to dinner in Kansas (checking another state off the list).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62JnF9EEdMRGHEVuEnK-GIf-BAZRFYLcU2_RBDE65l7e_XYYH8g6QXxOj3Dvye6KdQH_zRqhywP5goqYfo8LD4Rseks5g9QQSaRuO42TaEdHLE-xWtilmi3A8m4X160wurD6wERzp7pZ7/s1600/leaving+hotel+early+morning.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hotel parking lot 5:30am" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62JnF9EEdMRGHEVuEnK-GIf-BAZRFYLcU2_RBDE65l7e_XYYH8g6QXxOj3Dvye6KdQH_zRqhywP5goqYfo8LD4Rseks5g9QQSaRuO42TaEdHLE-xWtilmi3A8m4X160wurD6wERzp7pZ7/s400/leaving+hotel+early+morning.JPG" title="hotel parking lot 5:30am" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the mad rush I was expecting in the hotel parking lot at 5:30am, traffic was a breeze actually. We parked facing out right by the exit as to make a quick get-away if needed. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The plan was to wake up at 5am and be on the road to St. Joseph by 5:30am to beat the rush. We woke up to crickets chirping and a clear sky with stars overhead, but no crowds of people. I guess we beat the traffic, and I guess a few people had canceled their hotel rooms (I overhead the employees discussing as we were checking in). Either way, we had clear skies and we were on our way to the event at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe27budXa83VbRC_TxEmuyQsS768_1llfyuWHZAv3eySZmWUT26z-HW_3yh0P9LSEoqyV3yvu9Rs7we49jXrtdtS2xfi6ncV5T5xYVK84rYoa9Cf0hvL8MP3lah7GQhdumbGBThyphenhyphen6iRm_/s1600/solar+eclipse+road+sign.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="solar eclipse road signs" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="828" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe27budXa83VbRC_TxEmuyQsS768_1llfyuWHZAv3eySZmWUT26z-HW_3yh0P9LSEoqyV3yvu9Rs7we49jXrtdtS2xfi6ncV5T5xYVK84rYoa9Cf0hvL8MP3lah7GQhdumbGBThyphenhyphen6iRm_/s400/solar+eclipse+road+sign.PNG" title="solar eclipse road signs" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about all roads west of St. Louis included these solar eclipse traffic warnings</td></tr>
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<br />
We passed flashing LED construction signs every 2 miles or so warning of anticipated traffic delays due to the solar eclipse, one that said "SOLAR ECLIPSE AUG 21 HEADLIGHTS ON," and clever traffic safety signs that read "ECLIPSE YOUR PHONE, JUST DRIVE," all along the path of totality.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZfCei65rdQt1X7_rQjD2rtkcNzamRtDyBRnq_V5FvOpO2asO_Sg8uZW5QLUBS1TCTROjUvvCDHPIK80EEAAp8NGxA9YpmpNdEQc0m0ybaatvoC8ASt7kC0-aDOdqjIc9PUJc8HX_Qrlg/s1600/solar+eclipse+snapchat+geo+filter+2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="snapchat solar eclipse geo filter" border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZfCei65rdQt1X7_rQjD2rtkcNzamRtDyBRnq_V5FvOpO2asO_Sg8uZW5QLUBS1TCTROjUvvCDHPIK80EEAAp8NGxA9YpmpNdEQc0m0ybaatvoC8ASt7kC0-aDOdqjIc9PUJc8HX_Qrlg/s400/solar+eclipse+snapchat+geo+filter+2017.JPG" title="snapchat solar eclipse geo filter" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snapchat had fun solar eclipse geo filters all along the path of totality</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We got to the airport among the first hundred cars or so parking for the day. A number of campers and media vans were already there from the days before, and we followed a winding dirt road through the restricted part of the airport. The restricted area signs were covered with hand made posterboard signs directing traffic forward. Volunteers in orange shirts were stationed at each fork in the road making sure we didn't end up on a runway. It looked like we actually drove down an out-of-use runway for a portion of the route.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqT_3qLmlNnVEN9lMGQfa3eRlhsvl6uOFXpQdTuXOX00_j1sRZsZqRi7IVEFR6Wsn73jcQpmFwzTLpqxges9s4_7zdKrZ8IgyGq-0lYI_1Hk43CHDIMw2_1F8Fi5LyX5sHge-cvGoJhgA/s1600/sunrise+morning+of+eclipse+2017+st+joseph.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sunrise at Rosecrans Memorial Airport" border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqT_3qLmlNnVEN9lMGQfa3eRlhsvl6uOFXpQdTuXOX00_j1sRZsZqRi7IVEFR6Wsn73jcQpmFwzTLpqxges9s4_7zdKrZ8IgyGq-0lYI_1Hk43CHDIMw2_1F8Fi5LyX5sHge-cvGoJhgA/s400/sunrise+morning+of+eclipse+2017+st+joseph.JPG" title="Sunrise at Rosecrans Memorial Airport" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Rosecrans Memorial Airport morning August 21, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We got to the parking field and felt lucky to have an SUV to drive along the grass. Port-o-potties were stationed every 200 feet or so and doubled as parking area signs. We were by P-2 which apparently was hilarious to everyone in line for the toilet because everyone kept making stupid jokes like "P-2, do we have to pick?" and "They should call it a 'U Can' then it could be 'u can pee 2' get it?" (eye roll) all part of the experience!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ynU1a5058bIqbsMBeHdgh-ia3oNe42OKtqEPo9UpuEg5KExcFC-M8hncHAPjx94v27T94JC_j5EqQ116dw6xhb_VK_RYW_MZNWk1bkJ22dLESw78QD_hpMdNQSJpJvp_k29trlUqN5e/s1600/eclipse+viewers+on+the+hill+waiting+with+clouds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0ynU1a5058bIqbsMBeHdgh-ia3oNe42OKtqEPo9UpuEg5KExcFC-M8hncHAPjx94v27T94JC_j5EqQ116dw6xhb_VK_RYW_MZNWk1bkJ22dLESw78QD_hpMdNQSJpJvp_k29trlUqN5e/s400/eclipse+viewers+on+the+hill+waiting+with+clouds.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hill between the food trucks and parking field</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgfGfT1pwo7uSKLZu32v8OwTsabsPCWRjtNeJdihX1LnQClSCQnfsCYj-FoeB6pH1Wa9QerVsMH6ATiEdJpKRJY-X8sTIFmgxFPe32A2o-z-hqztqUADcsmGLfCkNr2SoF0riGggbr4Da/s1600/partially+cloudy+earlier+in+the+day.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgfGfT1pwo7uSKLZu32v8OwTsabsPCWRjtNeJdihX1LnQClSCQnfsCYj-FoeB6pH1Wa9QerVsMH6ATiEdJpKRJY-X8sTIFmgxFPe32A2o-z-hqztqUADcsmGLfCkNr2SoF0riGggbr4Da/s400/partially+cloudy+earlier+in+the+day.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds can't make up their mind, but the sun was a welcome sight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESPbOLEONnAZQ1UpQGP3tklkKOScBJworn1Lnc5AcQIBXMynOyJn0-e4OvFhY7bUT9m-9amijg2yvVxisthWANLcgpo1mgKG4VDiTNU70jNHkQQnlQA5ILBpcnV-6u3waOdwiLbHjCxRF/s1600/eclipse+glasses+selfie+with+the+sun+out.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="selfie with eclipse glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESPbOLEONnAZQ1UpQGP3tklkKOScBJworn1Lnc5AcQIBXMynOyJn0-e4OvFhY7bUT9m-9amijg2yvVxisthWANLcgpo1mgKG4VDiTNU70jNHkQQnlQA5ILBpcnV-6u3waOdwiLbHjCxRF/s400/eclipse+glasses+selfie+with+the+sun+out.JPG" title="selfie with eclipse glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally got to put the eclipse glasses to good use on the partial eclipse leading up to totality, before the wave of rain clouds rolled in.</td></tr>
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The crowd was an interesting group. I was trying to figure out how to describe them. It was like a combination of people who didn't necessarily seem that into astronomy but were just up for doing stuff, like "might as well" drive down to see the eclipse. There were a fair number of dads in eclipse shirts and strap on sandals, retirees, bucket-listers, families with huge cruising vans and 4 teenagers, and then a few more extreme observers with fancy auto-guided rigs and telescopes set up in the grass. It was like a music fest without the music, or I guess like an astronomy club meeting on steroids.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5n9bIEVOb19M6xXG6UQd4jNDrISOW41LavjXoJk2ufS9Wxk3YDNwClXatls8IdcsOYwlrt2bDXj8_Sfqf_dr1GNnNAOvmnycsYuXc-NKW0m8klXnjkUi76YbE3O3CcPMxp96xOOTr80/s1600/fancy+telescopes+waiting+for+the+eclipse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="row of eclipse tailgaters" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5n9bIEVOb19M6xXG6UQd4jNDrISOW41LavjXoJk2ufS9Wxk3YDNwClXatls8IdcsOYwlrt2bDXj8_Sfqf_dr1GNnNAOvmnycsYuXc-NKW0m8klXnjkUi76YbE3O3CcPMxp96xOOTr80/s400/fancy+telescopes+waiting+for+the+eclipse.JPG" title="row of eclipse tailgaters" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Row of eclipse tailgaters and some of the nicer telescopes I saw at the event</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The guy parked next to us was by himself, his name was either Christo or Christoff and he was originally from South Africa but living in the Netherlands. He said he flew in just for the eclipse and was flying out again the next morning. He said it was a bucket list item, and that he also wanted to see the Northern Lights one day, but that he wasn't necessarily an astronomy buff. He had a great attitude about the possibility of cloudy skies, and he kept saying "thaaats naature I guess" in a South African accent.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrIxh1syEUqY-8rAN8Z43Q91cB_2TFz33HtJRXsvpLhuGttLzCKa3sUtcuFGNJOApH2YEAmO6e2ABWDcXhGSjpeMgljPsZQuQUqR25uVdd7r_3pr2LCMvgCvhmbwUl1vUAPlaW4LXAGvD/s1600/photographing+the+eclipse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photographing the eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrIxh1syEUqY-8rAN8Z43Q91cB_2TFz33HtJRXsvpLhuGttLzCKa3sUtcuFGNJOApH2YEAmO6e2ABWDcXhGSjpeMgljPsZQuQUqR25uVdd7r_3pr2LCMvgCvhmbwUl1vUAPlaW4LXAGvD/s400/photographing+the+eclipse.JPG" title="photographing the eclipse" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the sun to poke through the clouds</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigse3NykI7ap_DR942kVnjOPv4vNnor29XKsRe7RPTPIviDY47BITys7dFQ8Y2O9qciUmt0qvV9pQo_aUu7nC9sZczZG23WvJ0rBAgNDGjxbVn1akeucegCoFiDDxv5HcCdv_LdeV7KU5o/s1600/solar+observing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="photographing the eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigse3NykI7ap_DR942kVnjOPv4vNnor29XKsRe7RPTPIviDY47BITys7dFQ8Y2O9qciUmt0qvV9pQo_aUu7nC9sZczZG23WvJ0rBAgNDGjxbVn1akeucegCoFiDDxv5HcCdv_LdeV7KU5o/s400/solar+observing.JPG" title="photographing the eclipse" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can tell by the lens flare that the eclipse hasn't started yet, but I'm testing out my filter and practicing trying to focus</td></tr>
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We set up our tailgate in front of the car facing the sunrise to the East NE. Just about everyone set up chairs and tents outside their car like a tailgate, rather than going over to the designated viewing area. This meant that cars were basically trapped in their rows and it would be difficult to leave if anyone wanted to leave. Only 1 or 2 cars ended up leaving down our row before the eclipse, presumably chasing better conditions. Medics and police patrolled up and down the rows in Gator carts and could easily maneuver the tents and tables.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT53Pgj7dgHbJs3Jih4EMM9Blbz_QJfPoG6OCzujvyU1tjUU8B5CPtPgWQOJiJtwWh2XZlrZaA5LX2XlvBidHlTFPP_SB4nt2PL8uumwKCI8eSwpYUa17wud0KWZa3CuJBUqWzsfukjBve/s1600/st+joseph+eclipse+with+cloud+overcast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT53Pgj7dgHbJs3Jih4EMM9Blbz_QJfPoG6OCzujvyU1tjUU8B5CPtPgWQOJiJtwWh2XZlrZaA5LX2XlvBidHlTFPP_SB4nt2PL8uumwKCI8eSwpYUa17wud0KWZa3CuJBUqWzsfukjBve/s400/st+joseph+eclipse+with+cloud+overcast.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eclipse tailgate</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiywWBYNrW0ZaHq0yRKdkXP9ERq_fsP_TMbjg6yl6y00-Yaz90tZhUH9_Ce6CGGOljs8if-qLnEsuWNlfsCiRmXjNJT50kvpjaR2jztK8wf22xc810ALQVVw5qVP78y2qJEi7yH4WVAzOp/s1600/camera+and+sun+peeking+through+clouds+during+eclipse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiywWBYNrW0ZaHq0yRKdkXP9ERq_fsP_TMbjg6yl6y00-Yaz90tZhUH9_Ce6CGGOljs8if-qLnEsuWNlfsCiRmXjNJT50kvpjaR2jztK8wf22xc810ALQVVw5qVP78y2qJEi7yH4WVAzOp/s400/camera+and+sun+peeking+through+clouds+during+eclipse.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun trying to poke through the clouds</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjs74YQND85wN9r0jv4yyu7pyas8Q9SWcBIEmFFq_mg3pRF_qq-hSXRcC6zjhaZYK2Aw3ArbJwArc_MZpqfqBiIS9Op7UBCeMk8zqxYjbdSsP8_f3L0Pj3c3DBRIpvjhC32tc-au3BIxo/s1600/pockets+of+blue+sky+hopeful.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjs74YQND85wN9r0jv4yyu7pyas8Q9SWcBIEmFFq_mg3pRF_qq-hSXRcC6zjhaZYK2Aw3ArbJwArc_MZpqfqBiIS9Op7UBCeMk8zqxYjbdSsP8_f3L0Pj3c3DBRIpvjhC32tc-au3BIxo/s400/pockets+of+blue+sky+hopeful.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's still hope! A patch of blue sky!</td></tr>
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We ventured over to the food trucks and to take in the crowd, do some people watching, before heading back and setting up the camera in time for the partial phase of the eclipse to begin. It was cloudy right when it started, but the clouds were moving quick and we would see the Pac Man sun through the clouds and got to observe it with our eclipse glasses and I got as many pictures as I could!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_tCJ3Qtz0ErlWqcntWnf2XHsoygaqaNk-xXgN3NdSTXPrkRl_50v1UT0SD0BKCOomZh144AHNgEmBMcmv3zFPV3LbYhvXtsNG05gRTYgPQmJUqVto6DnkGT9piwUMbPHpsspzEhglRVg/s1600/eclipse+sequence.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="partial phase eclipse sequence" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_tCJ3Qtz0ErlWqcntWnf2XHsoygaqaNk-xXgN3NdSTXPrkRl_50v1UT0SD0BKCOomZh144AHNgEmBMcmv3zFPV3LbYhvXtsNG05gRTYgPQmJUqVto6DnkGT9piwUMbPHpsspzEhglRVg/s400/eclipse+sequence.png" title="partial phase eclipse sequence" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Partial phase sequence through the clouds, last photo (12:06pm) exactly 1 hour prior to totality</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDdoeWiY_pdaGg5oGNRcrYx6dECfCWSmgyPXrDObvKsDOpuKxjcGetDpDPBPvEQ_EJ4eKpSQZA2-N21Zv98LTzzud3ZiDnDqp2b9zJt6ZFQZPdMLSTuk5Je4GO_LVIwHLEswEE5nWvrD-/s1600/eclipse+sequence+square.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="eclipse sequence square" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDdoeWiY_pdaGg5oGNRcrYx6dECfCWSmgyPXrDObvKsDOpuKxjcGetDpDPBPvEQ_EJ4eKpSQZA2-N21Zv98LTzzud3ZiDnDqp2b9zJt6ZFQZPdMLSTuk5Je4GO_LVIwHLEswEE5nWvrD-/s400/eclipse+sequence+square.png" title="eclipse sequence square" width="400" /></a></div>
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After getting some photos of the partial eclipse, the clouds really rolled in, and we heard thunder coming from the NW. Great! At this point we start rationalizing our disappointment. "Well, at least we can say we were in the path of totality. At least it should still get dark, so we can experience that." It started raining for real and we got back in the car with everything packed up. Christoff our parking lot neighbor was listening to live coverage on the radio, and I took some photos of the rain 15 minutes before totality to document the lousy weather.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDAAiHoKVTlurHBlWqdRWv-Gtvxmud7UMUK58B6fCqERPTelEUPcqkcyPBYIeFjErTVCchc-iRgP6FVrBXHNNmNRd9__OUeGoIfwm1ndNWrNJ7po-vs9ppCBOjRLcoaK9JpkjUIIDYJ_D/s1600/rain+15+minutes+before+totality.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="rain before solar eclipse" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivDAAiHoKVTlurHBlWqdRWv-Gtvxmud7UMUK58B6fCqERPTelEUPcqkcyPBYIeFjErTVCchc-iRgP6FVrBXHNNmNRd9__OUeGoIfwm1ndNWrNJ7po-vs9ppCBOjRLcoaK9JpkjUIIDYJ_D/s400/rain+15+minutes+before+totality.JPG" title="rain before solar eclipse" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeling very distressed a few minutes before totality! Photo from 12:50pm with totality coming up at 1:06pm.</td></tr>
