APOD: A Summer Night's Dream (2011 Aug 05)

[APOD Robot]

A Summer Night's Dream

Explanation: Fix your digital camera to a tripod, start a long series of exposures, and you too can record star trails. The concentric arcs traced by the stars as planet Earth rotates on its axis often produce dreamlike scenes in otherwise familiar situations. Fall asleep, though, and the results might surprise you. Setting up on a summer night, photographer Mike Rosinski began his exposures, initially planning to capture about 45-55 minutes worth of star trails from his yard in Hartland, Michigan, USA. But he dozed, only to awaken some 3 hours later to find his camera had continued to run until the battery died. Composing the resulting images, the graceful concentric star trails were expected, along with light from a late rising Moon glinting on windows. Still, as he slept on the warm night a blizzard of yellow streaks flooded the scene, not left by fairies but fireflies.

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[Beyond]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzAh-wh-a-t?? WOW! Look at that. N-I-C-E!!

[geckzilla]

Check out the video he made, too.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[bto]

Ya-I was put to sleep by this pic.

[neufer]

Mike Rosinski's unique courtship flash pattern

<<Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies. This chemically produced light from the lower abdomen may be yellow, green, or pale-red, with wavelengths from 510 to 670 nanometers. Fireflies are a classic example of an organism that uses bioluminescence for sexual selection. They have evolved a variety of ways to communicate with mates in courtships: steady glows, flashing, as well as the use of chemical signals unrelated to photic systems. Some species are distinguished by the unique courtship flash patterns emitted by flying males in search of females. In general, females of the Photinus genus do not fly, but do give a flash response to males of their own species.

Tropical fireflies, in particular, in Southeast Asia, routinely synchronise their flashes among large groups. This phenomenon is explained as phase synchronization and spontaneous order. In the United States, one of the most famous sightings of fireflies blinking in unison occurs annually near Elkmont, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains during the first weeks of June.

Female Photuris fireflies are known for mimicking the mating flashes of other "lightning bugs" for the sole purpose of predation. Target males are attracted to what appears to be a suitable mate, and are then eaten. For this reason the Photuris species are sometimes referred to as "femme fatale fireflies."

There are 2,000 species of firefly found in temperate and tropical environments. Many are in marshes or in wet, wooded areas where their larvae have abundant sources of food. These larvae emit light and are often called "glowworms", in particular, in Eurasia. In the Americas, "glow worm" also refers to the related Phengodidae. In many species, both male and female fireflies have the ability to fly, but in some species females are flightless.

A few days after mating, a female lays her fertilized eggs on or just below the surface of the ground. The eggs hatch 3–4 weeks later and the larvae feed until the end of the summer. The larvae are commonly called glowworms, not to be confused with the distinct beetle family Phengodidae or fly genus Arachnocampa. Lampyrid larvae have simple eyes. The term glowworm is also used for both adults and larvae of species such as Lampyris noctiluca, the common European glowworm, in which only the non-flying adult females glow brightly and the flying males glow only weakly and intermittently.

Fireflies hibernate over winter during the larval stage, some species for several years. Some do this by burrowing underground, while others find places on or under the bark of trees. They emerge in the spring. After several weeks of feeding, they pupate for 1 to 2.5 weeks and emerge as adults. The larvae of most species are specialized predators and feed on other larvae, terrestrial snails, and slugs. One such species is Alecton discoidalis which is found in Cuba. Some are so specialized that they have grooved mandibles that deliver digestive fluids directly to their prey. Adult diet varies. Some are predatory, while others feed on plant pollen or nectar.

Most fireflies are quite distasteful and sometimes poisonous to vertebrate predators. This is due at least in part to a group of steroid pyrones known as lucibufagins (LBGs), which are similar to cardiotonic bufadienolides found in some poisonous toads. All fireflies glow as larvae. Bioluminescence serves a different function in lampyrid larvae than it does in adults. It appears to be a warning signal to predators, since many firefly larvae contain chemicals that are distasteful or toxic.

Light production in fireflies is due to a type of chemical reaction called bioluminescence. This process occurs in specialised light-emitting organs, usually on a firefly's lower abdomen. The enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen to produce light. Genes coding for these substances have been inserted into many different organisms. Firefly luciferase is used in forensics, and the enzyme has medical uses — in particular, for detecting the presence of ATP or magnesium. It has been speculated that Baroque painter Caravaggio may have prepared his canvases with a powder of dried fireflies to create a photosensitive surface on which he projected the image to be painted.>>

[saturn2]

A good digital camera, a tripod and many time.
The planet Earth rotates on its axis, is the more important.
The final product is this image.

