Starship Asterisk*

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:08 am**

Orion over Argentine Mountains

Explanation: Do you recognize the constellation of Orion? It may be harder than usual in today's featured image because the camera has zoomed in on the center, and the exposure is long enough to enhance nebulas beyond what the unaided human eye can see. Still, once you become oriented, you can see Orion's three belt stars lined up vertically near the image center, and even locate the familiar Orion Nebula on the upper left. Famous faint features that are also visible include the dark Horsehead Nebula indentation near the image center, and the dusty Flame Nebula just to its right. Part of the Orion-encircling Barnard's Loop can also be found on the far right. The image combines multiple sky-tracking shots of the background in different colors with a single static foreground exposure taken at twilight -- all captured with the same camera and from the same location. The picturesque scene was captured early last year from mountains in San Juan, Argentina.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:15 am**

Really awesome sky view shot of probably my favorite space place.
And you can see how dusty it is too...

Good Work.
:---[===] *

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 10:42 am**

Nice! Looks so up close!

I love3 how all the parts are identified!

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:08 pm**

It’s beautiful and technically well done but these type of composites I find are leaving me cold. They really look unnatural with the super saturation and the foreground that just looks “fakey” for lack of a better word. It’s the same problem with HDR, most people just overdo it in spades.
The foreground adds nothing to the photo, it distracts from the wonderful shot of Orion.
Just my two cents...

Eric

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:22 pm**

GeoXXXXX wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:08 pm It’s beautiful and technically well done but these type of composites I find are leaving me cold. They really look unnatural with the super saturation and the foreground that just looks “fakey” for lack of a better word. It’s the same problem with HDR, most people just overdo it in spades.
The foreground adds nothing to the photo, it distracts from the wonderful shot of Orion.
Just my two cents...

Agreed. I don't get much out of a picture like this. The same shot, much less deep, and covering a somewhat larger field would have worked better, I think. Something that shows all of Orion setting against the mountains becomes something that can enhance what we already see with our eyes. The disparity between the celestial and the terrestrial, though, is just too great in this image to make much sense.

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:50 pm**

So what was the Focal length?
It’s mentioned the shot (or rather shots) was done from the same camera and same location. So is the foreground and the sky on same focal length, and if so, How much?
Thanks

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm**

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:22 pm
GeoXXXXX wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:08 pm It’s beautiful and technically well done but these type of composites I find are leaving me cold. They really look unnatural with the super saturation and the foreground that just looks “fakey” for lack of a better word. It’s the same problem with HDR, most people just overdo it in spades.
The foreground adds nothing to the photo, it distracts from the wonderful shot of Orion.
Just my two cents...
Agreed. I don't get much out of a picture like this. The same shot, much less deep, and covering a somewhat larger field would have worked better, I think. Something that shows all of Orion setting against the mountains becomes something that can enhance what we already see with our eyes. The disparity between the celestial and the terrestrial, though, is just too great in this image to make much sense.

Yeah, if it took a long time to resolve the faint features using tracking, then naturally, the background would have been blurred with respect to the mountains. And since the mountains were photographed at twilight, then the faint features would not have resolved if taken at the same time.
Fakey

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:40 pm**

TheZuke! wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:28 pm
Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:22 pm
GeoXXXXX wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:08 pm It’s beautiful and technically well done but these type of composites I find are leaving me cold. They really look unnatural with the super saturation and the foreground that just looks “fakey” for lack of a better word. It’s the same problem with HDR, most people just overdo it in spades.
The foreground adds nothing to the photo, it distracts from the wonderful shot of Orion.
Just my two cents...
Agreed. I don't get much out of a picture like this. The same shot, much less deep, and covering a somewhat larger field would have worked better, I think. Something that shows all of Orion setting against the mountains becomes something that can enhance what we already see with our eyes. The disparity between the celestial and the terrestrial, though, is just too great in this image to make much sense.
Yeah, if it took a long time to resolve the faint features using tracking, then naturally, the background would have been blurred with respect to the mountains. And since the mountains were photographed at twilight, then the faint features would not have resolved if taken at the same time.
Fakey

There's nothing fake about it. The scene is real, the scales consistent, the objects realistic. I have no issues with how the image was made. I just question its ability to inform us of something useful.

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:43 pm**

Did anyone catch the error in today's picture of the day June 9, 2020? Orion's belt doesn't have a hard curve. Alnitak is close to the Flame Nebula, giving the 3 stars a very slight curve. The horse nebula points to the incorrectly labeled star.

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:05 pm**

wercozy@comcast.net wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 2:43 pm Did anyone catch the error in today's picture of the day June 9, 2020? Orion's belt doesn't have a hard curve. Alnitak is close to the Flame Nebula, giving the 3 stars a very slight curve. The horse nebula points to the incorrectly labeled star.

You are misunderstanding the labels. The labels for the belt stars are all located to the left of the stars they identify. Alnitak is correctly identified. The label does not refer to the star that is inside it.