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My sister and I agreed that for totality we would stand outside the car even if it was raining so we could really experience it. We'd read about listening for crickets and watching the sky darken even if it's cloudy. It was still sprinkling when we got out of the car and stood under the tailgate. I put my iPhone on a small tripod to film the ambient changes and record our reaction to totality.<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-0EyR-6RPms" width="560"></iframe></center>
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The video speaks for itself, but we saw through the clouds not a thumbnail crescent sun, but an eyelash sun, just a thin line of burning white light through the clouds. It was so tantalizing and tempting to look at it without eclipse glasses. We dared a few peeks through the clouds and tried to watch with our glasses on when it got too bright. I didn't dare get my camera out because I didn't want to miss a chance to see something through holes in the clouds. Actually, holes might be a bit generous, it was more like thin spots in the clouds. It was solid overcast.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEqd3P-TPItbGdS0ql5qdfYFFG7y8VjxtRm709bMjWn4TlECgG1F64KVhhwtyOGiYinB8-kAc2-buR0VG0jrhbcqO8lP2jMoGAdMO1ax1Q4f2F0cwLU8gSZqqS_c0mrzf-ZPga5iCJwbz/s1600/mammantus+clouds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mammatus clouds in missouri" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEqd3P-TPItbGdS0ql5qdfYFFG7y8VjxtRm709bMjWn4TlECgG1F64KVhhwtyOGiYinB8-kAc2-buR0VG0jrhbcqO8lP2jMoGAdMO1ax1Q4f2F0cwLU8gSZqqS_c0mrzf-ZPga5iCJwbz/s400/mammantus+clouds.JPG" title="mammatus clouds in missouri" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our drive out of Missouri we saw these weird clouds. Karin looked them up and they are called mammatus clouds (as in mammary) and they are supposedly pretty rare, and usually associated with extreme weather.</td></tr>
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It got dimmer and we looked to the West to see what looked like sunset approaching. The sky on the western horizon was first to turn orange, and then rather quickly the rest of the sky got dark too. Not just a little dark. DARK. Probably exaggerated even more so by the overcast sky. The orange alien glow was on all horizons and the clouds overhead were purple and wispy light blue/green. The darkness itself was bizarre enough to make the trip worthwhile to be on the line of totality, but then in a break in the clouds I saw something. I saw a solid edge and thought that was too clean a line to be from the clouds itself, and an instant later the total eclipse revealed itself. First through a thin wisp of clouds that were moving, and then almost completely revealed (or very very thin clouds).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIs_tlt5XUUjx45zRZkQLfOh0O1Ata4MlANfWeN28q0EiNmMGYBbupmAhVWS1ZGq1Oa0MYFep9C_6aXLzK7U1ByQNO53mRXnT53HAmvqaawzmH48s7mVE143dFWUCKdj4fUJkuS4iMmZU/s1600/darkness+during+totality.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="how dark does it get at totality" border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIs_tlt5XUUjx45zRZkQLfOh0O1Ata4MlANfWeN28q0EiNmMGYBbupmAhVWS1ZGq1Oa0MYFep9C_6aXLzK7U1ByQNO53mRXnT53HAmvqaawzmH48s7mVE143dFWUCKdj4fUJkuS4iMmZU/s400/darkness+during+totality.png" title="how dark does it get at totality" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Compare a few minutes before totality to the darkness of totality, screenshots from the iPhone video above</td></tr>
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The total eclipse was light blue through the thin clouds, and white corona clearly visible around a black sphere. It looked like an artist rendering of a black hole with some sense of depth and volume and spitting out etherial white flames. It back lit the clouds around it like a full moon, and stood starring back at us in silence. I thought I had seen it for about 7 seconds, but then watching the video I believe it must have been longer. I found other videos on Instagram tagged at that location and it could have been 10-15 seconds easily.<br />
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The first thing I remember when it went back behind the clouds was that it looked different than any photo I had ever seen of it. Because of the clouds, I think it validated for me that this wasn't a false memory, I wasn't just remembering other photos I'd seen and convincing myself I'd seen it, I felt like I had proof in my mind that I had really seen it. Every photo I've seen has the stark white contrast, but this had a blue/green glow from the clouds and the white corona stood out against the clean line of the moon. It felt so unnatural, it looked like an alien spaceship, in my mind it seemed almost egg shaped which is probably my memory already distorting my experience or maybe an artifact of the shape of the hole in the clouds, it's hard to say but I remember thinking that it was "O" shaped and not a sphere for some reason. Maybe just my irrational mind overwhelmed by what I was looking at.<br />
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When the lights came back on, we again saw the eyelash thin sun coming out from behind the moon. I decided to get my camera and try to get some photos, sort of regretting not already having my camera on auto pilot snapping photos during totality - but then again it was raining just 10 minutes before. I watched with eclipse glasses a few more minutes, and then managed to snag some photos of the crescent sun appearing through the clouds. It was hard to find good exposure because the thickness of the clouds was constantly changing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwSWT4w5GM-0eB1NmGjraOrHLcBN2Ci2_ZFvmZFwu1mjy52wLcW-UfwC9CthsPntouP4ELIVLnhM9N2airUXALrFnCKgNcC5Y3e1nml8gr9h4mCh7Jm6fX5KtV7D7TSWwKmKFXaoKevBZ/s1600/crescent+sun+after+total+eclipse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="crescent sun in clouds" border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwSWT4w5GM-0eB1NmGjraOrHLcBN2Ci2_ZFvmZFwu1mjy52wLcW-UfwC9CthsPntouP4ELIVLnhM9N2airUXALrFnCKgNcC5Y3e1nml8gr9h4mCh7Jm6fX5KtV7D7TSWwKmKFXaoKevBZ/s400/crescent+sun+after+total+eclipse.jpg" title="crescent sun in clouds" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent sun after totality (1:17pm) ISO 100, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/2500</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I like these photos because the crescent sun without a solar filter is only something you can get with cloud cover, so this makes it more unique because no one would wish for clouds during the peek of the eclipse, but if you get them it makes some nice variety. So all in all, I think my friends and family were expecting more epic eclipse photos during totality, but I came away with some souvenir shots, a great video memory of totality, and a brief moment of ecstasy after days of anxiety and worry. Now that I've officially witnessed totality, the pressure is off for 2024. It will be easy for 2024 to be the best solar eclipse because the bar is set very low with only seeing 10 seconds of totality, however if I don't see it at all in 2024 I will always have these brief moments from 2017 to remember forever.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-10520725689442476402017-08-19T11:06:00.002-04:002017-08-19T11:06:38.709-04:00Packing for St. Joseph, MO Eclipse EventI'm getting anxious, I'm packing tonight and then going into work until about midnight, and then hitting the road with my sister at 6am tomorrow morning. Driving from Indianapolis to Kansas City, spending the night and making sure battery packs are charged up, and then driving to St. Joseph bright and early for the gates to open at the viewing location at 6am Monday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtVAzJc6-DIjl2eJhTs1YGbCa7Gwwfwv6X3qZr8WpG6_EhxLsUuhomQlgl4TdrmJ3n9JO3nuJPJBsLa3oz3hQJgs20abIMC6HY5ePglUZNrmZbX_W1W3VvwHT-LkD1-j9CH3F0AoE6Qfr/s1600/supplies+for+the+eclipse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="eclipse supplies" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtVAzJc6-DIjl2eJhTs1YGbCa7Gwwfwv6X3qZr8WpG6_EhxLsUuhomQlgl4TdrmJ3n9JO3nuJPJBsLa3oz3hQJgs20abIMC6HY5ePglUZNrmZbX_W1W3VvwHT-LkD1-j9CH3F0AoE6Qfr/s400/supplies+for+the+eclipse.JPG" title="eclipse supplies" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My gear, packing light with just the DSLR tripod, tool kit full of batteries various do-hickeys, tape, cardboard, my home made solar filter, welding glasses, solar binoculars, and eclipse glasses. Not pictured: Coolers, lawn chairs, blankets, bottled water. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>It feels bizarre to be packing both sun screen and a poncho! </b>The weather forecast is all over the place for NW Missouri, and I have to keep reminding myself that worst case scenario I don't see the sun at all, it will still get super dark in the middle of the day, and that's part of the experience. The event is more than just observing the sun, we'll be part of a mass migration following a celestial event - so that's my consolation prize if we don't see the sun at all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoFqXtN_RX0Jo-eOPB-rt5Ui1_CUkAGjIclF8ehmj0z1Zsgsu6lT7NiNV9bdUzmNKDn7VRxBeOEu6lmGBue6zADMOmSKp_WC1X_AQoEfSZhRQ7XEXPbFbcMRq8MF3U8df4NEls6Pic8l2/s1600/WDTWeatherMap_August19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1000" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoFqXtN_RX0Jo-eOPB-rt5Ui1_CUkAGjIclF8ehmj0z1Zsgsu6lT7NiNV9bdUzmNKDn7VRxBeOEu6lmGBue6zADMOmSKp_WC1X_AQoEfSZhRQ7XEXPbFbcMRq8MF3U8df4NEls6Pic8l2/s400/WDTWeatherMap_August19.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud cover forecast as of today. Hoping for thin clouds or plenty of holes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If it's partly cloudy, I'd like to at least get some photos of the eclipsed sun at any stage. I've been looking up eclipse photos through clouds and they actually make the eclipse more interesting in terms of photo composition, so I'll definitely take what I can get!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6UAYWA8sUVqtvMc-8XOn1r-dSj87J0mBACSj4clM4AVl_fgsc6PGpojF-L38C7JNl_Ssh7WCwCZ9GY5h7ui_OPUprvoZkmFQrDppb6vaP3mbRIBCHX3EtwYw1HgPF8JonsGHbWvCSH6P/s1600/eclipse+gum+ironic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="eclipse gum" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6UAYWA8sUVqtvMc-8XOn1r-dSj87J0mBACSj4clM4AVl_fgsc6PGpojF-L38C7JNl_Ssh7WCwCZ9GY5h7ui_OPUprvoZkmFQrDppb6vaP3mbRIBCHX3EtwYw1HgPF8JonsGHbWvCSH6P/s400/eclipse+gum+ironic.JPG" title="eclipse gum" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't even realize the brand of car gum I've been using for years is eclipse gum, heh heh, I wonder if they are planning some big ad campaign or something</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-34199960061149135112017-08-13T22:55:00.001-04:002017-08-13T23:10:31.753-04:00Opportunists Charge 1800% Markup for Last Minute Solar Eclipse Supplies on AmazonI thought this was newsworthy! A commenter on one of my most popular blog posts of all time "<a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/10/10-diy-solar-filter-for-dslr-camera.html" target="_blank">$10 DIY Solar Filter for DSLR Camera</a>" pointed out that the solar filter I link to was being sold on Amazon for a huge markup! I noticed that just a few days ago the 4"x4" solar filter was out of stock, but it looks opportunist are swooping in to flip these unavailable items at astronomical rates as third party Amazon sellers. <a href="http://amzn.to/2vAsZ2M" target="_blank">Eclipse glasses</a>, only $3.54 on July 24, are offered at $69.95, that's an 1876% increase!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgitqiH9F1lfFRPu_SA2Oqc8d58pKFvhICs0iRWFRdgW7PQUmTf-6ScAdegiyEjCwcaqC6HWqUvGVPTtS95tuDNMqfHiw5cnM94qFvG02mbLV-5AwYlC4CCURcuY8olve7SOfFC7-nuRht/s1600/solar+eclipse+glasses+price+change.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="huge price increase in solar eclipse glasses on amazon" border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1310" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgitqiH9F1lfFRPu_SA2Oqc8d58pKFvhICs0iRWFRdgW7PQUmTf-6ScAdegiyEjCwcaqC6HWqUvGVPTtS95tuDNMqfHiw5cnM94qFvG02mbLV-5AwYlC4CCURcuY8olve7SOfFC7-nuRht/s400/solar+eclipse+glasses+price+change.png" title="huge price increase in solar eclipse glasses on amazon" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Price trends from <a href="http://joinhoney.com/ref/ppodd6" target="_blank">Honey</a> plugin for Chrome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I use the <a href="http://joinhoney.com/ref/ppodd6" target="_blank">Chrome plugin called Honey</a> to get price graphs for the items on Amazon that show obvious trends upward as the Great American Eclipse approaches. </div>
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Not just eclipse glasses, but the <a href="http://amzn.to/2vTARPE" target="_blank">solar filter I recommend in my blog post</a> is no longer $7.35, it's now being offered by a third party seller for $134.85 (that's a 1735% increase!). </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFs6op9P4iInBWXmZzVLSjoGS2O2O5jc2gSD3XsdOAn7tWBNIbyBeLBGMhrD35z_2FwrHL4OfyOBj5_3VKVIMGHSuf4bSKjewBYNjzh7JkKf1CiokM8qYgJa0NjpBBcjDFvRxCM1ZLj7R/s1600/solar+filter+amazon+huge+price+increase.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="huge price increase in solar eclipse glasses on amazon" border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="913" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFs6op9P4iInBWXmZzVLSjoGS2O2O5jc2gSD3XsdOAn7tWBNIbyBeLBGMhrD35z_2FwrHL4OfyOBj5_3VKVIMGHSuf4bSKjewBYNjzh7JkKf1CiokM8qYgJa0NjpBBcjDFvRxCM1ZLj7R/s400/solar+filter+amazon+huge+price+increase.png" title="huge price increase in solar eclipse glasses on amazon" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Price trends from <a href="http://joinhoney.com/ref/ppodd6" target="_blank">Honey</a> plugin for Chrome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This is making me a little worried. I have all my gear already, but it could be the early signs of what the BIG DAY is going to be like. I'm picturing myself out on the road trying to get food, water, bathrooms, all being at the mercy of supply and demand. If tens of thousands of eclipse viewers are going to be descending upon little towns, gas stations, and rest stops all across America - who could blame them for getting the most they can out of it, knowing it's unlikely these 1-day tourists become regular visitors. </div>
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I guess all we can do is wait and see. As for the stuff on Amazon, there are plenty of alternatives - you don't need THAT pair of eclipse glasses, and I know that the black polymer filter comes in different sized sheets (that are also marked up, but not as bad). Stay safe out there, and remember to take in the full experience - possibly including the over priced goods along the way! It just adds to the story of the event that you can tell your friends and family years from now. </div>
Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-35173299923482020232017-08-03T22:25:00.001-04:002017-08-03T22:25:30.364-04:00Celestron EclipSmart 10x25 Solar Eclipse BinocularsI just received my <a href="http://amzn.to/2wcaoKg" target="_blank">Celestron 10x25 solar eclipse binoculars</a> in the mail from Amazon. I must have ordered these last minute solar observing eclipse binoculars at just the right time, because now they are saying "<a href="http://amzn.to/2wcaoKg" target="_blank">usually ships within 1-2 months</a>" on Amazon. I got mine in 2 days. Are they really out? No idea, I got mine, if you want to order some before the big day you might want to look around quickly! I ordered these because I knew in the time leading up to totality I would want to play with more than just some cardboard eclipse glasses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehD3PVyD38Kvd0uWeLoMdh5aFlyEsXWorSbv03R2e_zUQNX8Wf3ahyphenhyphenqM-VvTiGsixT9U9PXp-ODRiFz2o2WtUhVR63FDaugeIM1cn222AIyVgn836zlV00L7s8d6PgB6tdIwiufhdqfM8/s1600/testing+out+binoculars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="testing out small eclipse binoculars" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehD3PVyD38Kvd0uWeLoMdh5aFlyEsXWorSbv03R2e_zUQNX8Wf3ahyphenhyphenqM-VvTiGsixT9U9PXp-ODRiFz2o2WtUhVR63FDaugeIM1cn222AIyVgn836zlV00L7s8d6PgB6tdIwiufhdqfM8/s200/testing+out+binoculars.JPG" title="testing out small eclipse binoculars" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEv23yCemoQNbwM04D-DH90dNmOpaiRviRnQVUS9u81Kr3HMqKkUj2SKyeycCqcpoh8WQznMo7omoaM7vDVG3GuN-za-jTX07gSXQo46vsC15nmeNg8tKo6FuMhg8W8ED5TwOFrZ2Qcwu-/s1600/hold+binoculars+steady.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="testing out small eclipse binoculars" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEv23yCemoQNbwM04D-DH90dNmOpaiRviRnQVUS9u81Kr3HMqKkUj2SKyeycCqcpoh8WQznMo7omoaM7vDVG3GuN-za-jTX07gSXQo46vsC15nmeNg8tKo6FuMhg8W8ED5TwOFrZ2Qcwu-/s200/hold+binoculars+steady.JPG" title="testing out small eclipse binoculars" width="200" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI5Tbsme9b9IbnIWR3luVG8P_nJBi7I2HlC6dO3ii6drqaP0SomTMiNV3W5xhNrWpLYhVFgKepR8BNXKv4NJEFjqrLipXJ3HdKbir5ULL_kkiHYlCihPGuDZI_uZlQkMN-UWVwrdEa-fz/s1600/celestron+objective+lens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="celestron objective lens solar binocular" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI5Tbsme9b9IbnIWR3luVG8P_nJBi7I2HlC6dO3ii6drqaP0SomTMiNV3W5xhNrWpLYhVFgKepR8BNXKv4NJEFjqrLipXJ3HdKbir5ULL_kkiHYlCihPGuDZI_uZlQkMN-UWVwrdEa-fz/s400/celestron+objective+lens.JPG" title="celestron objective lens solar binocular" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are listed as a <a href="http://amzn.to/2wcaoKg" target="_blank">best seller on Amazon</a>, perfect size for under $40</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I think these 10x25 binoculars will give me a good view. Hopefully there is something interesting like a sunspot on the sun that day, because you can indeed see large sunspots with these binoculars. I spotted one just yesterday that looked like a little black freckle on the sun. Here are some photos of my eclipse binoculars unboxing. It's a little weird at first, pointing binoculars toward the sun. I'm glad these solar filters on the ends are NOT removable, just in case!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-XWBewAockIBeqGVSGEGBbkcZUZ49NmwhWPeRi5zk481mUcEY4f2DoARf5Et6s9NT49ReQ1YwOO-ArTV8yhaldsm5gMzDnYcpwpAYQ4DaUW86dDiKSuYrB2pCYH33Gt-wsZOkjschuSH/s1600/eclipsmart+unboxing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="eclipsmart or eclipsemart package" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-XWBewAockIBeqGVSGEGBbkcZUZ49NmwhWPeRi5zk481mUcEY4f2DoARf5Et6s9NT49ReQ1YwOO-ArTV8yhaldsm5gMzDnYcpwpAYQ4DaUW86dDiKSuYrB2pCYH33Gt-wsZOkjschuSH/s200/eclipsmart+unboxing.JPG" title="eclipsmart or eclipsemart package" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRYZ8vsvx6-gGC7nIiBsgDXvQbmit9FiSKqOtyR-6k9MCRP1ZFV3lb_ogKlnyQAq6wH7Jt8Vf3RZrY1zSAIddbrh34tO-kY5Dn0DRuPjJq8Lztbv6LRvYm7JHlp7z2zj9wBVzB7vf6PJq/s1600/solar+observing+binocular+specs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="eclipsmart or eclipsemart package" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRYZ8vsvx6-gGC7nIiBsgDXvQbmit9FiSKqOtyR-6k9MCRP1ZFV3lb_ogKlnyQAq6wH7Jt8Vf3RZrY1zSAIddbrh34tO-kY5Dn0DRuPjJq8Lztbv6LRvYm7JHlp7z2zj9wBVzB7vf6PJq/s200/solar+observing+binocular+specs.JPG" title="eclipsmart or eclipsemart package" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRuMz0tbZI5ZbExvGu6L-9__-X4yV5xpXUYmq3elyb2ePI9AqNufmsei-lWuU_6j_n_Gj7UCkk7XlTRzHO4gvEC3Ocgsp8T1ZKnHu1wx7tFkNmSDrJuv46x1aeZmVFEvnHEyUEnWVg_-j/s1600/celestron+binocular+pouch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="celestron small binocular carrying pouch" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRuMz0tbZI5ZbExvGu6L-9__-X4yV5xpXUYmq3elyb2ePI9AqNufmsei-lWuU_6j_n_Gj7UCkk7XlTRzHO4gvEC3Ocgsp8T1ZKnHu1wx7tFkNmSDrJuv46x1aeZmVFEvnHEyUEnWVg_-j/s400/celestron+binocular+pouch.JPG" title="celestron small binocular carrying pouch" width="400" /></a></div>
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The shiny black surface is cool and reflective. These will come in handy for more than just the eclipse, as I mentioned you can absolutely use them to see large sunspots too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryLg6mn-iVlp6Yj0ZBjp9yrEJrtqaMHoCHLKm6SIDs8KzfaXwdB49OW95zhDHYQxqt2FHIxUJwoRu7CN6SA5l8WE7YO2qyW_ENKqm9aXmGyo_s-dAFgMfUvEUGFbEIcZg09zj0s5jhKpc/s1600/solar+safe+binoculars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="solar safe binoculars" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryLg6mn-iVlp6Yj0ZBjp9yrEJrtqaMHoCHLKm6SIDs8KzfaXwdB49OW95zhDHYQxqt2FHIxUJwoRu7CN6SA5l8WE7YO2qyW_ENKqm9aXmGyo_s-dAFgMfUvEUGFbEIcZg09zj0s5jhKpc/s320/solar+safe+binoculars.JPG" title="solar safe binoculars" width="320" /></a></div>
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The color of the sun through the binoculars is a pleasing yellow/orange, it looks very natural - not that I can really stare at the sun to compare.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfDRyyINeGQFGhLA9tzl1i4RHK88j9zk4ZfrW3qcO7tibnXWjG8VoEAyV6wED4T1S8r3DcjUoeALWoN34y0E9KUr58tFJSUOH20AzbaCYJk4CUyTJpRdPyNXKwhS4stUa34dVaZCsPb2P/s1600/look+at+binoculars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="under side of binoculars" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfDRyyINeGQFGhLA9tzl1i4RHK88j9zk4ZfrW3qcO7tibnXWjG8VoEAyV6wED4T1S8r3DcjUoeALWoN34y0E9KUr58tFJSUOH20AzbaCYJk4CUyTJpRdPyNXKwhS4stUa34dVaZCsPb2P/s320/look+at+binoculars.JPG" title="under side of binoculars" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoDdkxJd6J_W77frVGmVvT-WnnbZIqM6HjlHvl3fgCVWKJB5j-v4iDetKLYPxQmfPC3UKrlHtLy-Zhu1uyM6ofLdJ7Rzm29QGW3qBR37Qo429GOfsVLx33uFW2YL5wcxyEsuStD3LY6Id/s1600/small+binoculars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="size of 10x25 binoculars" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoDdkxJd6J_W77frVGmVvT-WnnbZIqM6HjlHvl3fgCVWKJB5j-v4iDetKLYPxQmfPC3UKrlHtLy-Zhu1uyM6ofLdJ7Rzm29QGW3qBR37Qo429GOfsVLx33uFW2YL5wcxyEsuStD3LY6Id/s320/small+binoculars.JPG" title="size of 10x25 binoculars" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bigger isn't always better with binoculars. I like that these will fit in my pocket, or even (gasp) on my belt because of the handy belt-loop on the case. Oh my, I would be the most fashionable at the solar eclipse viewing party.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFzzWDIxzc-cdd_17FOMLUqU7jMHYIAVkDEatgdg_GE83-kcL2jAfVCd2zY3rolaQ1zfX1aJVwbk1j1QPdOcl9aSzihJ-V6eWS4uSFh0RLYG-nL8AqXSoeEV4qxNIXHOUr0sWgnbtScKS/s1600/reflective+black+lenses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="reflective black lenses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFzzWDIxzc-cdd_17FOMLUqU7jMHYIAVkDEatgdg_GE83-kcL2jAfVCd2zY3rolaQ1zfX1aJVwbk1j1QPdOcl9aSzihJ-V6eWS4uSFh0RLYG-nL8AqXSoeEV4qxNIXHOUr0sWgnbtScKS/s320/reflective+black+lenses.JPG" title="reflective black lenses" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqpS0S0kw5E_IALDWfSXvFHmNlNl81wNBjm5IuISauW_wWoKzr977r9QYhfDvnKh9ixbSautgez5dPK5O_Ls-Lfz4VIUzynwSjphsg9w_sChRh7EyLHWGtJZ7Ed6QQeyc3a4GmeTVw-in/s1600/10x25+binoculars.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="binocular eyepiece" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqpS0S0kw5E_IALDWfSXvFHmNlNl81wNBjm5IuISauW_wWoKzr977r9QYhfDvnKh9ixbSautgez5dPK5O_Ls-Lfz4VIUzynwSjphsg9w_sChRh7EyLHWGtJZ7Ed6QQeyc3a4GmeTVw-in/s320/10x25+binoculars.JPG" title="binocular eyepiece" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first number (10) in "10x25" means the magnification, or how many times closer an object will appear compared to the naked eye - so these are 10x meaning the sun will appear 10x closer. The second number (25) in "10x25" is the diameter of the objective lens (bigger lens on the front) so the lens is only 2.5 cm across. This would be no good for viewing the night sky, with such a small light-gathering diameter, but for the sun it's no big deal. Bigger objective lenses are bigger light-catching buckets, and images will appear brighter - since this isn't important for daytime viewing of the sun, I'll trade size for portability. These 10x binoculars actually provide more magnification than my 7x50 binoculars I got for observing the moon and stars, even though they are much smaller.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-45419486001354423232017-07-09T20:19:00.003-04:002017-07-09T20:19:39.740-04:00Huge Sunspot, Active Region 2665 on July 9, 2017I don't have amazing solar imaging gear - just a DSLR and a <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/10/10-diy-solar-filter-for-dslr-camera.html" target="_blank">home made solar filter</a> - but when there is a sunspot or active region large enough, it's always worth taking a look to see if I can 'spot' it! 😂 But seriously, when I started seeing photos of active region ("AR") 2665 show up on my social media feeds, I had to grab my camera. <div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaArHHx40_YQjJCJsdBDrCjlBT6xGHmzkVK-ikCauCM84Hyf8wjbp2Me96B8ZNbqVjXQM-zJGxuxJYSF89jN3JPul4ZT-WXDeK4S7hdydf5ZA0q7-nGAdEBO_n-RWGILtlRXvbr87URyRg/s1600/Sun+AR2665.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Active Region 2665" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaArHHx40_YQjJCJsdBDrCjlBT6xGHmzkVK-ikCauCM84Hyf8wjbp2Me96B8ZNbqVjXQM-zJGxuxJYSF89jN3JPul4ZT-WXDeK4S7hdydf5ZA0q7-nGAdEBO_n-RWGILtlRXvbr87URyRg/s400/Sun+AR2665.png" title="Active Region 2665" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame with Canon T5i, <a href="http://amzn.to/2sFeit4" target="_blank">black polymer solar filter</a>, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/60 sec, ISO 100</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
My lens isn't quite sharp enough to really pull out all the detail, and who can compete with the Solar Dynamics Observatory with crystal clear live images of the sun. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TIL4wfVLGoR03M5I6o3T2-3USmwMVYDEvQqfLxf8aGwOXyCc5LxCmM6h-tn0-JnAONMNDOiL5DnYFn3FecmlgWm7y_-wgqKHV4-BrELRECluqQtaNd_Oy3n0DP9oN20DUlYm_QswYqlS/s1600/black+polymer+solar+filter+compare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Active Region 2665" border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TIL4wfVLGoR03M5I6o3T2-3USmwMVYDEvQqfLxf8aGwOXyCc5LxCmM6h-tn0-JnAONMNDOiL5DnYFn3FecmlgWm7y_-wgqKHV4-BrELRECluqQtaNd_Oy3n0DP9oN20DUlYm_QswYqlS/s400/black+polymer+solar+filter+compare.png" title="Active Region 2665" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image above compared to the <a href="https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/sunspots/" target="_blank">SDO HMI Intensitygram</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
Nevertheless, I've found over the years that my best chances are to focus the camera while it's tethered to my laptop, rather than relying on the auto-focus or trying to focus by hand looking through the viewfinder. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYhqFLZoaHWiAABK7N_h7jM_jZK8l6B3NAeM9zvwfz0tfO_V01Z4rnkNjXaoessrAJ7FkMpjqPZhonxukXvi68Y7dSKITGuYOb5NewapCHPhh2ImE-bom7OSdY2olvI4XL_ELhVe4Vz7K/s1600/control+camera+from+laptop+sun+photos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="taking photos of the sun" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYhqFLZoaHWiAABK7N_h7jM_jZK8l6B3NAeM9zvwfz0tfO_V01Z4rnkNjXaoessrAJ7FkMpjqPZhonxukXvi68Y7dSKITGuYOb5NewapCHPhh2ImE-bom7OSdY2olvI4XL_ELhVe4Vz7K/s400/control+camera+from+laptop+sun+photos.JPG" title="taking photos of the sun" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you stop and think for a second, it's pretty darn cool to be able to see a sunspot like this with very little equipment. Controlling my camera from my laptop makes me feel super cool, as if I have my own observatory at my disposal. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dJQ1aFVomcS8MyMHmUH9WFCHgTcPN81Qzhv3TNPnuX7PonA5Uimevgva1KBwQAhlZT6w5F2zdXv4tVL4QEIeCoiy68b7_31QiNqcjbG6pDrUE7TTmDrcDPsy45jW6L-itJRORA7dCpd8/s1600/USB+tether+to+canon+t5i.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tether control DSLR with laptop" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dJQ1aFVomcS8MyMHmUH9WFCHgTcPN81Qzhv3TNPnuX7PonA5Uimevgva1KBwQAhlZT6w5F2zdXv4tVL4QEIeCoiy68b7_31QiNqcjbG6pDrUE7TTmDrcDPsy45jW6L-itJRORA7dCpd8/s400/USB+tether+to+canon+t5i.JPG" title="tether control DSLR with laptop" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love being able to control my camera using the <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/11/download-install-eos-utility-without-cd.html" target="_blank">EOS Utility app</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIF2qtXk9texKpn6LgtavQOjbG8Nk38ZznoERPuqhE2F5FNdPYKB29MeWTlWSg2Ga4bip9fDlSNShyphenhyphenT8rM8Bq-cNEO3fWLvtq2gY2cn3vljlb-1nOPOA_ZztD3_brUSWLM7Ffd-1w01_q/s1600/laptop+on+chair+next+to+the+door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="tether control DSLR with laptop" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIF2qtXk9texKpn6LgtavQOjbG8Nk38ZznoERPuqhE2F5FNdPYKB29MeWTlWSg2Ga4bip9fDlSNShyphenhyphenT8rM8Bq-cNEO3fWLvtq2gY2cn3vljlb-1nOPOA_ZztD3_brUSWLM7Ffd-1w01_q/s400/laptop+on+chair+next+to+the+door.JPG" title="tether control DSLR with laptop" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My laptop perched on a chair near the sliding door so the USB cable can reach the camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhU_zpraHhboZlN9mhyphenhyphenfH6PubDdsIAsYuTcpe78CbklGg7JTBAvduV6yVhg0a-lRyOFzdAPZWdrZ-ApKMRkJmYTTvBIL1fABbRFlgii__emXrqBuJmsBbe8tm_zgOdwQIu9ECLu5Jv9pq/s1600/DSLR+on+motorized+mount.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DSLR with solar filter" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhU_zpraHhboZlN9mhyphenhyphenfH6PubDdsIAsYuTcpe78CbklGg7JTBAvduV6yVhg0a-lRyOFzdAPZWdrZ-ApKMRkJmYTTvBIL1fABbRFlgii__emXrqBuJmsBbe8tm_zgOdwQIu9ECLu5Jv9pq/s400/DSLR+on+motorized+mount.JPG" title="DSLR with solar filter" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My camera slowly following the sun so I don't have to keep re-adjusting it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR7hf_aNxll0NS-9n2iLaFS_D0z0E_Ue0lmjSsn_361C9UHnRcnT0nZLuUVzIbmVasCuVOwKaFiKcdSei_8ban_8RW7AvkKtGmQ3erhKBpqVeWUHjqowHY_wrIh_n13eHcmTQ_f9bfc7U/s1600/dslr+with+solar+filter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DSLR with solar filter" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR7hf_aNxll0NS-9n2iLaFS_D0z0E_Ue0lmjSsn_361C9UHnRcnT0nZLuUVzIbmVasCuVOwKaFiKcdSei_8ban_8RW7AvkKtGmQ3erhKBpqVeWUHjqowHY_wrIh_n13eHcmTQ_f9bfc7U/s400/dslr+with+solar+filter.JPG" title="DSLR with solar filter" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DIY solar filter on DSLR on motorized mount</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
