Sunday, September 18, 2016

Pink and Deep Purple : Clouds in the Twilight

As we learn from here

 http://www.cloudynights.com/page/articles/cat/articles/blue-skies-red-sunsets-company-part-3-r2999 :

the civil twilight    ''  starts at sunset and continues until the brightest stars are first seen. It's 

the common legal meaning of twilight, as there is still light for many outside "civil" activities 

and most streetlights haven't been turned on. Technically it ends when the sun is 6 degrees

below the horizon, or about 25-30 minutes after sunset for temperate latitudes most times of  the year.''


During the twilight , the clouds display beautiful colors from gray-blue to pink and purple.

High altitude cirrus clouds on 14 of  April 2016 :











Cumulus clouds on 18 of June 2016:
  

                                                                         




Cumulonimbus clouds on 18 of June :



Cumulus clouds on 3-rd of July 2016:

                                                                          







Stratus clouds photographed on 3-rd of September 2016 while searching the crescent of the New Moon :

                                                                     



                                                                        



                                                                       


On 16 of September 2016 the show was made by high altitude cirrus clouds lit by the already set Sun :

                                                                        







Amateur astronomers hate clouds.
They are there whether we like it or not.
However , the observation of the multiple  and subtle atmospheric phenomena that accompany twilight is  a pleasant hobby.

Update :

More crepuscular rays seen on 23 of September , pics taken with my Allview A5 phone.


                                                                  







Crepuscular rays on 28 of September , pics taken with Coolpix S3300 compact camera.

                                                                     



                                                                       







The shapes and especially the colors of this evening clouds get me fascinated ,here are some more.

                                                                            



















Monday, September 12, 2016

Moon on 12 of September

Today I was  actually trying to take pics of the pink clouds.
When the Sun is already bellow the horizon , the last rays illuminate the clouds from the bottom up.
The path of this rays is the longest,  this is why I believe their color is that beautiful pink (that I missed to see today).
However , I still managed to take a few pics of the nearby Moon.
No additional optics were used except the lens of the Nikon Coolpix S3300 compact camera.
This lens , when widely open , have an aperture of only 4.2mm !




Luna 12.09.2016    fl=27.6mm   f6.5    1/500sec   ISO400  -2.0EV


Moon 12 Sept 2016    fl=27.6mm    f/6.5   1/100sec.
   ISO 80       -2.0EV


Luna 12.09.2016       fl=60.7mm        f6.5       digital zoom 2.2x
 1/80sec.      ISO 80      -2.0EV



Thursday, September 8, 2016

Moon and the Southern Triumvirate

On 7 of September the Moon was  visible to the West-North West of the triangle formed by Saturn , Mars and Antares.
I recorded this pretty celestial landscape with the tripod mounted Coolpix S3300.









The show must go on ...and it goes on !
............................................................................................................

Update of 8 September 2016 :

This evening the Moon is really much closer to the so-called Triumvirate but the conjunction of Moon and Saturn didn't happen yet.

                                                  



                                                      






............................................................................................................
Update of  9 September 2016:

Setting the stage for tonight's show :
               
                                                     



The light of the First Quarter Moon was reflected by the wavy waters of Mures River.

                                                      

The Moon was to the North of  planet Mars when the pics were taken at about nine o'clock Local Time.

                                                      

Some more pics with different settings  before saying ''goodbye'' to this Shallow Sky configuration.

                                                      
  

                                                      



This configurations were heralded by Sky&Telescope's 
''This Week's Sky at a Glance'' and ''EarthSky News'' .Thank you !