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:41 pm**

APOD Robot wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:08 am Orion over Argentine Mountains

Explanation: Do you recognize the constellation of Orion? It may be harder than usual in today's featured image because the camera has zoomed in on the center, and the exposure is long enough to enhance nebulas beyond what the unaided human eye can see. Still, once you become oriented, you can see Orion's three belt stars lined up vertically near the image center, and even locate the familiar Orion Nebula on the upper left. Famous faint features that are also visible include the dark Horsehead Nebula indentation near the image center, and the dusty Flame Nebula just to its right. Part of the Orion-encircling Barnard's Loop can also be found on the far right. The image combines multiple sky-tracking shots of the background in different colors with a single static foreground exposure taken at twilight -- all captured with the same camera and from the same location. The picturesque scene was captured early last year from mountains in San Juan, Argentina.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

[EDITED: to add NGC 2071, thanks to Cousin Ricky]

Ashame that the gorgeous "dark mode theme" M78 [and NGC 2071] aren't labeled. They are both to the right of the Flame Nebula. Wikipedia links to two beautiful images of them from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_78. Here's the one from the ESO that is in approximately the same orientation as the APOD pic:

: M78 and NGC 2017 in APOD 200609

: ... and in https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso1635a/

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:58 pm**

I came just to say it, but johnnydeep beat me to it:

M78 (which I call the “Pac-Man Monster Nebula”) and NGC 2071 get no respect in the annotations.

Posted: **Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:34 pm**

Cousin Ricky wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:58 pm I came just to say it, but johnnydeep beat me to it:

M78 (which I call the “Pac-Man Monster Nebula”) and NGC 2071 get no respect in the annotations.

Thanks for this addition. I didn't even realize that NGC 2071 was also shown in the image I include, and is the smaller nebula to the right of the larger M78. Maybe I'll update my post...[...later: ok, done!]

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:54 am**

Many scientists and others involved in STEM are taking time on June 10 to focus on activities and actionable plans that work towards ending racism. I post here resources in support of #ShutDownSTEM.

Justice in June
Annotated list of learning resources that take 10, 25, or 45 minutes to complete to become more informed as step one to becoming an active ally to the Black community compiled by Autumn Gupta with Bryanna Wallace.

Particles for Justice Recommended Resources
Self care for Black people, books, online articles and resources, podcasts, kid-friendly resources, and projects funding.

Anti-Racism Podcast Sampler Spotify playlist
A working list of episodes to introduce individual podcasts and topics created by Amy Steele (UMD Astronomy).

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 4:02 am**

StephenS wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:50 pm So what was the Focal length?
It’s mentioned the shot (or rather shots) was done from the same camera and same location. So is the foreground and the sky on same focal length, and if so, How much?
Thanks

Assuming a full-frame sensor camera and this image filling the frame, we're looking at a 220mm lens.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 6:18 am**

We're seeing more of these photo combos - multi-shots melded together to form ---- well something that isn't real. Sorry, but fantasy shots belong on fantasy sites.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 6:25 am**

anon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 6:18 am We're seeing more of these photo combos - multi-shots melded together to form ---- well something that isn't real. Sorry, but fantasy shots belong on fantasy sites.

What is "unreal" about it? There's not a single deep sky image posted on APOD that represents anything remotely visible to human eyes.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:23 pm**

Now it is June 10, but the Orion picture is still there.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:28 pm**

Off (this) topic, but is there no APOD today? I get this "The requested URL /apod/ap200610.html was not found on this server."

[EDIT: Leon1949Green beat me to it!]

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:30 pm**

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:28 pm Off (this) topic, but is there no APOD today? I get this "The requested URL /apod/ap200610.html was not found on this server."

[EDIT: Leon1949Green beat me to it!]

#ShutDownSTEM

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:46 pm**

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:30 pm
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:28 pm Off (this) topic, but is there no APOD today? I get this "The requested URL /apod/ap200610.html was not found on this server."

[EDIT: Leon1949Green beat me to it!]
#ShutDownSTEM

Ah. Poor name though - too permanent sounding. Would be much better as "#PauseSTEM".

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:52 pm**

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 2:46 pm
Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:30 pm
johnnydeep wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:28 pm Off (this) topic, but is there no APOD today? I get this "The requested URL /apod/ap200610.html was not found on this server."

[EDIT: Leon1949Green beat me to it!]
#ShutDownSTEM
Ah. Poor name though - too permanent sounding. Would be much better as "#PauseSTEM".

Agreed. I think the tag carries the wrong sense. But it is what it is.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:00 pm**

Leon1949Green wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:23 pm Now it is June 10, but the Orion picture is still there.

At the bottom of the picture, it says "Next picture: June 11". So there is no APOD for today (6/10). But why? This is the first time in a long time that they have skipped a day. In fact I don't know of another day that they have skipped since near the start of this back in the 1990s.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:04 pm**

ems57fcva wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:00 pm
Leon1949Green wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2020 1:23 pm Now it is June 10, but the Orion picture is still there.
At the bottom of the picture, it says "Next picture: June 11". So there is no APOD for today (6/10). But why? This is the first time in a long time that they have skipped a day. In fact I don't know of another day that they have skipped since near the start of this back in the 1990s.

See above.

Posted: **Wed Jun 10, 2020 3:10 pm**

GeoXXXXX wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:08 pm It’s beautiful and technically well done but these type of composites I find are leaving me cold. They really look unnatural with the super saturation and the foreground that just looks “fakey” for lack of a better word. It’s the same problem with HDR, most people just overdo it in spades.
The foreground adds nothing to the photo, it distracts from the wonderful shot of Orion.
Just my two cents...

Eric

I think that it does a good job of giving people a feel for the neighborhood around Orion's Belt. In some ways it is well composed, but I also see that the mountains add little to it (even though I am an avid hiker). Sometime light-years and light-microseconds just don't mix well.

Starship Asterisk*

APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)

Re: APOD: Orion over Argentine Mountains (2020 Jun 09)