Starship Asterisk*

Light and Glory over Crete

Explanation: The month was July, the place was the Greek island of Crete, and the sky was spectacular. Of course there were the usual stars like Polaris, Vega, and Antares -- and that common asterism everyone knows: the Big Dipper. But this sky was just getting started. The band of the Milky Way Galaxy stunned as it arched across the night like a bridge made of stars and dust but dotted with red nebula like candy. The planets Saturn and Jupiter were so bright you wanted to stop people on the beach and point them out. The air glowed like a rainbow -- but what really grabbed the glory was a comet. Just above the northern horizon, Comet NEOWISE spread its tails like nothing you had ever seen before or might ever see again. Staring in amazement, there was only one thing to do: take a picture.

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It is an utterly lovely image.

Me being me, my eyes were immediately riveted on the lovely blue star at upper center. It's Vega, trusted, beautiful Vega. About ten years ago, when I spent a lot of time looking at the bright stars through a 14-inch telescope at our local astronomy club, I liked to show visitors Vega and ask them what color they thought it was. They always gave the same answer: It's blue.

Okay, back the APOD! It is indeed lovely, and it's always so nice when an APOD is annotated.

Ann

Nothing like a clear night to open up the beauty of the universe!

Correction: Comet West 1976 was far brighter. It's nucleus was still visible in broad daylight.

Stephenwiggins wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 6:16 pm Correction: Comet West 1976 was far brighter. It's nucleus was still visible in broad daylight.

Correction to what?

So this image is a one-off, not a composite?

hypatia wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:41 pm So this image is a one-off, not a composite?

Not sure. Chris Peterson would have a better idea. This link - https://slovinsky.art/2020/10/30/light-and-glory - only has these details:

Equipment: Canon 6D mod, Sigma Art 28mm from the tripod
EXIF: 15″, f/2.2, ISO 8.000
Date: 17th of July 2020

How long an exposure is needed to get simultaneous details of deep sky stuff and dark earth stuff? Can a panoramic view like this be done with a single (fisheye?) shot? I don't know.

hypatia wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:41 pm So this image is a one-off, not a composite?

I don't think so. At the least, it's a mosaic. It spans something like 150°, but was shot with a 28mm lens on a full-frame sensor, which has a maximum width of about 65°.

De to autor
Reminding capture from July’s Crete island. The photograph was made at the Elafonissi beach, the most south-west part of Crete. The beach is characteristic due to the clear turquoise water and soft white and colored sand. For astrophotographers and observers, this place is also a dark sky paradise. But even this place is much polluted by the lights from restaurants, and local houses. And the composition should represent the contrast between polluted and dark sky. While above the sunshades the objects in the sky disappear, on the right side we can see dark sky gems. Well, literally. Few meters from the beach we can find Bortle 1 sky – the natural night sky. Beautiful Milky Way and its structures, nebulas, and colorful airglow above the sea level. And of course, the comet Neowise on the left.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:01 pm

hypatia wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:41 pm So this image is a one-off, not a composite?

I don't think so. At the least, it's a mosaic. It spans something like 150°, but was shot with a 28mm lens on a full-frame sensor, which has a maximum width of about 65°.

Thanks for your reply.

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:56 pm

hypatia wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:41 pm So this image is a one-off, not a composite?

Not sure. Chris Peterson would have a better idea. This link - https://slovinsky.art/2020/10/30/light-and-glory - only has these details:

Equipment: Canon 6D mod, Sigma Art 28mm from the tripod
EXIF: 15″, f/2.2, ISO 8.000
Date: 17th of July 2020

How long an exposure is needed to get simultaneous details of deep sky stuff and dark earth stuff? Can a panoramic view like this be done with a single (fisheye?) shot? I don't know.

Thanks.