I don't think it's my best sunspot photo, but it definitely was an honest attempt. If you take a look at the weather conditions, they were just okay I guess. I've tried stacking solar photos before and it just doesn't boost the clarity as nicely as moon photos. I'll quit moaning and just enjoy this sunspot the size of Earth, captured on my DSLR in my backyard. </div>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiHeXtKCymJkZcd0PnABf3WU4vvEhHey6p6Grb123mzk9Vzg7sQCehAEgzDWwxl1gd4l6menw_vrRYzV9HjkFNELR0C92peG0Dup1HBy8q1Y7C1AytWWHbcuk-27mS-lqoEBf_p45njxp/s1600/weather+conditions+july.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="summer sky" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiHeXtKCymJkZcd0PnABf3WU4vvEhHey6p6Grb123mzk9Vzg7sQCehAEgzDWwxl1gd4l6menw_vrRYzV9HjkFNELR0C92peG0Dup1HBy8q1Y7C1AytWWHbcuk-27mS-lqoEBf_p45njxp/s400/weather+conditions+july.JPG" title="summer sky" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weather conditions, Noblesville, IN July 9, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-14926315607782568982017-06-26T19:12:00.002-04:002017-06-26T19:12:34.023-04:00Do Solar Eclipse Glasses Fit and Work Over Regular Glasses?Yes, traditional cardboard solar eclipse glasses fit over regular prescription glasses. Yes, solar eclipse glasses work over prescription glasses, and allow you to see the sun as a crisp orange circle (or blue/green depending on the eclipse glasses). I wanted to post about this because I wear regular prescription glasses everyday and I want to assure people that they will have a comfortable and enjoyable view of the solar eclipse with the cardboard total solar eclipse shades directly on top of their regular eyewear. See photos!<br />
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I know this can be a concern for people, because you don't want to sacrifice the clarity of viewing with your prescription, but you also don't want to hurt your eyes duh! As someone who used to buy contact lenses just so I could go to 3D movies, I'm always worried about whether or not the additional eyewear will go over the top of what I'm already wearing!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmrf2UI5uzgcsddoNqkAm3cQoKYdBX5Jyw8pkVN-pV9FSvjq7H8TDeu1Gd4rbeD8ZMXLtAeKbpPsmZolv4r8XBGLKNRKvMQoOSTdK8VQhLzOx2ulP1nU7kW5qMPqgGY9cHo66dCcrcNtR/s1600/looking+up+with+solar+eclipse+glasses+over+regular+glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="looking up at the sun with eclipse glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmrf2UI5uzgcsddoNqkAm3cQoKYdBX5Jyw8pkVN-pV9FSvjq7H8TDeu1Gd4rbeD8ZMXLtAeKbpPsmZolv4r8XBGLKNRKvMQoOSTdK8VQhLzOx2ulP1nU7kW5qMPqgGY9cHo66dCcrcNtR/s400/looking+up+with+solar+eclipse+glasses+over+regular+glasses.JPG" title="looking up at the sun with eclipse glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing out my eclipse shades over my Rx glasses for the total solar eclipse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAAQ1CBT3kNBGMc_Oh0ndE1HJvmGz5Sq4U0agIsvDIP8_mWuLXjt1m95RpeV9FFiHu5MguJpIm8J1VrHEN-MzL5JuMO3SUhWlGISJ325sVEHx9dAHmqhB8V4Xrkp9ZlappgLViAS3Orra/s1600/souviner+solar+eclipse+glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="front view eclipse glasses over regular glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAAQ1CBT3kNBGMc_Oh0ndE1HJvmGz5Sq4U0agIsvDIP8_mWuLXjt1m95RpeV9FFiHu5MguJpIm8J1VrHEN-MzL5JuMO3SUhWlGISJ325sVEHx9dAHmqhB8V4Xrkp9ZlappgLViAS3Orra/s400/souviner+solar+eclipse+glasses.JPG" title="front view eclipse glasses over regular glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view eclipse glasses over regular</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6P0_hqwg6BQ5MYdaL3yHAi-QfRfAB0Dbh0fdbmMHfGYIGz8tniPi5ijl10HGA4D6mzySbj8o00svEac4XA1Fjc6flncsTuGfDB8gZboT5BCtbytbgJOVew39y0gCyIPuj9zCJkaAdLNI/s1600/solar+eclipse+glasses+fit+over+regular+glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="side view eclipse glasses over regular glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6P0_hqwg6BQ5MYdaL3yHAi-QfRfAB0Dbh0fdbmMHfGYIGz8tniPi5ijl10HGA4D6mzySbj8o00svEac4XA1Fjc6flncsTuGfDB8gZboT5BCtbytbgJOVew39y0gCyIPuj9zCJkaAdLNI/s400/solar+eclipse+glasses+fit+over+regular+glasses.jpg" title="side view eclipse glasses over regular glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side view solar shades over regular glasses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These particular eclipse glasses I ordered from the St. Joseph, MO Convention and Visitors Bureau <a href="http://www.stjomo.com/eclipse2017/" target="_blank">online store on their event page for the 2017 eclipse</a>. I got a 6-pack for $10+$4 shipping. St. Joseph is where I'm going to view the eclipse, so I figured it would be nice to have souvenir eclipse glasses to save in my memory box to mark the event.<br />
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You can also get <a href="http://amzn.to/2tcMvTU" target="_blank">eclipse glasses on Amazon for cheap</a>, and you'll probably see more and more of the custom printed ones popping up closer to the event. These were actually printed by Rainbow Symphony, which is the <a href="http://amzn.to/2tcMvTU" target="_blank">exact same ones they sell on Amazon</a>, and if you wanted to really wow your neighbors or co-workers you could order your own custom printed ones.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7815taD_IdS7JcTzFkKVGrPwMFGi3FJIupY4hfED84pjrthWPKk8y3AVKLWJ7N79rNsB1iui6JQb_ShAK098Qa1ehmbcULo2dOvUZrOcmZanQMH9_PGR-7ywpdVmKCIt33Sb-3BMCvin/s1600/small+orange+dot+through+eclipse+glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="how sun looks through solar eclipse glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7815taD_IdS7JcTzFkKVGrPwMFGi3FJIupY4hfED84pjrthWPKk8y3AVKLWJ7N79rNsB1iui6JQb_ShAK098Qa1ehmbcULo2dOvUZrOcmZanQMH9_PGR-7ywpdVmKCIt33Sb-3BMCvin/s400/small+orange+dot+through+eclipse+glasses.JPG" title="how sun looks through solar eclipse glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun appears as an orange dot through the glasses. It doesn't provide any magnification, but remember the sun is the same apparent size as the full moon during an eclipse, so you'll be able to see enough of the disc of the sun to notice a huge slice covered on its way to totality. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpY_HRP6WEeVrm3o7QWEr9QSAOEp4XChh0LV3Hq9oftYX5ibBZ-eRZrgjReAKxxtPS21NkztG62IIDqMnkKXNVZ0DWP0UIPndpCBqaIouqCPWOT4S81cisDetsISVBwXj5mu3jvBg8BLU/s1600/multiple+solar+eclipse+glasses+cheap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="6-pack of glasses came in the mail" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpY_HRP6WEeVrm3o7QWEr9QSAOEp4XChh0LV3Hq9oftYX5ibBZ-eRZrgjReAKxxtPS21NkztG62IIDqMnkKXNVZ0DWP0UIPndpCBqaIouqCPWOT4S81cisDetsISVBwXj5mu3jvBg8BLU/s400/multiple+solar+eclipse+glasses+cheap.JPG" title="6-pack of glasses came in the mail" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6-pack arrived in the mail in a couple days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorx3zzkLR8ZNArQn4D-1G3piI58jM1WoN2eTRsC6-ZPOsv3XfZkpLeDYoMYdCGGOS8rAAgqzJZNRxt20mnUsm7ggZXjbz6RmMjzrdcZG_dz0mU6JUb_i2c5NVg3GfeXHFH9irJegyAwGc/s1600/instructions+inside+solar+eclipse+glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="instructions inside eclipse glasses" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhorx3zzkLR8ZNArQn4D-1G3piI58jM1WoN2eTRsC6-ZPOsv3XfZkpLeDYoMYdCGGOS8rAAgqzJZNRxt20mnUsm7ggZXjbz6RmMjzrdcZG_dz0mU6JUb_i2c5NVg3GfeXHFH9irJegyAwGc/s400/instructions+inside+solar+eclipse+glasses.jpg" title="instructions inside eclipse glasses" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some safety instructions printed right on the inside of the glasses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqvSV1V-XEpG4NTHtEUBSaz_GA-5wE-XApcAKIRakgdmz4WRDLUkB-eSyO6xGE8lWrlCDeH3QCa8mHePG6GQU-zsfboMR2Q10q3qGj8ajLlcC_5Aasi362D_9awG0v93mKASAcbd13cNY/s1600/st+joseph+missouri+eclipse+glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="souvenir eclipse glasses custom printed" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqvSV1V-XEpG4NTHtEUBSaz_GA-5wE-XApcAKIRakgdmz4WRDLUkB-eSyO6xGE8lWrlCDeH3QCa8mHePG6GQU-zsfboMR2Q10q3qGj8ajLlcC_5Aasi362D_9awG0v93mKASAcbd13cNY/s400/st+joseph+missouri+eclipse+glasses.JPG" title="souvenir eclipse glasses custom printed" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are branded for the specific event I'm attending so it will make a great souvenir!</td></tr>
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I have my itinerary narrowed down with my sister. We have our hotels booked, and our driving route planned. If you're going to be in St. Joseph let me know in the comments, and if you have any tips for a first-time-total-solar-eclipse-viewer let me know in the comments!Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-69743594791676182412017-04-05T22:34:00.000-04:002017-04-05T22:34:59.932-04:00Cassini's Grand Finale Teaser Trailer Gave Me Chills<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7HxGZQ2IHaZingZlkF5Qm06-dQO5h_xjL0O4nBay3ztCiHjPv_hNEOaXPLZBWFq34h2Gn35loOrCmKpIvxX3DVllPnoBWxftcAvjlgFqC1LdsFMwKJYVRiyAcBgNm_09_ImHfrEB6c8/s1600/surface+of+saturn+artist+redering.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="artist concept surface of saturn" border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7HxGZQ2IHaZingZlkF5Qm06-dQO5h_xjL0O4nBay3ztCiHjPv_hNEOaXPLZBWFq34h2Gn35loOrCmKpIvxX3DVllPnoBWxftcAvjlgFqC1LdsFMwKJYVRiyAcBgNm_09_ImHfrEB6c8/s400/surface+of+saturn+artist+redering.png" title="artist concept surface of saturn" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the Cassini Grand Finale trailer. I legit teared up a little at the end. </td></tr>
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After 20 years in space, Cassini deserves this cinema quality teaser trailer for its upcoming 'Grand Finale' death dive into the gas giant (oops, spoiler alert). Cassini is one of my favorite missions, especially because of the quality and abundance of images that are being sent back. I didn't really get into space or the night sky until after Cassini was well on it's way to the outer solar system, so I can't really remember a time when we didn't have Cassini images.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizlTZ_Z6LKdCe6NjgT1Br3EWhCrWhicz-QhyyYnpQqN5gudYCXz17ptWdg672W1YngguVH-FVvpyDFscXBCxlhU-gcdXKafDumczLny6zWIA_vt_vW0ZB2S6a79-uqd8tT1M5oVAnCsk0/s1600/saturn+orbit+insertion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Illustration from the Cassini Grand Finale trailer" border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizlTZ_Z6LKdCe6NjgT1Br3EWhCrWhicz-QhyyYnpQqN5gudYCXz17ptWdg672W1YngguVH-FVvpyDFscXBCxlhU-gcdXKafDumczLny6zWIA_vt_vW0ZB2S6a79-uqd8tT1M5oVAnCsk0/s400/saturn+orbit+insertion.png" title="Illustration from the Cassini Grand Finale trailer" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the Cassini Grand Finale trailer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The images in the video are obviously computer generated, but they are easily recognizable and they feel very familiar because they are based on actual Cassini photos, so they are at least science-adjacent and seemingly real-ish. In fact, some of the images have direct connections to actual famous <a href="https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/hall-of-fame/" target="_blank">Cassini photos from the Hall of Fame</a>.<br />
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Let's watch! Go HD and full screen!<br />
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<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xrGAQCq9BMU" width="560"></iframe></center>
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As you can see, the trailer gives sort of a highlight tour of some famous Cassini moments. But the illustrations from these moments aren't completely fabricated, they're all based on available photos that you can see online. Check out the illustrations from the trailers vs. some actual Cassini photos...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZm-bm9SaCFcGP6l6Rm4pNqKa998xe4btlP3J5hq5jTiKP5PNdJeDAPXQ6JAf-RwGcGleGwoJolqhgfEiog-YLcO36f-H44miRj2pg_YXe4u1huOigJ6H8drifVJXUMpafy8ns3Flkcxu/s1600/cassini+backlit+illustration+vs+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="saturn backlit artist vs actual" border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZm-bm9SaCFcGP6l6Rm4pNqKa998xe4btlP3J5hq5jTiKP5PNdJeDAPXQ6JAf-RwGcGleGwoJolqhgfEiog-YLcO36f-H44miRj2pg_YXe4u1huOigJ6H8drifVJXUMpafy8ns3Flkcxu/s400/cassini+backlit+illustration+vs+photo.jpg" title="saturn backlit artist vs actual" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the trailer vs. the actual backlit Saturn photo composite</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWb5gUTYaU6Kelw-6P4ax4UsrNGqxN_WAjRv3RUYXBbxeeMZd8oMcY5v7QvJxmU23ReLNkmgetl9TFMZiiycoABaA19jPDgtkClgWzhPPHIJgJvMajpK5tHueQg-zzMbUpp5YMSHTHw5k/s1600/enceladus+artist+concept.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="enceladus illustration vs actual" border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWb5gUTYaU6Kelw-6P4ax4UsrNGqxN_WAjRv3RUYXBbxeeMZd8oMcY5v7QvJxmU23ReLNkmgetl9TFMZiiycoABaA19jPDgtkClgWzhPPHIJgJvMajpK5tHueQg-zzMbUpp5YMSHTHw5k/s400/enceladus+artist+concept.jpg" title="enceladus illustration vs actual" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the trailer vs. a now rather famous <a href="https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/6074/?category=hall-of-fame" target="_blank">photo titled Encroaching Shadow from July 28, 2014</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBv15t4cV-MjeEtwVY9wcEZMhE1aeZsyrUh8H5xiaPaJV2I8lghhaRK8718SzEW5taU0ioLH7DuPWkaLuGZMWFz0q0n82h8fwaIuYVR9b54cQ6_x4SriuTnupcma3rJlIQPIV-ROdjtAA/s1600/saturn+northern+summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="saturn illustration vs actual" border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBv15t4cV-MjeEtwVY9wcEZMhE1aeZsyrUh8H5xiaPaJV2I8lghhaRK8718SzEW5taU0ioLH7DuPWkaLuGZMWFz0q0n82h8fwaIuYVR9b54cQ6_x4SriuTnupcma3rJlIQPIV-ROdjtAA/s400/saturn+northern+summer.jpg" title="saturn illustration vs actual" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the trailer vs. Saturn approaching northern summer in this <a href="https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/7504/?category=hall-of-fame" target="_blank">Hall of Fame photo</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4rjmia_B4gzyZaIWiVArXP5JKJ2DMfJFOPH-P70HI3kOV_7orkDeCa2TfVP_W8HY62dKMgcAyGw4jWBjPhBGcc-627DKZbLcEDrEfG2IHGTRvEOhljWNEXuT_aCWaVPb1fayGcH3Ct1E/s1600/titan+from+cassini+trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="haze of titan" border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4rjmia_B4gzyZaIWiVArXP5JKJ2DMfJFOPH-P70HI3kOV_7orkDeCa2TfVP_W8HY62dKMgcAyGw4jWBjPhBGcc-627DKZbLcEDrEfG2IHGTRvEOhljWNEXuT_aCWaVPb1fayGcH3Ct1E/s400/titan+from+cassini+trailer.jpg" title="haze of titan" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration from the trailer vs. an <a href="https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/3172/?category=hall-of-fame" target="_blank">actual photo of Titan</a> with it's iconic "smoggy, golden murk"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you're wondering, here is <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2013/09/5-second-iphone-video-of-saturn-stacked.html" target="_blank">my best photo of Saturn</a> that I took with my iPhone through my Meade refractor telescope. I recorded a short video through the eyepiece and stacked it in Registax to clean up the image.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu8naKAPMwb1Ht2EwkgBPV2xu71_MeCc5g9f_lWLYq44XDvSMDO0IJ73aa3b_RXNyqJGrpe4ZuyyvA22TeUyX-Am5xws3j4aPrlGkbhuR8lI5-gAu4xP7midTpDnpN8tCBIqspyCTcOHI/s1600/saturnshortbmpavi_crop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="my best image of saturn" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbu8naKAPMwb1Ht2EwkgBPV2xu71_MeCc5g9f_lWLYq44XDvSMDO0IJ73aa3b_RXNyqJGrpe4ZuyyvA22TeUyX-Am5xws3j4aPrlGkbhuR8lI5-gAu4xP7midTpDnpN8tCBIqspyCTcOHI/s1600/saturnshortbmpavi_crop.png" title="my best image of saturn" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-10202359190168850882017-02-26T14:14:00.000-05:002017-02-26T14:14:18.941-05:00Uncle Richard, Antarctica, and the Natural History MuseumI've been doing some online detective work this morning trying to see if any of the meteorites in the gem collection at the Natural History Museum in Washington DC were from my late uncle Richard's trip to Antarctica. I've been to the national gem collection in the Natural History Museum a few times (it's one of my favorite stops in DC).<br />