[orin stepanek]

I find it cluttered but very interesting!!

[Ray-Optics]

Interesting to note that not a single one of the firefly trails is convex upward. They all seem to flash as they're pulling out of a dive. I wonder if anyone has studied the coordination of their flashes with their flight patterns? (As a process engineer I've learned to look for subtle clues, and I love puzzles.)

[neufer]

Interesting to note that not a single one of the firefly trails is convex upward.
They all seem to flash as they're pulling out of a dive.

As one might expect if they are 'flashing' the females who are all on the ground.

[Lemniscate]

The short interruption near the end of the star trails, where does that come from? I don't see it in the stacked timelapse video.

[Guest]

These are the kind of pictures that make APOD great. Its just a shame all the expensive other NASA stuff had to spend all the American money (now Juno probe ... whatever ... piggies in their trough ) and rob so many families and kids of their tax dollars needed to enjoy nights filled with fireflies like there.

[owlice]

Last time I checked, fireflies, and being outside to see them, were free; no money needed for the view.

[neufer]

These are the kind of pictures that make APOD great. Its just a shame all the expensive other NASA stuff had to spend all the American money (now Juno probe ... whatever ... piggies in their trough ) and rob so many families and kids of their tax dollars needed to enjoy nights filled with fireflies like there.

Rufus T. Firefly: [singing] If any form of pleasure is exhibited, report to me and it will be prohibited! I'll put my foot down, so shall it be... this is the land of the free! The last man nearly ruined this place he didn't know what to do with it. If you think this country's bad off now, just wait till I get through with it! The country's taxes must be fixed, and I know what to do with it. If you think you're paying too much now, just wait till I get through with it!

Rufus T. Firefly: Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot. I implore you, send him back to his father and brothers, who are waiting for him with open arms in the penitentiary. I suggest that we give him ten years in Leavenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth.

Chicolini: I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll take five and ten in Woolworth.

Rufus T. Firefly: Now, how about lending this country twenty million dollars, you old skinflint?

Chicolini: Twenty million dollars is a lot of money. I'd have to take that up with my Minister of Finance.

Rufus T. Firefly: Well, in the meantime, could you let me have twelve dollars until payday?

Chicolini: Twelve dollars?

Rufus T. Firefly: Don't be scared, you'll get it back. I'll give you my personal note for ninety days. If it isn't paid by then, you can... keep the note.

[tECH hIPPY]

This pretty picture sums up much of my experience with the night sky. I don't have any optics beyond my glasses or a secluded observatory or any astronomy education beyond my daily perusal of APOD and some TV shows but I so love looking at the sky and watching the fireflies and listening to the crickets and frogs on a clear summer evening. On a night like this one (pictured), life is really, really good.

[biddie67]

(( laughing )) What a wonderful serendipity!!!

It seems as though the Earth vis-a-vie the stars has a greater predictable pattern of movement than those delightful fireflies; but don't tell the fireflies that - their sense of ordered movement just isn't as obvious to us mere humans ....

[nstahl]

I hope y'all watched the Juno launch like I just did and are looking forward to a bunch of fine Jupiter APODs in five years.

[Ann]

biddie67 wrote:

It seems as though the Earth vis-a-vie the stars has a greater predictable pattern of movement than those delightful fireflies; but don't tell the flyflies that - their sense of ordered movement just isn't as obvious to us mere humans ....

Yes, well - many of the stars we can see in the sky follow their own paths, away from the midplane of the Milky Way. Like Arcturus. (Is Arcturus in the picture? Beats me, because I'm horribly bad at identifying stars from star trails.)

But it's interesting to think that the stars are a bit like the fireflies in that they are really moving this way and that - it's only that they are so humongously far away that their "proper motion" is totally undetectable for a human being during his or her lifetime, let alone during a single night of astrophotography.

All the cosmos is in motion. It's just so much easier for us humans to detect the individual dancing of the fireflies that the individual motion of the stars.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

This song appears to be "The Chaos Path" by Arcturus.

Ann

[moonstruck]

Very interesting...thanks Mike.

[bystander]

I hope y'all watched the Juno launch like I just did and are looking forward to a bunch of fine Jupiter APODs in five years.

Juno: Unlocking Jupiter's Mysteries (NASA New Frontiers)

Watch this space for future updates on Juno.

