Sharing the Passion of Shooting the Beauty of the Night Sky
Sharing the Passion of Shooting the Night Sky- Image captured in the land of Museu da Luz, Mourão – Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve. Canon EOS 60da- ISO1600, Exp. 30 sec 11mm at f/2.8. Taken in 13/09/2014 23.40
The Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae from Alentejo Sky
At the left side of the image we can see the The Lagoon Nebula (catalogued as Messier 8 or M8, and as NGC 6523) is a giant interstellar cloud in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region. The Lagoon Nebula is estimated to be between 4,000-6,000 light years from the Earth. At the right corner of the image we can find the M20 or NGC 6514, well known as The Trifid Nebula, also located in Sagittarius, lieing at a distance of approximately 5000 light years from earth. This object is an unusual combination of an open cluster of stars; an emission nebula (the lower, red/violet portion), a reflection nebula (the upper, blue portion) and a dark nebula (the apparent ‘gaps’ within the emission nebula that cause the trifid appearance; these are also designated Barnard 85). This deep sky picture was captured in Alentejo, Portugal, where stands the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, the first “Starlight Tourism Destination” in the world.
Captured in 05/08/2014 at 1:20 AM – Canon 60Da; ISO 1600, Exp. 10x 151 seconds at f/7 with a focal 570mm + mount Vixen GP2 + Astro Professional ED 80. Sum of 10 pictures combined in Maxim DL 5. Total time integration: 25 minutes
A Startrail from Pico do Arieiro
Captured in the top of Madeira island, in Pico do Arieiro, at about 1810 meters high, from left to right, is visible above the horizon and between the passing clouds, the lights coming from neighboring island of Porto Santo. At the right and in the top of the mountain, above the white/yellow dome – a military radar – we can see the region of Celestial Equator, with the dragged stars of the well known constellation of Orion!
Canon 60Da – ISO2000 Exp. 30 Secs. 11mm at f/2.8. Sum of 46 images. Total time integration of 77 minutes.
Airglow and Milky Way from Pico do Arieiro
The strong airglow can be seen above the horizon in this panoramic view captured in the top of Madeira island, in Pico do Arieiro, at about 1810 meters high. Above the green pale light shines the Milky Way between the passing clouds. At the right top of the mountain, above the white/yellow dome – a military radar – shines the well known winter constellation of Orion and a further high to the left, stands the open cluster Pleiades (M45).
Canon 60Da – ISO2000 Exp. 30 Secs. 11mm at f/2.8.
Biggest & Brightest Full Moon of the Year 2014
Image of the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year 2014, captured on August 10. Astronomers call it a perigee moon, but the popular term is “supermoon.” The image was captured from Alqueva, Dark Sky Reserve, Portugal on 10/09/2014 at 20:39. Canon 50D – ISO640; Exp. 1/400 secs. f/7 at 560mm ( Astro Professional APO ED80).
ISS transiting the Summer Triangle
ISS crossing the arm of Milky Way reaching a magnitude of -3.2 above the land of Vila Boim, in Alentejo. In the top of the image, the path of International Space Station is transiting between the stars that forming the well known Summer Triangle, in that moment as seen from Earth, the ISS was reaching the Zenith, the point above our heads, the moment when it is also more close to us..
Canon 60Da – ISO 200, Exp.208 Secs at f/4 with a 11mm lens and a Vixen Polarie travel mount. Taken in 02-08-2014 at 22h30, during an exposure of consecutive 3.4 minutes.
Comet Jacques from Dark Sky Reserve
Image of the comet Jacques, visible in the image as a green diffuse dot, at left. Canon 60Da – ISO 2000, Exp.30 Secs at f/2.8 with a 200mm lens and a Vixen Polarie travel mount.
Tracking the Night Sky
Tracking the trails of the night sky with the Telescope. Image taken in Alentejo. Canon 50D – ISO1600; f/2.8 at 11mm; Exp. 30 sec. Taken in 05/08/2014 at 4h49m AM.