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I remember after my uncle Richard died, his expedition to Antarctica came up again and again in stories - and I knew he was really into meteorites, I saw his personal collection proudly displayed on the mantle in his study. I started to wonder if any of the meteorites in the national collection were from the same location he went to, or could even be from his expedition.<br />
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The next time I found myself in the museum, I took photos of meteorites labeled "Antarctica" so that I could go back and look them up later. There were quite a few! It turns out the stark climate, high contrast of ice to rock, and the flow of ice depositing meteorites up against rocky outcrops all make it the perfect location to find literally more meteorites than could be collected accurately, and that they would leave "hundreds" for future expeditions rather than hastily grabbing them without good records.<br />
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So here are my questions and how I found the answers:<br />
<ol>
<li>What expedition was my uncle Richard on in Antarctica?</li>
<li>Which meteorites in the photos include dates that overlap with when my uncle was there?</li>
<li>Can the specimen be tied to a his specific field season and location?</li>
</ol>
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I found uncle Richard's field season easily enough with a good Google search, which led me to an excerpt from the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2lUsMVv" target="_blank">Meteorites, Ice, and Antarctica: A Personal Account</a> by William A. Cassidy:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hqu196dK9I2AZQy1jW7qFY4hXMoxl0ZmXTy3m6qWV3Xw209ZT4qktWBizWOT2T-abOzwT9jUe5fpceiz_JZNY1DfAmxAL2f1HGAQbvz_o4_MiZlPsb2Pm2go_a2bmi7S-HVWT38IKrBK/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-02-26+at+12.21.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hqu196dK9I2AZQy1jW7qFY4hXMoxl0ZmXTy3m6qWV3Xw209ZT4qktWBizWOT2T-abOzwT9jUe5fpceiz_JZNY1DfAmxAL2f1HGAQbvz_o4_MiZlPsb2Pm2go_a2bmi7S-HVWT38IKrBK/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-02-26+at+12.21.58+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">List of 1982-1983 ANSMET field season participants includes my uncle Richard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My next puzzle is the date on the museum placard, which simply says 1982, so does that mean the 1981-1982 field season or the 1982-1983 field season? I found a clue searching for "Pecora Escarpment 82506" the actual name of meteorite, and found a report that said the first time the Pecora Escarpment was searched for meteorites was the 1982-1983 season, meaning <a href="https://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/antmet/samples/petdes.cfm?sample=PCA82506" target="_blank">PCA 82506</a> couldn't have been found in the 1981-1982 season.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6X4GQ26HjghVIWoa8-BAzr3sTRLoupVa3Re2Z8Lej6VAs-Jj-r0MFGKW4a5gdTlAf0j4e2zlaYUpDQyQ6CXRkHNgKjV7qWpgcAH9TyrHlUJkSmvITBQiLZC98lyBJg1ebD7lbcRmjlRg/s1600/PCA82506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6X4GQ26HjghVIWoa8-BAzr3sTRLoupVa3Re2Z8Lej6VAs-Jj-r0MFGKW4a5gdTlAf0j4e2zlaYUpDQyQ6CXRkHNgKjV7qWpgcAH9TyrHlUJkSmvITBQiLZC98lyBJg1ebD7lbcRmjlRg/s400/PCA82506.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My photo of "PCA 82506" from the collection at the Natural History Museum in Washington DC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUFAdkn0He07heZJNBy_6MxtL7ZpF84IJfUhwAX0r9oe1_E1Juj4X0cODM8uqKMeMeadqGZZjcrmgzLQTSRA92HjyNsUSYpN0cMSKqiguFpnzWT3H4RmVCTEg0d_esrpYTpVlbrevCjDc/s1600/pecora+escarpment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUFAdkn0He07heZJNBy_6MxtL7ZpF84IJfUhwAX0r9oe1_E1Juj4X0cODM8uqKMeMeadqGZZjcrmgzLQTSRA92HjyNsUSYpN0cMSKqiguFpnzWT3H4RmVCTEg0d_esrpYTpVlbrevCjDc/s400/pecora+escarpment.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antarctic Meteorite Location and Mapping Project (AMLAMP). Antarctic Meteorite Location Map Series Explanatory Text and User's Guide to AMLAMP Data. Edited by J. Schutt, B. Fessler and W. A. Cassidy. LPI Technical Report 93-07, published by Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3303 NASA Road 1, Houston, TX 77058, 1993, p.145</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next and extremely helpful source I came across is a lengthy document that talks all about the 1982-1983 expedition and mentions the PCA 82506 meteorite over and over again. A rock of some note I suspect, as over a dozen publications refer back to it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN4yvkHsGc3UB1Ali9g7BcFl_FcLM8U8W6VIj3rXxOBLsgZUPjhpt09VeOyFhS-WgTfNJWHtTxJLHPquIzhBenc3ExdDXXYpjy9Q_dMpip1PGqOIQGfbFb9D9D5JcaBGf3J_SPBdR1K4t/s1600/richard+crane+pecora+escarpment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN4yvkHsGc3UB1Ali9g7BcFl_FcLM8U8W6VIj3rXxOBLsgZUPjhpt09VeOyFhS-WgTfNJWHtTxJLHPquIzhBenc3ExdDXXYpjy9Q_dMpip1PGqOIQGfbFb9D9D5JcaBGf3J_SPBdR1K4t/s400/richard+crane+pecora+escarpment.png" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Field and Laboratory Investigations of Meteorites from Victoria Land and the Thiel Mountains Region, Antarctica, 1982-1983 and 1983-1984 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5479/si.00810274.28.1 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Finally, in an excerpt from the book <a href="http://amzn.to/2ldETJ9" target="_blank">35 Seasons of U.S. Antarctic Meteorites (1976-2010): A Pictorial Guide To The Collection</a> I found the actual date for the collection of PCA 82506 listed as December 28, 1982 placing it firmly in the 1982-1983 field season that included uncle Richard.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIR3TI3U0Gj_qp_0MpXA6hLFPJavaERVZo4WZ25GU_c8sdSxSrj40mqcGLqIOAS_mvIbBFMTHwrq9XJigT-wnnjgRGBY_hb46WDdrwdL5mIzNF3NIhChH2HubwW7_1SuMMXS0f4wxi7rj/s1600/pca+82506.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pca 82506 in book" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIR3TI3U0Gj_qp_0MpXA6hLFPJavaERVZo4WZ25GU_c8sdSxSrj40mqcGLqIOAS_mvIbBFMTHwrq9XJigT-wnnjgRGBY_hb46WDdrwdL5mIzNF3NIhChH2HubwW7_1SuMMXS0f4wxi7rj/s400/pca+82506.png" title="pca 82506 in book" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Righter, K., Corrigan, C., McCoy, T., & Harvey, R. (Eds.). (2014). 35 seasons of US Antarctic meteorites (1976-2010): a pictorial guide to the collection. John Wiley & Sons.</td></tr>
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Isn't the internet amazing?!? I was able to find all this from my home computer, linking my late uncle to Antarctica, and to my casual visit to the museum.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-41151528300259575862017-01-15T18:20:00.001-05:002017-01-15T18:20:19.231-05:00Best of Year 5: My Highlight Gallery from 2016What an incredible hobby! After 5 years of learning first-hand just how painstaking it can be to get decent images of the night sky with novice equipment, I haven't given up. These are my best / favorite / most memorable photos of the year.<br />
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Last year I predicted that I had just about reached the upper limit of what I could do with my current setup, but this year I stuck it out and saved money by continuing to click away. I also tried out my first rental from BorrowLenses, and I finally picked out my next step dream scope and mount. Deciding is the first step toward buying after all!<br />
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Last year is hard to top with its two lunar eclipses, comets, and clear November nights. But, looking back, a few images definitely rise to the top and stand out as my favorites worth mentioning again in this yearly wrap up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7MNx2XM8DbViDEa12FbN4tH5V0YP6aj_i76tvdeSTjNOeqpArheJ31i5c96He0sC_WVhYKS2LVOfBWWSSFjaOgMrW-eShwwqDtQgOHNVulxrfYRQFRlyLxNls0AHbzC9Dnz8ZHCDPz4k/s1600/Moon_300mm_vs_Prime_Focus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon prime focus" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7MNx2XM8DbViDEa12FbN4tH5V0YP6aj_i76tvdeSTjNOeqpArheJ31i5c96He0sC_WVhYKS2LVOfBWWSSFjaOgMrW-eShwwqDtQgOHNVulxrfYRQFRlyLxNls0AHbzC9Dnz8ZHCDPz4k/s400/Moon_300mm_vs_Prime_Focus.png" title="moon prime focus" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I had to summarize this year, I'd say it is the year of prime focus. I got some decent practice with my camera at prime focus, especially on the moon. <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/09/prime-focus-vs-300mm-lens-for-dslr-moon.html" target="_blank">This comparison</a> is one of my favorites from the year, and quite possibly my best (highest resolution) moon photo to date. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSLf1nxanGyIxtwlbgSJAE1-3dJovfsbU6MgbO9mZohij-2zCAxMB72duz1VJgGMowX8JIDKxaoGl2ELyh5kKs8sMi9o2PKSukFkk-cfZEd3OQPuqMqLOeGOeJfJGdaNNXcULLC6i3pJf/s1600/m51+whirlpool+galaxy+200mm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="whirlpool galaxy" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSLf1nxanGyIxtwlbgSJAE1-3dJovfsbU6MgbO9mZohij-2zCAxMB72duz1VJgGMowX8JIDKxaoGl2ELyh5kKs8sMi9o2PKSukFkk-cfZEd3OQPuqMqLOeGOeJfJGdaNNXcULLC6i3pJf/s400/m51+whirlpool+galaxy+200mm.JPG" title="whirlpool galaxy" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This images takes me back to my fuzzy gray blob days. I rented a lens during a time of the year when not many targets were within reach. It was <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/04/70-200mm-f28-sport-photography-and-whirlpool-galaxy.html" target="_blank">my first image of the Whirlpool Galaxy</a> and the fact that it's recognizable makes me smile. I gave it my best shot using the full treatment of techniques available to me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FoA9LmYl5y548RmKge59UjCDPyB03Vj4I2j-6DBKL6GKqAQU4H4hvJd2Zbe-TjEp90jOMkb98dk7mubMHYJSvzvkK3ri0BDyyms7h1ALL17GW_2RPG9RSWM4XjfA-F-2KDQ3h2aa9Kbz/s1600/horizontal+milky+way+processed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="backyard milky way " border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FoA9LmYl5y548RmKge59UjCDPyB03Vj4I2j-6DBKL6GKqAQU4H4hvJd2Zbe-TjEp90jOMkb98dk7mubMHYJSvzvkK3ri0BDyyms7h1ALL17GW_2RPG9RSWM4XjfA-F-2KDQ3h2aa9Kbz/s400/horizontal+milky+way+processed+2.jpg" title="backyard milky way " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might not seem like much, but it's the <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/05/milky-way-barely-visible-in-noblesville.html" target="_blank">Milky Way visible from my own back patio</a>. The fact that I can see it at all from my own backyard is amazing. Facing south (toward the downtown) I would have thought it was impossible. Not the best image, but a great memory of the realization and excitement. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwQd_TlOn9txahOiUamYImqyKIRnnpsd8qF6IdRgCS1Vm_ur8BH4VTQDltL2uerHTuvLY6vBW5S90DjJ9QzQuxV0pEfGTCIOR1OqTLS-x73Omce8U0X-DOUUx6xt1hcudeeRngxM5EJXs/s1600/winter+hexagon+star+color.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="winter hexagon composite" border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwQd_TlOn9txahOiUamYImqyKIRnnpsd8qF6IdRgCS1Vm_ur8BH4VTQDltL2uerHTuvLY6vBW5S90DjJ9QzQuxV0pEfGTCIOR1OqTLS-x73Omce8U0X-DOUUx6xt1hcudeeRngxM5EJXs/s400/winter+hexagon+star+color.png" title="winter hexagon composite" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This composite was an extremely fun image to make. Using one of my favorite techniques from previous years, I took photos of all of the <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/01/winter-hexagon-star-color-comparison.html" target="_blank">Winter Hexagon stars out of focus</a> on purpose to spread the light out over a larger area on the image sensor in an attempt to get a true color representation of the light. I arranged them in their hexagon pattern, and kept the exposure settings constant to show true variation in color and brightness. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCt6pN-iX2PIY06wHbR0oDZ5-bwayVMsuJ4d3cb-0PxUPmg3qrSf67EWTkuzEIz9ZFdqmAhsxx67o8yE2c5bhfMYGFAevNNvlUqqyECFmV6EhXGCBhLdRMDURDniGVDNMLOsbdGPIg28S/s1600/tippecanoe+milky+way.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="milky way" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCt6pN-iX2PIY06wHbR0oDZ5-bwayVMsuJ4d3cb-0PxUPmg3qrSf67EWTkuzEIz9ZFdqmAhsxx67o8yE2c5bhfMYGFAevNNvlUqqyECFmV6EhXGCBhLdRMDURDniGVDNMLOsbdGPIg28S/s400/tippecanoe+milky+way.JPG" title="milky way" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably my best ever image of the <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/08/tippecanoe-indiana-milky-way-at-camp.html" target="_blank">Milky Way showing some color</a> this time from a dark location in north central Indiana. I remember this night vividly, it was extremely humid and the lens kept fogging up in less than a minute. I had to wipe it off, focus and shoot quickly. Considering the atmosphere and the heat, not a bad image. Still learning. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FHBE9DCjbuUA6gNTfQE15KUA2v87UPrGV5Wov14pQHuPvSmuRCGJ235XYTedZHcYUSAgFTV6vaTk04STAVRUabouC5brMRFXf5xok5Ro0aYkUrFjkdFfqCnZrFNS65odWtH_Du7nRkx-/s1600/october+hunters+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hunter's moon" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FHBE9DCjbuUA6gNTfQE15KUA2v87UPrGV5Wov14pQHuPvSmuRCGJ235XYTedZHcYUSAgFTV6vaTk04STAVRUabouC5brMRFXf5xok5Ro0aYkUrFjkdFfqCnZrFNS65odWtH_Du7nRkx-/s400/october+hunters+moon.jpg" title="hunter's moon" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hunter's Moon, nothing too special about this image, but one of my favorites of the year just because it <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/10/hunters-moon-putting-out-fall-vibes.html" target="_blank">captured the mood and the feel</a> of the full(ish) moon hovering over the rooftops like a bright beacon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaohI68wGWl7nGI2gU9Xx3yghr47wiiLjUhxpkoO31ruT_sjPKL5GTLF6senBltgVZikzsVNexTWYII0zTatpLK4DmKHFdl14GzXKigoHjpBWpCPdtnxnDOsD1pcHuRwsV-tmXy9u2Zcv/s1600/compare+sun+prime+vs+dslr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="solar prime focus" border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaohI68wGWl7nGI2gU9Xx3yghr47wiiLjUhxpkoO31ruT_sjPKL5GTLF6senBltgVZikzsVNexTWYII0zTatpLK4DmKHFdl14GzXKigoHjpBWpCPdtnxnDOsD1pcHuRwsV-tmXy9u2Zcv/s400/compare+sun+prime+vs+dslr.png" title="solar prime focus" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/10/following-observe-moon-night-with.html" target="_blank">Solar observing at prime focus</a>, totally cool. I modified my solar filter to fit over my telescope and I think the results are actually a tiny bit better than just using the DSLR lens. A lot more work though! Once again, the year of prime focus. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1h5yIaS2xabvd1SOPJjGK3SPiHXx1kKbiCe3jKyGpgD0HdTbWG501QgthqF4ehj4o9A5PKomaSn_mO3JR95vKdgdyAczV37QYur6imoKe9pKF5QWqteW-SAfm4JPvGFFrlWhRjJTaqSp/s1600/bring+out+detail+in+moon+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon progress photos" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1h5yIaS2xabvd1SOPJjGK3SPiHXx1kKbiCe3jKyGpgD0HdTbWG501QgthqF4ehj4o9A5PKomaSn_mO3JR95vKdgdyAczV37QYur6imoKe9pKF5QWqteW-SAfm4JPvGFFrlWhRjJTaqSp/s400/bring+out+detail+in+moon+photos.jpg" title="moon progress photos" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one of my favorite comparisons of the year. <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/11/bringing-out-detail-in-moon-photos-with.html" target="_blank">This image reminded me of the excitement I felt the first time I stacked moon photos in Registax</a>. It's like night and day (pun). It's these kinds of images that make me giddy. Just a simple trick, and the effect is dramatic. I never get tired of seeing these before and afters. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaebyhMJbEeh9vBxc8_HvLOT4lgdlSAFn3juAC3j08ulFNfwVaD7b7fPFwANCxCcnDMsfZqBXljuODjk5vvWZfTAthVBHSvRCpTLfM7l4Gt-z8VxnSggXX07di6woWeCABp6H5f-0PsVv3/s1600/20161228+Orion+Nebula+some+edits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="orion nebula" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaebyhMJbEeh9vBxc8_HvLOT4lgdlSAFn3juAC3j08ulFNfwVaD7b7fPFwANCxCcnDMsfZqBXljuODjk5vvWZfTAthVBHSvRCpTLfM7l4Gt-z8VxnSggXX07di6woWeCABp6H5f-0PsVv3/s400/20161228+Orion+Nebula+some+edits.png" title="orion nebula" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't do a lot of deep sky observing this year, but I took some time to work on my favorite target, the Orion Nebula. Adding subs to my stack from last time, I didn't see a whole lot of improvement. I'm probably rusty from hardly ever taking the time to give deep sky objects the full treatment. Still, <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/12/first-glimpse-of-flame-nebula-adding.html" target="_blank">pretty amazed what I can do with just a DSLR and basic zoom lens</a>. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7q-oMKGmoiVulznWWY9_5Aast7Vfd4Ly2AUs_5FtrbeYnzm2XcUGQ4TesXoPetOQprMOIGJbldXmYzpDYT40T_YoUFNC1Uwj8X4DEF_gdn-0j1vphvpk7a5iNF8JNM1X3tJWLhpXVY99/s1600/Flame+nebula+compare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="flame nebula" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx7q-oMKGmoiVulznWWY9_5Aast7Vfd4Ly2AUs_5FtrbeYnzm2XcUGQ4TesXoPetOQprMOIGJbldXmYzpDYT40T_YoUFNC1Uwj8X4DEF_gdn-0j1vphvpk7a5iNF8JNM1X3tJWLhpXVY99/s400/Flame+nebula+compare.png" title="flame nebula" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, one of the most unexpected surprises of the year was my <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2016/12/first-glimpse-of-flame-nebula-adding.html" target="_blank">first photo of the Flame Nebula and my long awaited first glimpse of the Horsehead Nebula</a>. From my own backyard! Mind blown. I know it's just a blob, but this is one of my favorite iconic deep sky targets, and the fact that I can see it at all is just unreal. </td></tr>
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<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-54903244642099791222016-12-29T11:03:00.000-05:002016-12-29T11:03:21.491-05:00First Glimpse of Flame Nebula, Adding Data to Orion (M42) and Running ManMy favorite astro image I've created so far would have to be my <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/11/massive-improvement-in-m42-with-orion.html">2014 image of the Orion Nebula</a> that was lightyears ahead of my previous attempts thanks to my motorized EQ-1 mount and a little practice. I don't do a lot of deep sky images, but when I do I try to go all out and get the best image I can with the gear that I have. That image from 2014 was only 159 subs at 13 sec each for a total exposure time under 30 minutes. This year, I wanted to take another shot at Orion and add some frames to my stack to see if I could get an even better image. I was able to double my frames before the camera frosted up, but the end result isn't all that different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwjldQqP9yQGmjSzrX8h0r7jWalY48kjNkJ8c_PXU4nffdWD4ap57dE4_iwmPVXKQ4p1-Z-gsUcmjXE2-K5LdVkpqWELYvXLdzHuu6hK52oy8nj8oZS5VXZK9bv9hQpdJ8oYokK1zBb4N/s1600/orion+image+processing+edits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="orion nebula image process" border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwjldQqP9yQGmjSzrX8h0r7jWalY48kjNkJ8c_PXU4nffdWD4ap57dE4_iwmPVXKQ4p1-Z-gsUcmjXE2-K5LdVkpqWELYvXLdzHuu6hK52oy8nj8oZS5VXZK9bv9hQpdJ8oYokK1zBb4N/s400/orion+image+processing+edits.jpg" title="orion nebula image process" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progression of image processing, (1) single frame, (2) stacked processed photo, and (3) slightly blown out contrast and structure with Instagram edits</td></tr>
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I started by doing some reading about polar alignment, and started second-guessing my procedures for trying to get aligned. I've been assuming the division in the concrete patio followed a north-south line because I assume my house faces north - but that may not be precise enough. I got my compass app out (I don't have a 'real' compass) and tried to see where true north is exactly. With the app, it's a little sticky and doesn't exactly scream precision. Nevertheless, it was enough of a difference to convince me that the concrete line shouldn't be my guide.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfawl4zYXMkOXJePuIVrrnuxXhsxzmCvSV7ajStFzkpUva5kTjRJKbp3O7V0oWiHM0KewNlYBMyLEDHEtgztQbMjdVKp1hjNCc5aO_TbfO5kfsy-dypKIr4rbLCCDHjDRzs7qg5yapnf2n/s1600/20161228+Orion+Nebula+some+edits.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="orion nebula 300mm" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfawl4zYXMkOXJePuIVrrnuxXhsxzmCvSV7ajStFzkpUva5kTjRJKbp3O7V0oWiHM0KewNlYBMyLEDHEtgztQbMjdVKp1hjNCc5aO_TbfO5kfsy-dypKIr4rbLCCDHjDRzs7qg5yapnf2n/s400/20161228+Orion+Nebula+some+edits.png" title="orion nebula 300mm" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final product, Canon T5i on EQ-1 motorized mount, 300mm, ISO 1600, f/5.6, 13 sec, combining 159 subs from 2014 session with 159 subs from last night 20161228, 20 darks, 20 bias, 10 flats + previous darks, bias, and flats, total exposure time less than 1 hour.</td></tr>
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I took out a yard stick and a washable marker and traced a line for north. Then I moved the phone around and the compass moved slightly (ugh). So I traced this new line as well. I took the average of the two and considered it my true north. From the pictures you can tell it's slightly off from the concrete line. The concrete line is about 5º off from compass north.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GEwry5FGbyVMZgIH0P8MikWrF7kb5WJOMiQHQZPOWqRkjqTMbjjfgA__A6uKu9IydjQTrxCaJJkqfxdkPMTIw6S_YTzADewXZNEnSWgYHEWhb8tNvoondNESRMhQvaMtyUysRGoMacWE/s1600/true+north+with+yard+stick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="iphone compass and yard stick" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GEwry5FGbyVMZgIH0P8MikWrF7kb5WJOMiQHQZPOWqRkjqTMbjjfgA__A6uKu9IydjQTrxCaJJkqfxdkPMTIw6S_YTzADewXZNEnSWgYHEWhb8tNvoondNESRMhQvaMtyUysRGoMacWE/s320/true+north+with+yard+stick.JPG" title="iphone compass and yard stick" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7XIcp8RLCCo1-Tl00rqvl1sjqBF0JjnHs5n21AeomJEsh7E0RpP0WjC7Z3S42Vx2ST-jW83TqRY71AmuQCm2blgumzRxp_KK-xGfcsh2aPeLfg9FoDmD3_PQf4591ftTbm7478gCIaN9/s1600/iphone+compass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="iphone compass and yard stick" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7XIcp8RLCCo1-Tl00rqvl1sjqBF0JjnHs5n21AeomJEsh7E0RpP0WjC7Z3S42Vx2ST-jW83TqRY71AmuQCm2blgumzRxp_KK-xGfcsh2aPeLfg9FoDmD3_PQf4591ftTbm7478gCIaN9/s320/iphone+compass.JPG" title="iphone compass and yard stick" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fhZcNDaliU0HTNHdkl__oyd02-JU4Il77BMslQSoF2sfPppv9u_ciOjTF5cn5K2KGSNkgCpY3shRCf9dsaVP7wcV4FLBB6xMIsqYobP_qJt5cnH24z_RYh5_UOCFEd2NlGG4EbpX6CMq/s1600/mark+north+line+with+marker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="marking north on concrete" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fhZcNDaliU0HTNHdkl__oyd02-JU4Il77BMslQSoF2sfPppv9u_ciOjTF5cn5K2KGSNkgCpY3shRCf9dsaVP7wcV4FLBB6xMIsqYobP_qJt5cnH24z_RYh5_UOCFEd2NlGG4EbpX6CMq/s320/mark+north+line+with+marker.JPG" title="marking north on concrete" width="320" /></a></div>
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After taking the light frames, I took some calibration frames. I even took flat frames, which is the photography equivalent of eating your vegetables. I still get a kick out of how dorky the camera looks starring at a blank white screen. A few years ago I would never associate these kinds of steps with better night sky photos - I figured they were all straight out of the camera with mystical amazing gear.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sfQvl174CtHUXTM1DAIdU1ZkaB9cbxwCym3jwLx_AIUDbuRdYKp1rQYP92N3v9k277hf3aI0Lc141X9jUYSaUnbPuCg8JjCtdrj5snlyhoM9fdjj6YdlEWkvrNlOVYcHROqiV4QPKMu2/s1600/flat+frames+with+computer+screen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="flat frames with laptop screen" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sfQvl174CtHUXTM1DAIdU1ZkaB9cbxwCym3jwLx_AIUDbuRdYKp1rQYP92N3v9k277hf3aI0Lc141X9jUYSaUnbPuCg8JjCtdrj5snlyhoM9fdjj6YdlEWkvrNlOVYcHROqiV4QPKMu2/s400/flat+frames+with+computer+screen.JPG" title="flat frames with laptop screen" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using a computer screen with PowerPoint on a blank slide to create a light panel for flat frames</td></tr>
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When I get the images out of DeepSkyStacker (DSS) they look something like this (below), and this is actually after I do some basic curve adjustments in DSS and then transport the image over to Photoshop to continue cleaning it up.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kQgqQHmOa9ESTOPFj75cOKYEYUDXcoqq2ve2JzxIhp3CIWKh5v2huzqfjhb-mkkmOnuTGZboMxTblFnpOarcs59pSpmg6duluucY19yLdpbdRqKqWF8ozhaY0h-Ss7UAnIf7MBPEUrOx/s1600/20161228+Orion+Nebula+from+DSS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mosaic deep sky stack" border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kQgqQHmOa9ESTOPFj75cOKYEYUDXcoqq2ve2JzxIhp3CIWKh5v2huzqfjhb-mkkmOnuTGZboMxTblFnpOarcs59pSpmg6duluucY19yLdpbdRqKqWF8ozhaY0h-Ss7UAnIf7MBPEUrOx/s400/20161228+Orion+Nebula+from+DSS.jpg" title="mosaic deep sky stack" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orion nebula stack straight out of DSS before going into Photoshop</td></tr>
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So all in all it was an okay night to add some frames to my Orion stack, but I think I need to get over the hour mark (and ideally to 3 hours of exposure) to really see the difference in clarity. It's still grainy and still faint.<br />
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Speaking of faint, while I was getting my camera set up I was messing around to see what I could see and how long I could get my exposure without star trails. My EQ-1 motor is inconsistent but every now and then you get something cool. I was able to get about a 25 sec exposure of the Flame Nebula and saw it in my camera for the first time ever. I reduced my exposure down to 15 sec to take a quick stack (knowing my real target for the night was M42). I took 13 frames, 10 were usable, and ended up with something like this after stacking only subs no calibration frames.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YZPGgstQaLEixagrUPbq5DpPgrisHcvy9UbBCWclaYZb9MjGv9RZLd9hSkQeB2VlOCqx3KZIHvi5EG52nmmkjUe3g-_jkmzP8yyHNKGcSMVJHY1jRR2zAv2tjAZP283NQ9TSDvHAM3Fk/s1600/Flame+nebula+gray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="flame nebula" border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YZPGgstQaLEixagrUPbq5DpPgrisHcvy9UbBCWclaYZb9MjGv9RZLd9hSkQeB2VlOCqx3KZIHvi5EG52nmmkjUe3g-_jkmzP8yyHNKGcSMVJHY1jRR2zAv2tjAZP283NQ9TSDvHAM3Fk/s400/Flame+nebula+gray.jpg" title="flame nebula" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stack of 10 frames each at ISO 1600, 300mm, f/5.6, 15 sec</td></tr>
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Curse you gray hot spot in the center! I stacked the images again using my calibration frames from the Orion stack, even though they don't quite match up. I came out with an orange grainy blob, but to my surprise and delight you can barely make out the Horsehead Nebula as well. Unless my eyes are just playing a trick on me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxDV8vIPueN4Zf7CYg_w3AVe7CPAhQRj2KnUTe8-b9IAhhzBhHGFIGO86HjWDWkCEsWZVcA-HjpDJrn6PKv4-j1xosEDecXqN2yt7WRUlwzSs4uTjhPn28FQ12-HL7gkOSa2Q2bxAhaWq/s1600/Flame+nebula+compare.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxDV8vIPueN4Zf7CYg_w3AVe7CPAhQRj2KnUTe8-b9IAhhzBhHGFIGO86HjWDWkCEsWZVcA-HjpDJrn6PKv4-j1xosEDecXqN2yt7WRUlwzSs4uTjhPn28FQ12-HL7gkOSa2Q2bxAhaWq/s400/Flame+nebula+compare.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you use an HDR effect, my favorite happens to be Instagram's 'structure' edit feature, I know it makes it way too grainy and resizes the image, but I haven't figured out how to replicate it in Photoshop, and if you squint your eyes it really helps bring the Horsehead Nebula out. Proof! Not exactly a glamor shot, but you can tell there is a structure there. Can you see it?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YVcp6HwHKGpav8QmW6sHImJtvMFQNAnlRqwB6wo8T52VoTVnwXdKF8Scn0mjM0QczjnmjPENMqwxx2SpLONnkuDcS9Jh5pAZBUasxzzybfji9mXpgSAxHYzHKH85PqXUIhyphenhyphen0iqYVj9xu/s1600/very+faint+horsehead+nebula.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="horsehead nebula" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YVcp6HwHKGpav8QmW6sHImJtvMFQNAnlRqwB6wo8T52VoTVnwXdKF8Scn0mjM0QczjnmjPENMqwxx2SpLONnkuDcS9Jh5pAZBUasxzzybfji9mXpgSAxHYzHKH85PqXUIhyphenhyphen0iqYVj9xu/s400/very+faint+horsehead+nebula.png" title="horsehead nebula" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Instagram HDR 'structure' edits exported to Photoshop to add dashed stroke path</td></tr>