[tamarshall]

This is one of my favorite APOD's in a long time bc of the connection between Earth and the cosmos. My love of nature led me to camping, camping led to watching the night sky, which led to my interest in astronomy. One thing that was always present on those summer nights looking up were fireflies. This picture reminds me of the simplicity of life that led me to the complexity of astronomy. Way cool !!!

[NoelC]

A beautiful view of nature. I love it when technology is used to give us alternate views of what we're used to seeing another way. Congratulations on a very nice APOD, Mike.

The short interruption near the end of the star trails, where does that come from? I don't see it in the stacked timelapse video.

Just a guess, but note in the video near the end where there's a dashed plane trail... Mike may have left that out so the image would look nicer.

-Noel

[mtbdudex]

Thx everyone for nice messages.

btw, 100% of the credit for originating this shot goes to my wife.
My wife commented to me “the fireflies are really active tonight, why don’t you try and get some in a photo”….I looked outside and it was a hot/warm/humid evening and she was right.

I can take credit for capturing the startrails/fireflies, now the rising moon reflection in the garage 2 windows…that was totally luck, and for astrophoto people that made the shot – and why it got posted to APOD

The short interruption near the end of the star trails, where does that come from? I don't see it in the stacked timelapse video.

Good eye - for 6-7 images the U of M Emergency helicopter, which flies North/South over our home in its flight path, came into the frames.
Instead of editing it out of each of those frames I just deleted them, it was in the initial one, but the bright streak took away from the image.
So I re-did the stacking w/o those frames, that's where the gap comes from.
I might go to those 6-7 images, PP out the helicopter trail, and re-stack the images.....but that takes more time....

Here is a winter shot of almost same angle, Dec-15-2010


Over almost 2 years I've been taking astrophotography pictures and documenting them @ Canon P.O.T.N. website forum.
I call that my "Top 10 in 2010 to shoot (Astronomy, non telescope)"
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/sho ... ost9752647

I've learned much w/o a telescope at all, just tripod, DSLR, various lens, wireless timer, star chart(s), and much help from fellow people who love the heavens above.

Just 4 weeks I took "the big plunge" and bought my first "real" telescope, a Celestron EdgeHD 800 CGEM SCT + associated gear.
A whole new learning curve for me.

Prior to NASA posting my image they informed me it was chosen late last night.
I sent them this response (to jerry bonnell, NASA guy ):
I'm sure you've heard this before, but please pass this on:

You guys/gals at NASA inspire all of us in the public with your continued excellence in all Space Endeavors.
Never, never, never underestimate the positive impact on so many lives, including my 3 young children (9, 7, 5).
We all need to continually dream, and NASA fuels that for so many of us.

regards,
Mike Rosinski

[Indigo_Sunrise]

Thx everyone for nice messages.

btw, 100% of the credit for originating this shot goes to my wife.
My wife commented to me “the fireflies are really active tonight, why don’t you try and get some in a photo”….I looked outside and it was a hot/warm/humid evening and she was right.

I can take credit for capturing the startrails/fireflies, now the rising moon reflection in the garage 2 windows…that was totally luck, and for astrophoto people that made the shot – and why it got posted to APOD

...

Prior to NASA posting my image they informed me it was chosen late last night.
I sent them this response (to jerry bonnell, NASA guy ):
I'm sure you've heard this before, but please pass this on:

You guys/gals at NASA inspire all of us in the public with your continued excellence in all Space Endeavors.
Never, never, never underestimate the positive impact on so many lives, including my 3 young children (9, 7, 5).
We all need to continually dream, and NASA fuels that for so many of us.

regards,
Mike Rosinski

What a gracious response!
And very interesting - and fun - image!

[islader2]

ATTN neufer ATTN. The way you put down guest/chicol was a masterpiece of wit==too bad guest has no concept of your supreme wit. However, I love your wit and wisdom and look forward to more. Let us not delete guest from Asterisk*, he is such a source of sarcasm to those of us with advanced degrees in our sphere of expertise. Thanx.











attn neufer

[neptunium]

Yes, well - many of the stars we can see in the sky follow their own paths, away from the midplane of the Milky Way. Like Arcturus. (Is Arcturus in the picture? Beats me, because I'm horribly bad at identifying stars from star trails.)

Well, I can make out the stars of the Big Dipper to the upper left of center, so Arcturus would be off the left side.

I have to say, though, that this is one of the best pictures APOD has displayed.