Alqueva Dark Sky Party 2014
Sky panorama of the last Alqueva´s Dark Sky Party, a star feast near “Xarez Cromlech”, a megalithic monument in Monsaraz, one of the main places from Dark Sky Reserve, in Portugal. Canon 60Da – ISO2000; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. in 24/08/2014 at 0:58 AM. Croped Mosaic of 18 images.
A colorful life, full of stars!
In this picture captured in Alentejo, we can see the main stars of Big Dipper, Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia, scratching the colorful skies of a celestial blue in a twilight of moonlight. In the land, a house full of life, space and water, is the ideal spot for a skygazer who loves to appreciate the beauty of Alentejo skies.
Canon 50D – f/4 ISO 800 Exp. 20 Secs 11mm. Taken in 07-08-2014 between 22:17 and 1:04 Sum of 466 images with a total time of 2.6h.
A Perseids shooting star
A shooting star coming from the Perseids meteor shower with the peak occurring on Monday 11th August, captured in Alentejo, Portugal! Canon 50D – ISO1600 Tokina 11mm at f/2.8 Exp. 25 secs. taken in 06/08/2014 at 2:37 AM
A Summer Moonbath
Preparing for a “Moonbath” in the warm summer nights of Alentejo, Portugal. Canon 50D – ISO2000; 11mm at f/10; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 06-08-2014 at 23:45
Andromeda Galaxy M31 with a Vixen Polarie
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the Andromeda constellation, captured in this wide view with a Canon 200mm lens f/2.8 and a travel and portable Vixen Polarie mount.
Also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, it is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy, but not the nearest galaxy overall. It gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which was named after the mythological princess Andromeda. The Andromeda Galaxy is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, theTriangulum Galaxy, and about 30 other smaller galaxies. The 2006 observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that M31 contains one trillion (1012) stars:[8] at least twice the number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which is estimated to be 200–400 billion. At 3.4, the apparent magnitude of Andromeda Galaxy is one of the brightest of any Messier objects,[15] making it visible to the naked eye on moonless nights even when viewed from areas with moderate light pollution. Although it appears more than six times as wide as the full Moon when photographed through a largertelescope, only the brighter central region is visible to the naked eye or when viewed using binoculars or a small telescope. (Text source – Wikipedia)
Captured in the sky of Monsaraz, Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Portugal in 27/07/2014 at 4:10AM – Canon 60Da; ISO 2000, Exp: 45s. at f/2.8 with a Canon telephoto lens serie L at 200mm + Travel mount Vixen Polarie. Sum of 51 pictures combined in Maxim DL 5 with a total time integration of 38 minutes.
Alqueva All Sky
This “all sky view” was captured in Monsaraz, in the back of Orada Convent, one of the regions covered by the Alqueva´s Dark Sky Reserve. Besides the yellow light visible near the 360º horizon, coming from the villages around, we also can see the pale green tone from a smooth airglow presence. Near the center of the image, where the sky reaches the Zenith 90º, it´s clearly visible the North America Nebula, in Cygnus constellation. Below, between the palm trees, we find the central region of our Galaxy. The Milky Way is actually crossing the entire sky from horizon to horizon, with an arm of gas, dust and stars, with more then 180 degrees.
Canon 60Da – ISO2000; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. in 27/07/2014 at 1:45 AM. All sky mosaic of 23 images.
North America and Pelican Nebulae with Vixen Polarie
In this deep sky wide field image, taken with a very portable “travel mount” called Polarie from Vixen, with a Canon 60Da camera and a Canon telephoto lens L at 200mm f/2.8. we can see the well known North America Nebula (NGC7000) and the nearby Pelican Nebula, (IC 5070), both emission nebulae located in constellation Cygnus, are part of the same interstellar cloud of ionized hydrogen (H II region). Covering an area of more than four times the size of the full moon, NGC7000 cannot be seen with the unaided eye, because it is normally faint, but its prominent shape and especially, its reddish color (from the hydrogen Hα emission lines) can easily show up in the photo camera sensor, that is much more sensitive than our human eyes. Cygnus’s Wall is a term for the “Mexico and Central America part” of the North America Nebula. The Cygnus Wall exhibits the most concentrated star formations in the nebula. In the right side and above the center of the image, we can see the Pelican Nebula, also known as IC 5070 and IC 506, located at about 1,500 light-years away. This region, rich of emission nebulae and dark nebulae, is an active area of star formation powered by the light from young stars, very energetic indeed. In the left side of this picture, we can see the dark nebulae region called Barnard 253, above the left side of the reddish North America Nebula, discovered in 1786 by William Herschel
Note: The shape of the North America Nebula it´s not immediately recognized in this image, because the author as prefered to use a landscape framing. Captured in the sky of Monsaraz, Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Portugal in 31/05/2014 at 3:45 AM – Canon 60Da; ISO 2000, Exp: 30s. at f/2.8 with a Canon telephoto lens serie L at 200mm + Travel mount Vixen Polarie. Sum of 31 pictures combined in Maxim DL 5 with a total time integration of 15.5 minutes.