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I think I'm even more excited about the Flame Nebula first sighting than I am about messing with M42 again.Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-44810964526032840492016-12-28T00:48:00.002-05:002016-12-29T11:09:13.360-05:00New Gear: DigitalMate 500mm/1000mm f/8 Manual Telephoto Lens<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeED1-nOSKLN-gQubtY41b5nf9wpGDbu6i-HCuytXdWBXHipjlbgCtTvvFQ_llQ2qeoCpl5ZD0BM5gP2Z0OyeCVftDgKrG1zFOOkm_9ZfFPZKo3y2F-xd8JeYjzVvJar7S4SThnYEj9QbA/s1600/500mm+telephoto+lens+canon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DigitalMate 500mm telephoto lens" border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeED1-nOSKLN-gQubtY41b5nf9wpGDbu6i-HCuytXdWBXHipjlbgCtTvvFQ_llQ2qeoCpl5ZD0BM5gP2Z0OyeCVftDgKrG1zFOOkm_9ZfFPZKo3y2F-xd8JeYjzVvJar7S4SThnYEj9QbA/s400/500mm+telephoto+lens+canon.JPG" title="DigitalMate 500mm telephoto lens" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DigitalMate 500mm telephoto lens for Canon, 2x converter (1000mm), f/8 manual telephoto lens</td></tr>
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I got this <a href="http://amzn.to/2iBctbg" target="_blank">DigitalMate 500mm (1000mm with 2x converter) f/8 manual telephoto lens</a> for Christmas and I'm keen to try out the impressive 1000mm reach on some night sky objects. With an aperture range of f/8 to f/32, this is going to be extremely useful for lunar, planetary, and solar observing. It could be useful for double and triple stars as well, but maybe not so great for faint deep sky objects. I can't wait to try it out at night to see how it compares to my Meade 285 refractor, not just in focal length but also the quality of the glass to hopefully cut down on <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2013/09/apparent-disk-of-venus-with-chromatic.html">chromatic aberration</a>.<br />
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Be careful with your terminology, <b>it would be a photography faux pas to call this a 'zoom' lens</b> because the focal length is fixed. It's either 500mm or 1000mm with the converter, but nothing in between.<br />
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Here is a closer look and some 'unboxing' type photos showing off my new toy, including some close ups of the important features, and down below are my first test shots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFF1Se4zKUB6692T7yh72S80gHsEKwCwmtFnopA4llY_4oxYx4Rjvh3XcP2PgrEJTIXenS7zFGl-66e0uAFElF-i1qDfpuoqryXC6AEsNBWnNGktnSOhdIqbx8n475jGVSnGDAAYTO5ha/s1600/500mm+lens+on+dslr.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="huge lens on camera" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFF1Se4zKUB6692T7yh72S80gHsEKwCwmtFnopA4llY_4oxYx4Rjvh3XcP2PgrEJTIXenS7zFGl-66e0uAFElF-i1qDfpuoqryXC6AEsNBWnNGktnSOhdIqbx8n475jGVSnGDAAYTO5ha/s400/500mm+lens+on+dslr.JPG" title="huge lens on camera" width="400" /></a></div>
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The lens is so long that it comes with a bracket to mount the lens itself on a tripod to counter balance the weight of the camera body. Although the lens is quite long and heavier than other lenses, with the 2x converter, the length is off balance and I haven't found a way to slide the ring up any further - I only manage to twist it about.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvg6I_xL_YHLDfGhEMzv9Nnnu1ziV44EfhNvzz9V-2jjpBSeLYyWd36Y6m_26c4B-9U7YtIAvP44u4N_RSMn4d6RMDyKss1wVsJLG6ottuB-qR-7Gwp-LSFOZjAhyGLCS0DyI7CjZfsGBk/s1600/thumb+screw+500mm+lens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="lens collar thumb screw" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvg6I_xL_YHLDfGhEMzv9Nnnu1ziV44EfhNvzz9V-2jjpBSeLYyWd36Y6m_26c4B-9U7YtIAvP44u4N_RSMn4d6RMDyKss1wVsJLG6ottuB-qR-7Gwp-LSFOZjAhyGLCS0DyI7CjZfsGBk/s400/thumb+screw+500mm+lens.JPG" title="lens collar thumb screw" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the thumb screw and collar attachment for the main shaft of the lens</td></tr>
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On the top of the lens, you see what looks like focal length zoom adjustments, but remember this is a fixed focal length, so these settings are the manual focus notches showing the distance your subject should be at to be in focus.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyFymfQFSXr35nq4pbtX4GdhrKOfJm9joi5JC1hGOkMxWI3OUt0lPI31oL010wEsPQjhks11bwdzZH0yzoEyGzgq6jvR2a_kSZXty9nFxarZ_0uhyphenhyphen-5OOAPIlfJINvylHX2efG6sxzd5c/s1600/detail+500mm+lens+focus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="manual focus settings" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyFymfQFSXr35nq4pbtX4GdhrKOfJm9joi5JC1hGOkMxWI3OUt0lPI31oL010wEsPQjhks11bwdzZH0yzoEyGzgq6jvR2a_kSZXty9nFxarZ_0uhyphenhyphen-5OOAPIlfJINvylHX2efG6sxzd5c/s400/detail+500mm+lens+focus.JPG" title="manual focus settings" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manual focus and manual f/number controls</td></tr>
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My kit came with a t-ring, this connects the regular Canon EF lens threads to the shaft of the lens with a narrower thread. It's a simple go-between so the lens makers can make different size t-rings to fit the same lens on different cameras without re-designing the lens itself. A t-ring is also how I <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2013/09/troubleshoot-prime-focus-on-60mm.html" target="_blank">attach my DSLR to my telescope</a>.<br />
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Let's take a look at that 2x converter. It looks like an eyepiece at first, but it's threaded to screw on between the lens and the t-ring. I think these things are sometimes called extenders because they literally extend the length of the lens tube and then angle it through another lens before it gets to the camera sensor (just like an eye piece).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0McmQmJ6g34f8eAS09h4KkXBGA6SSdTTDvfjq17ocf2JtKxWuUfGQ3ys3OycLfN_a042RhFp6q0J4tTzq3Xdb42sqioAdRHV9muyJkX8R0tmDqXD0VBNFRYQlTMMxtJXOQP-b353f69Di/s1600/2x+converter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2x converter" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0McmQmJ6g34f8eAS09h4KkXBGA6SSdTTDvfjq17ocf2JtKxWuUfGQ3ys3OycLfN_a042RhFp6q0J4tTzq3Xdb42sqioAdRHV9muyJkX8R0tmDqXD0VBNFRYQlTMMxtJXOQP-b353f69Di/s400/2x+converter.JPG" title="2x converter" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2x converter contains a small lens sorta like an eyepiece</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgancpEW1vFGTNVTYnxbmAsVxLoBJ-Hd0hDC0-Jg8Rq1mqyIeYPrnwYLZTzCHOWeXzFGC9Da9lLVNTW2mMePsfKHEEpMGGufO27PD8QkabDam8KRMFk2EoD6rPdTsCIH-GJtMhI_umvT0Bd/s1600/camera+body+and+converter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="camera body and converter" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgancpEW1vFGTNVTYnxbmAsVxLoBJ-Hd0hDC0-Jg8Rq1mqyIeYPrnwYLZTzCHOWeXzFGC9Da9lLVNTW2mMePsfKHEEpMGGufO27PD8QkabDam8KRMFk2EoD6rPdTsCIH-GJtMhI_umvT0Bd/s400/camera+body+and+converter.jpg" title="camera body and converter" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camera body and 2x converter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok, so let's test it out. First of all, when I finally got the thing on a tripod it was difficult to aim and focus. I felt like I was wielding a water canon or some kind of turret gun, and reaching to near the end of the lens to manually focus was a little clunky. For the sake of the test shots, I made it work and did my best to focus - but in the future, I think this is the kind of thing that needs to go on a mount and not just a tripod.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3qMkIyQ86yPQHDu02DF-fzJnjREpjtj7TXN8M6gE535KyPDquCV7wTSXeViF2BXWNnv6G86b9EYJ3oOHl1BvIZtVFeUoh3r4u0m5gXWjUM_jOG0EysJG8qIXIlmVi0W1if2VJ21_hR5y/s1600/distant+lens+target.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="1000mm lens distant target" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3qMkIyQ86yPQHDu02DF-fzJnjREpjtj7TXN8M6gE535KyPDquCV7wTSXeViF2BXWNnv6G86b9EYJ3oOHl1BvIZtVFeUoh3r4u0m5gXWjUM_jOG0EysJG8qIXIlmVi0W1if2VJ21_hR5y/s400/distant+lens+target.JPG" title="1000mm lens distant target" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Target (below) circled in red in this iPhone photo for comparison</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNkTn38csqvEUtKhoaw9rcnE9PGnY1eWv0HTxO1GNNw9dt-t8Dg361kdW5hXjTj2FjOrCcLNlLGKIDpO1Jt85jckjGOI5oR0LWNxP3Bg_BvOzC41lzLzR17ATktHgBMnCFSIoNRt1Opg8/s1600/compare+500mm+to+1000mm+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="500mm vs. 1000mm lens" border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNkTn38csqvEUtKhoaw9rcnE9PGnY1eWv0HTxO1GNNw9dt-t8Dg361kdW5hXjTj2FjOrCcLNlLGKIDpO1Jt85jckjGOI5oR0LWNxP3Bg_BvOzC41lzLzR17ATktHgBMnCFSIoNRt1Opg8/s400/compare+500mm+to+1000mm+photo.jpg" title="500mm vs. 1000mm lens" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">500mm vs. 1000mm telephoto lens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, the 2x converter certainly does the trick, and the extra reach of the 1000mm focal length is impressive. Adding the converter completely changes the exposure, so I haven't figured out the 1:1 settings just yet. Do you recognize the top of the grain elevator from my <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/09/crescent-moonset-over-pyramid-september.html">moon set</a> or <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2015/11/pink-and-purple-sunset-in-suburbs.html">sunset photos</a>? It's one of my favorite backyard targets because it's actually a ways off across the street from the housing division but just visible between the roofline.<br />
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Here's the DigitalMate 500mm with 2x converter on my EQ-1 mount - it's a little more stable. I was making a go at Venus in the early night sky. It certainly feels more like a telescope than a lens!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu9oiZYDNTnb5iJ7MAR6mCer6e0vzk2Hr5khVvuJFL-ztqHfliQmbyeq5Yi-ygUbMXJsRnXTMzNClBWo6MbAMxTXK7jJrBtbGSPUSqeYC-FzSTcZuurSbUp6bTNh56rh35cKOp6rGFHLT/s1600/digitalmate+on+mount.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="digitalmate on eq-1 mount" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu9oiZYDNTnb5iJ7MAR6mCer6e0vzk2Hr5khVvuJFL-ztqHfliQmbyeq5Yi-ygUbMXJsRnXTMzNClBWo6MbAMxTXK7jJrBtbGSPUSqeYC-FzSTcZuurSbUp6bTNh56rh35cKOp6rGFHLT/s400/digitalmate+on+mount.JPG" title="digitalmate on eq-1 mount" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-86080902299825065442016-12-24T11:32:00.002-05:002016-12-24T11:32:54.042-05:00iOS 10.2 New Emoji Moon Detail, Astronauts, and Comet Replaced with FireballThe new emoji pack in iOS 10.2 update added a lot of detail to the emojis that we all know and love. Some of the key science or space themed updates include new occupation emojis for male and female astronauts, terminator texture detail on the moon phases (big improvement), and an interesting choice to turn the beautiful blue comet emoji into a raging fireball. In fact, I think the comet emoji looks more like a meteor and it's flying up instead of pointing down for some reason.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb_ohL5HDwq93K4nUkjxOhyrptwyUt8wulenXSAdGT9HeTzQsIR1qN0M2lxASdKglZwUIZE4EQVru7DikqNue2-7yZYOkPQUkLyjqTFKSkfNPsQ7wava55yVsri5vjh-2GMWNqnVP_Duq/s1600/ios+10.2+comet+emoji.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ios 10.2 comet and moon emoji" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkb_ohL5HDwq93K4nUkjxOhyrptwyUt8wulenXSAdGT9HeTzQsIR1qN0M2lxASdKglZwUIZE4EQVru7DikqNue2-7yZYOkPQUkLyjqTFKSkfNPsQ7wava55yVsri5vjh-2GMWNqnVP_Duq/s400/ios+10.2+comet+emoji.JPG" title="ios 10.2 comet and moon emoji" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big changes to the comet emoji, and look at the difference a little detail on the moon phases makes! What do you think of the iOS 10.2 emoji updates?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkZ35q8yxnTn8lNQUjVY9BFZLHGUUh5-v9gZZagpT3jrBYemZEGDRTinWLE08VU4yTIHu54G6MD0iCF5JiPGThueFCaC7zK6dI6RI0rwv9xNDOp3DJXZyvCc6V_T6xL_XYm_nBLFH6LBt/s1600/astronaut+emoji.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrkZ35q8yxnTn8lNQUjVY9BFZLHGUUh5-v9gZZagpT3jrBYemZEGDRTinWLE08VU4yTIHu54G6MD0iCF5JiPGThueFCaC7zK6dI6RI0rwv9xNDOp3DJXZyvCc6V_T6xL_XYm_nBLFH6LBt/s400/astronaut+emoji.PNG" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The astronaut emoji are pretty cool! Both male and female options in the iOS 10.2 updates</td></tr>
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Doing a little digging, it looks like the <a href="http://emojipedia.org/comet/" target="_blank">comet emoji</a> is one of the original emoji dating back to Unicode 1.1 in 1993, whereas "female astronaut" is a new concept previously represented by 2 symbols "woman" and "rocketship" - fascinating! You can read more about <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-emoji-q-and-a-20160125-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">who controls emoji</a>, and the <a href="http://www.unicode.org/emoji/selection.html" target="_blank">official process for submitting new emoji ideas</a>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL9FY9xd_bJwLmOEAGg428NVbAlo6iCkzUZoN7K5Ec6hKGnpTaeAoAunoQhn42zqPBQVHfk6vmy32xtelWdwdWi5HJgeXJStfNT1GDFW1wscymmwC0BYf7EGx4BAYfjsTuQ0TqUUUQkCt/s1600/comet+emoji.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="various comet emoji" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL9FY9xd_bJwLmOEAGg428NVbAlo6iCkzUZoN7K5Ec6hKGnpTaeAoAunoQhn42zqPBQVHfk6vmy32xtelWdwdWi5HJgeXJStfNT1GDFW1wscymmwC0BYf7EGx4BAYfjsTuQ0TqUUUQkCt/s400/comet+emoji.JPG" title="various comet emoji" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various comet emoji from <a href="http://emojipedia.org/comet/">http://emojipedia.org/comet/</a> </td></tr>
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Check out the major noticeable difference in the amount of detail in this first quarter moon emoji between Apple and Google. Very cool! I think they even went a little overboard on the detail along the terminator probably to emphasize it based on the small size of the emoji character.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbUcafytNpS6GFJ8RBKBccXD6fIww_qWU-Xsc3lf-7j5L5Qkl5MUEDRQ_A_uiEVZ7XFfZw3IpT2s6BiJlC_nurRa93UsCsMiWT9cQFVsPcBBKjflKP3zCizis7CKPXrnB6MygLiA82m8e/s1600/quarter+moon+emoji+detail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon emoji detail" border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbUcafytNpS6GFJ8RBKBccXD6fIww_qWU-Xsc3lf-7j5L5Qkl5MUEDRQ_A_uiEVZ7XFfZw3IpT2s6BiJlC_nurRa93UsCsMiWT9cQFVsPcBBKjflKP3zCizis7CKPXrnB6MygLiA82m8e/s320/quarter+moon+emoji+detail.JPG" title="first quarter moon emoji" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various first quarter moon emoji from <a href="http://emojipedia.org/first-quarter-moon-symbol/">http://emojipedia.org/first-quarter-moon-symbol/</a></td></tr>