A Sky Full of Stars in a Land Full of Olive Trees
A short black and white startrail showing the earth rotation, above the land full of olive trees, captured in front of the Dark Sky Alqueva advertising outdoor, in Monsaraz. Alqueva is the first site in the world to receive the “Starlight Tourism Destination” certification. This certification, awarded by the Starlight Foundation is supported by UNESCO, UNWTO and IAC. Starlight destinations are visitable places characterized by excellent quality for the contemplation of starry skies, and the practice of tourist activities based on this resource.
The region of the Great Lake Alqueva in Alentejo, Portugal is a wonderful place to see the stars, constellations and distant galaxies such as the Milky Way. The unique characteristics of the night sky with a very low rate of light pollution, in the municipalities of Alandroal, Reguengos, Monsaraz, Mourão, Barrancos, Portel and Moura ensure the ideal conditions for an excellent observation of the dark sky. In Alqueva the sky has good atmospheric conditions for stargazing most of the year. Such skies are disappearing in Europe, where most of the population has no longer the privilege to observe an unpolluted sky.
Canon 60Da – ISO1600; 11mm at f/3.2; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 29-06-2014 at 21:45 Sum of 24 images.
A Straight Galactic Arm in Monte Bravo
Our own galaxy as seen from Earth, occupies a considerable area across the sky, with several tens of degrees. In this peacefull view from Monte Bravo, Alentejo, the Milky Way can be seen as a straight galactic arm in the direction of Zenith, due to the low perspective captured with an ultra wide angle lens. The orange tone coming from the village light of Mourão, is spreading through the low clouds, although, does not affect to much the imposing presence of our Milky Way, for being captured in a Dark Sky Reserve, in Alqueva.
Canon 50D – ISO2500; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 29-06-2014 at 3:15 AM
Olive Tree and the Milky Way
The central region of Milky Way is setting behind Monsaraz region, Portugal. In the foreground, we can see the most typical tree of Alentejo, the Olive tree, in portuguese well known as “Oliveira”. Canon 60Da – ISO1600; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 28-06-2014 at 3:14
A Moonlite scene from Alvão
Taken in the top of Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, Portugal. The full moon helped to light up all the rocky scene in the landscape. In the sky, we can see the stars that forming the asterism of summer triangle. Canon 60D – ISO640; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 15 secs. Taken in 8-06-2014 at 25:51
Startrail in the moonlight
A short startrail taken in the top of Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, Portugal. The full moon and the light of a transiting car, helped to light up all the rocky scene in the landscape. Canon 60D – ISO1600; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 10 secs. Taken in 8-06-2014 at 23:14
Moon and Mars above the lake
Image taken in a small lagoon of Cimeira dam, in the top of Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, Portugal, situated in a height of about 1060 meters above the sea level. In the sky, is visible the full moon between the clouds, and the bright orange planet Mars. Canon 60D – ISO800; 16mm at f/2.8; Exp. 8 secs. Taken in 9-06-2014 at 00:10 AM.
Milky Way in Agarez, Vila Real.
A view of the south side of Agarez waterfall, in Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, Portugal, with a skygazer contemplating the nature and the Universe, with a Milky Way appearing in the night sky after the Moonset. Canon 60D – ISO1600; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 8-06-2014 at 2:57 AM.
Big Dipper above Waterfall of Agarez
In the image we can see part of the Big Dipper above the beautiful waterfall of Agarez, in Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, north of Portugal, in a moonlight scene .Canon 50D – ISO1600; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. Taken in 8-06-2014 at 1:59 AM.
The Trails of North Pole in Lisbon Planetarium
Nowadays we can listen many talks around the word “startrails” and today, we can see thousands of pictures of startrails made in many different latitudes of the planet, facing to East, West, South and around the Polar Star, but have you ever thought how it would be a startrail captured from the North Pole? This kind of startrail is less often.
The height of the Polaris star varies with the latitude of each location. In Portugal for example, in average, the polar star is near 40 ° above the horizon, but at the North Pole, the Polaris is at the Zenith (90º), the point just above our heads, which makes – in a long photo exposure – that the track of each star near the horizon, is it shown as a parallel line, where those star never sets. But to realize this, nothing better than to see this long exposure of 25 seconds captured inside the 21 meters dome of our Lisbon Planetarium, Portugal, during a session where it simulates the rotation of Earth in the North Pole.
Canon 50D – ISO1250; Exp. 25 secs. f/4 at 10mm. In 17/05/2014 at 13:49.
Crescent Moon and Jupiter in the Twilight of Fonte-de-Telha
Sequence of a Crescent Moon Earthshine, captured in the nautical twilight until the moon sets behind the trees of a small pine forest in Fonte-de-Telha, Almada. Portugal, facing to the Atlantic Ocean. Above the Moon and the treetop, is visible the disc of planet Jupiter, accompanied with two of its main moons (Ganymede and Europa).
Canon 50D – ISO640; Exp. 4 secs. f/3.5 at 70mm. In 31/05/2014 at 21:37. Sequence of 858 images.
“Honey Moon” in Lisbon
Canon 60Da – ISO1000; Exp. 1/40s; f/2.8 at 200mm Canon L lens (f/2.8). In 13/06/2014 at 21:33
The Full Moon of June – Friday 13th – 2014, well know as “Honey Moon”, was captured in Lisbon, from Algés region. “With the sun’s path across the sky at its highest during this month of the summer solstice, the moon is at its lowest, which keeps the lunar orb close to the horizon and makes it appear more amber than other full moons this year.” (NG). In the foreground we can see the Christ the King monument, in Lisbon, in a clifftop 133 metres above the sea, and behind it, the full moon rising in the east horizon.
The study predictions for this particular position have been kindly maded by my friend and portuguese author of many astronomy books, Dr. Guilherme de Almeida. Thank you Guilherme for the great spot you found. Image below: Canon 50D – ISO2000; Exp. 1/15 secs. f/7 at 560mm ( Astro Professional APO ED80). In 13/06/2014 at 21:34
See below the poster with the entire sequence image, made this night. More image here
A Monumental Full Moon
Canon 50D – ISO2500; Exp. 1/20 secs. f/7 at 560mm ( Astro Professional APO ED80). In 13/06/2014 at 21:38
The Full Moon of June – Friday 13th – 2014, well know as “Honey Moon”, was captured in Lisbon, from Algés region. “With the sun’s path across the sky at its highest during this month of the summer solstice, the moon is at its lowest, which keeps the lunar orb close to the horizon and makes it appear more amber than other full moons this year.” (NG). In the foreground we can see the Christ the King monument, in Lisbon, in a clifftop 133 meters above the sea, and behind it, the full moon rising in the east horizon.
The study predictions for this particular position have been kindly maded by my friend and portuguese author of many astronomy books, Dr. Guilherme de Almeida. Thank you Guilherme for the great spot you found.
See below the poster with the entire sequence image, made this night. More image here.
Moonlit Startrail above Waterfall of Agarez – Vila Real.
In the image we can see a dramatic black and white moonlight scene, with a north short startrail above the beautiful waterfall of Agarez, in Alvão mountain range, Vila Real, north of Portugal. Canon 50D – ISO1600; 11mm at f/2.8; Exp. 30 secs. Sum of 38 images. Taken in 8-06-2014 at 1:28 AM.