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<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-26571214935916799842016-12-07T20:19:00.000-05:002016-12-07T20:19:20.335-05:00Venus, Mars, and Crescent Moon December 5, 2016These cool nights are nice but not quite clear enough for some deep sky photography. Since I'm limited by gear, I'm very picky about my nights - if it's going to be the one time I go out all winter it better be good! So in the meantime, I have been doing some quick captures. Here I made the most of the alignment of Venus, Mars, and the crescent moon.<br />
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The thin clouds and contrails made Venus look larger than normal, and by increasing the f-number I was able to add an interesting lens flare around the moon. It looks like an eerie sun in a dark sky. The same principle works for <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2014/12/camera-settings-for-christmas-lights.html" target="_blank">taking photos of Christmas lights</a>, you can really make them pop by adding tiny lens flares around each one. You just have to increase the exposure time to let in more light, and keep the ISO low to reduce noise.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J324c_2RCFUi9ayGIMFi0_Lv3OOHDA-P-ZSNthLk_mR_6z9HTEJGeaLQOrQV0NWwzx1hM9S0W23TotmtDXtb9yORloTlTK6JfNthMc1naJXDEBvvktFZ4UWnpC_frhxd0JWnAWMQbeIS/s1600/venus+and+crescent+moon+december+5+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="mars venus and crescent moon long exposure" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2J324c_2RCFUi9ayGIMFi0_Lv3OOHDA-P-ZSNthLk_mR_6z9HTEJGeaLQOrQV0NWwzx1hM9S0W23TotmtDXtb9yORloTlTK6JfNthMc1naJXDEBvvktFZ4UWnpC_frhxd0JWnAWMQbeIS/s400/venus+and+crescent+moon+december+5+copy.jpg" title="mars venus and crescent moon long exposure" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame Canon T5i ISO 800, 33mm, f/7.1, 6 sec lightened in Photoshop</td></tr>
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Here's a closer look with Mars sneaking behind the branches of my favorite river birch trees in the backyard. Venus looks huge in the haze.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VCvhQp2J-wMk2LHViNePFBuLwrbO2Ia1PHCYqo796S2E-D2-8LsZRnxnZBqY13JFc_pnhkGKpCjubNHMezqeVKJ7ZceqNMxUlxDUlhOpuJLC_P4t5r1N8MmNKc0FouG_YXYlc_rWPoHV/s1600/venus+moon+dec+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon and stars long exposure" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1VCvhQp2J-wMk2LHViNePFBuLwrbO2Ia1PHCYqo796S2E-D2-8LsZRnxnZBqY13JFc_pnhkGKpCjubNHMezqeVKJ7ZceqNMxUlxDUlhOpuJLC_P4t5r1N8MmNKc0FouG_YXYlc_rWPoHV/s400/venus+moon+dec+5.jpg" title="moon and stars long exposure" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame Canon T5i ISO 800, 38mm, f/7.1, 6 sec lightened in Photoshop</td></tr>
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Contrails over the moon for a hazy look, pulled back to get a little more foreground. Not much you can do with the foreground composition here in the backyard. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxsfIOeKwBD4ZewnO-WI86cMdyHaZMoSOW5CjHdXkW_xI2_x4FSfEMXV32fjlJIo7oeLqse8tcp005y3AZYjrjNvhrQQ6xkqvZlhRWeJRDOtGQukIKBtPAZ2E-ZynLKs3cLl3x06i0ujV/s1600/haze+moon+bright+venus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="haze over moon f/8" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxsfIOeKwBD4ZewnO-WI86cMdyHaZMoSOW5CjHdXkW_xI2_x4FSfEMXV32fjlJIo7oeLqse8tcp005y3AZYjrjNvhrQQ6xkqvZlhRWeJRDOtGQukIKBtPAZ2E-ZynLKs3cLl3x06i0ujV/s400/haze+moon+bright+venus.JPG" title="haze over moon f/8" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame Canon T5i, ISO 800, 22mm, f/8, 20 sec lightened in Photoshop</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4H22wtusIoDR7pjKR1OCRaEPoAksu23_u4J7mz9duDEsqxsVNBHs9bJzIEaZgv0r6SlG3LHg1xnqv1gurglKCUHJQUYUHkNJFP9WcyhrNqqK1LqmygWmaPkPGDKeB2X2ObMqkdg4Okzu/s1600/tree+moon+venus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon and stars with small tree" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4H22wtusIoDR7pjKR1OCRaEPoAksu23_u4J7mz9duDEsqxsVNBHs9bJzIEaZgv0r6SlG3LHg1xnqv1gurglKCUHJQUYUHkNJFP9WcyhrNqqK1LqmygWmaPkPGDKeB2X2ObMqkdg4Okzu/s400/tree+moon+venus.JPG" title="moon and stars with small tree" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single frame Canon T5i, ISO 800, 22mm, f/9, 20 sec with porch light on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjZr4gG9vLDzH-lWL2Z_Vw56-4Dnq-Vltx9CK3dbZ99PTAXL2ni3oGlwH2bm-Vrtmrr6tMb1rB_3ukLAvr2w965T3GrCv19GjN-DcwtCVTGf67e3jyK1CYND15ZYCUXSajBbLT2_m53t7/s1600/stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon and venus stack" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjZr4gG9vLDzH-lWL2Z_Vw56-4Dnq-Vltx9CK3dbZ99PTAXL2ni3oGlwH2bm-Vrtmrr6tMb1rB_3ukLAvr2w965T3GrCv19GjN-DcwtCVTGf67e3jyK1CYND15ZYCUXSajBbLT2_m53t7/s400/stack.jpg" title="moon and venus stack" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stack of about 88 frames each at ISO 800, 22mm, f/9, 20 sec</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I guess this is one of my only star trail photos with the moon in it. It's kinda neat, I normally exclude it and just focus on the stars. Just for overkill here is a timelapse of the stack:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A0x2SgqsT7Y" width="560"></iframe></center>
Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-73544346241745857932016-11-25T11:18:00.001-05:002016-11-25T11:31:40.091-05:00Bringing Out Detail in Moon Photos with November 2016 SupermoonI finally got around to stacking and adjusting my November 2016 supermoon photos that I took from my back patio through very thin clouds on November 14, 2016 about 12 hours after the peak. Since this was a "super-duper" moon, I spent a little more time trying to squeeze all the detail out of the 10 frames I took. Here is the final image, and the images I used along the way. So how do you get more detail out of moon photos without buying more expensive gear?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkKH39Uv0nigrn_0xBuu_5ebUIoA3nUkp0AU4fLqrec1SxbMvuQWZVXDhiMlDlZUKyC0PyjwH_Qz6q7_aJnNhuMJ1TIcuAd4pEZZPFArD9T8iF2IinJvmXTn5g3smQCrOhu1VUwidefl1/s1600/Novsupermoonfinal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="november 2016 supermoon at 300mm" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzkKH39Uv0nigrn_0xBuu_5ebUIoA3nUkp0AU4fLqrec1SxbMvuQWZVXDhiMlDlZUKyC0PyjwH_Qz6q7_aJnNhuMJ1TIcuAd4pEZZPFArD9T8iF2IinJvmXTn5g3smQCrOhu1VUwidefl1/s400/Novsupermoonfinal.png" title="november 2016 supermoon at 300mm" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final image after processing 10 frames taken with Canon T5i each at ISO 100, 300mm, f/7.1, 1/250 sec stacked in Registax, high pass layer and color correction in Photoshop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Okay so that's the final image, taken with my DSLR and a kit lens from a fixed tripod. Not too shabby! I tried to find a nice balance between bringing out the detail while avoiding the blown out HDR super high contrast artificial look that can happen if you're too eager. Nevertheless, I like a nice high pass layer with contrast and trying to bring down the noise as best I can.<br />
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Here is a <b><a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2015/09/my-dslr-moon-photo-workflow-with.html" target="_blank">walkthrough of my process with screen shots</a> </b>along the way showing how I take individual frames and capture more of the detail that is hidden in the image (while hopefully staying true to nature).<br />
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I remember my <a href="http://www.ericteske.com/2013/02/first-time-using-registax-tinkering.html" target="_blank">first time using the free Registax software to stack my moon images</a>, I was blown away, I couldn't believe how much of a difference it made in the quality of the final image.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUzgR_uSfhmy5483drW16Cd7wHOydoN3YVsXMF-T7-Ln1ffI5l7hKs0GPIDhk5gnv1fsOnFWj4292dzTuBkcIJwl1XyUG84imqj97wcVxOveLKQd7liPkvNOIxSffXx0QiHI5bUIq5oIn/s1600/bring+out+detail+in+moon+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="more detailed moon photos" border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUzgR_uSfhmy5483drW16Cd7wHOydoN3YVsXMF-T7-Ln1ffI5l7hKs0GPIDhk5gnv1fsOnFWj4292dzTuBkcIJwl1XyUG84imqj97wcVxOveLKQd7liPkvNOIxSffXx0QiHI5bUIq5oIn/s400/bring+out+detail+in+moon+photos.jpg" title="more detailed moon photos" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge - sequence of images showing incremental improvements in moon photo detail at each stage of post-processing</td></tr>
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I love looking at sequences like these. It reminds me that the more I learn the better my images become. I can remember a time when I would have been thrilled just to have the image on the left, a moon photo using a zoom lens at 300mm. Now, as my 'eye' for moon photos is accustomed to the better quality images, the one on the left looks blurry and I would never post a single frame straight from the camera to social media. So as I learn more, each image now takes more time to process, it's not as simple as snap and go.<br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM0B41jAHLs/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A little hazy but it still counts - super duper Moon in the bag</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Eric Teske (@ericteske) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-11-15T01:49:59+00:00">Nov 14, 2016 at 5:49pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9190121957646296756.post-71239955991100263792016-11-19T12:00:00.001-05:002016-11-19T12:08:30.292-05:00Reader Question About Moon PhaseI'm trying not to let the term 'reader question' inflate my ego, but I did receive a Facebook message from the Philippines from someone who tracked me down from my blog to ask me a very specific question about the moon phase during a certain position. She drew diagrams on a napkin and sent them from the other side of the world, neat!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTA1mj8ao_JGZdSeBLNx5KMk7Pk6y32OIIwv1er8SX_NIMTfPV0QANxm-mVSESVumY6GjoH0ZgZYl_M1XgCCgBYi7bg3-pbD5k02_SsKfwez7LaJaqYpfPhAyw9KflS9GGmWYR6ZQnUHH/s1600/hand+drawn+moon+diagram+on+napkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="reader moon question" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTA1mj8ao_JGZdSeBLNx5KMk7Pk6y32OIIwv1er8SX_NIMTfPV0QANxm-mVSESVumY6GjoH0ZgZYl_M1XgCCgBYi7bg3-pbD5k02_SsKfwez7LaJaqYpfPhAyw9KflS9GGmWYR6ZQnUHH/s400/hand+drawn+moon+diagram+on+napkin.jpg" title="reader moon question" width="367" /></a></div>
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The question was: "I've been looking at the moon lately and I'm trying to solve something really important. I hope that you can help me... If the moon is waning or waxing [gibbous] in the morning, which phase has the top part left out?"<br />
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So which phase has the top part missing in the early morning as shown in her diagram? This question is sort of backwards because it's all about identifying the name (waxing or waning gibbous) rather than the position.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9JdIJYfnxDgdvpbKjVohkPRX8jC3rumi5_Q15Qly5fROK63ueCqR2JrTyFZaMWr2PQGjeNKiexKdz3IO_M2Og4l6GPWet7p8AWoHyzj2E9us-aIzkHsCGk4yW0fqXUOBk3KiQwMPcIap/s1600/moon+question+from+facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="reader moon question" border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9JdIJYfnxDgdvpbKjVohkPRX8jC3rumi5_Q15Qly5fROK63ueCqR2JrTyFZaMWr2PQGjeNKiexKdz3IO_M2Og4l6GPWet7p8AWoHyzj2E9us-aIzkHsCGk4yW0fqXUOBk3KiQwMPcIap/s400/moon+question+from+facebook.jpg" title="reader moon question" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't have Stellarim on my computer at work (I decided to answer this on my lunch break) so I looked through my Star Walk app, and she also sent local times for moonrise and moonset. Here is what I came up with at the time, and then I'll expand using Stellarium to show a more accurate scene of what she was looking for...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9IX71klhQnYx3EQ8dsHej0DGTZyMdfZRavtvZuXdeDRAQvd_df6Abh9Y9NIQI__68fjua8AXNdDBunMJxGle-Gomj4lPJdsrrzEAYA3mXSu7nmLUnK1e5kBFdHBt1Rcsa39WUHflj77f/s1600/moon+phase+diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="hand drawn moon phase diagram for gibbous" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9IX71klhQnYx3EQ8dsHej0DGTZyMdfZRavtvZuXdeDRAQvd_df6Abh9Y9NIQI__68fjua8AXNdDBunMJxGle-Gomj4lPJdsrrzEAYA3mXSu7nmLUnK1e5kBFdHBt1Rcsa39WUHflj77f/s400/moon+phase+diagram.jpg" title="hand drawn moon phase diagram for gibbous" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My quick diagram to work out which moon phase she was referring to, and it's most likely waxing gibbous setting in the west in the early morning. </td></tr>
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In short, a gibbous moon would only look like the drawing the reader provided at 2 times during the month. With the top part in shadow and the light part of the gibbous closer to the ground, it could only happen with the moon either rising or setting. Directly overhead the moon would appear to be facing sideways with the shadow part 'pointing' to the left or the right.<br />
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The moon looks exactly like her drawing when a waxing gibbous is setting and when a waning gibbous is rising.<br />
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<b>As the moon rises and sets, the side of the moon that is the first to rise is also the first to set </b>- in other words the 'leading edge' of the moon is first above the horizon and first below it, so the moon appears to turn in the sky, but is fixed relative to the arched pathway. If you think of a crescent moon, it will appear as a smiley face and a frowny face over the course of the same night.<br />
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Okay, so now all I had to do was figure out if she was looking at the moon rising or setting. Without knowing her cardinal directions, she did refer to 'early morning' and send along some local times. It couldn't be the waning gibbous because it only looks that way as it's rising after 9pm at night, so it must be the waxing gibbous setting in the early morning at 2:30am.<br />
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Clear as mud? Let's go to Stellarium to see if there's a simpler way to look this up. I updated my location in Stellarium to the Philippines and sure enough, the moon looks exactly like her drawing in the early morning as the waxing gibbous sets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo5lFK-P8_ho1i1DfQz-S3bV8Lr2MzydWI0ESqcIKK0uaeuSsp_dhm8Roz88K-CyaufrBaS8wCMDDbpgHDxmJh3Z_W5NlCL53ZMwNYTgpKKU-Qi5uYt3FSx_Ys8F4I1twV_yBkgRZ2u4r/s1600/moon+phase+question.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moon phase question in stellarium" border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo5lFK-P8_ho1i1DfQz-S3bV8Lr2MzydWI0ESqcIKK0uaeuSsp_dhm8Roz88K-CyaufrBaS8wCMDDbpgHDxmJh3Z_W5NlCL53ZMwNYTgpKKU-Qi5uYt3FSx_Ys8F4I1twV_yBkgRZ2u4r/s400/moon+phase+question.png" title="moon phase question in stellarium" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waxing gibbous moon setting to the west in Stellarium</td></tr>
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<br />Eric Teskehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02063434845209362789noreply@blogger.com0