Ferry Moon
The May´s Moon captured in the twilight and 34 minutes after reaching their total fullness, with the disk 100% illuminated by the Sun, rising above Barreiro city, in Setúbal, Portugal, visible in the horizon with one of its Ferry boats crossing the Tagus River in the foreground. Canon 60Da – ISO400; Exp. 1/125s; f/4.5 at 200mm Canon L lens (f/2.8).
Sky of Milk in a Lake of Fire – Azores
Azores is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. One of the islands is São Miguel, where we can find a beautiful lake in the crater center, called Lake of Fire, “Lagoa do Fogo”. Above it, the sky reveals the magnificent arc of our galaxy, the Milky Way, besides the light pollution coming from Vila Franca do Campo, a small town at the southern shore of the island, that illuminates the clouds near the horizon with the an orange tone. From left to right, we can see the swan (Cygnus) constellation, with its North America nebula (NGC7000) clearly visible below the Deneb star, down to the right, we can find Aquila. Sagittarius is covered by the cloud. Near the right limit, we find Scorpius and it´s super giant star, Antares, following to the right edge of the picture, it is visible the planet Saturn, in Libra.
Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 20 secs. in 04/05/2014 at 3:45 AM. Mosaic of 21 images. Below is the annotated version.
Titan Skygazer, More then a Passion a Life Style
In the real dark nights, the magnificent presence of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, have been a true inspiration for musicians, poets, painters, writers and artists in general. Unfortunately, two thirds of the humankind, have not yet had the opportunity to see the Milky Way with their own eyes, to let fall in love by the beauty and greatness of the Universe around us, making us realize that the Earth is so important as the sky, and our planet has been our spaceship in the life journey through the time and space. In the foreground, we can see the silhouette of a passionate skygazer, embracing the sky like an Atlas Titan from Greek mythology, holding and protecting it from the low cloudy yellow band. Condemned not by Zeus, but by the light pollution created for the entire humanity. Captured the Lake of Fire moutain hill, in Azores, the background reveals Sagitarrius constellation at left, and Scorpius stars.
Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 20 secs. in 04/05/2014 at 4:48 AM. Below is the annotated version:
The Milky Way above the Lake of Fire – Azores
The great central region of Milky Way, full of nebulae emissions, star clusters, gas and dust, above the cloudy yellow band in the Lake of Fire – Lagoa do Fogo. Doubtlessly, one of the grandest nature attractions of this S. Miguel island, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This huge blue lake 575 meters above the sea level – it is about 2 km long and 1 km wide – fills the ground of an extinct crater, whose caldera was formed during an eruption in 1563. Surrounded by high mountains and luxuriant endemic vegetation, this mystical lake, surrounded by an ambiance of divine tranquility and beauty, seems to be the perfect scenario – declared as natural reserve- to enjoy a fantastic free open window to our Universe.
Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 20 secs. in 04/05/2014 at 4:30 AM.
Milky Trails – Azores
This short startrail sequence shows the colorful path of main stars from the central region of Milky Way, but also the “blurred trail” of gas and dust from the emissions nebulae in the background, above the cloudy yellow band in the Lake of Fire – Lagoa do Fogo. Doubtlessly, one of the grandest nature attractions of this S. Miguel island, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This huge blue lake 575 meters above the sea level – it is about 2 km long and 1 km wide – fills the ground of an extinct crater, whose caldera was formed during an eruption in 1563.
Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 20 secs. in 04/05/2014 at 4:20 AM.
Scorpius and Planets above the “Green Island” – Azores
Well known as the “Green Island”, this tipical colorful landscape from Santa Bárbara, in Ribeira Grande, Azores, shows the conection of nature between this rural landscape and the night sky, in this rare oportunity of clear sky, revealing the main stars of Scorpius at left, with the red giant Antares. Above right, in Libra constellation shines an “extra” star, which is actually the bright planet Saturn. At the same aparent altitude, on the right side we can find the blue star Spica, one of the main stars of Virgo constellation. At the right Edge of the picture, the strongest orange/red star, is the light coming from planet Mars. The light pollution reflected on the low clouds, coming from Ribeira Grande city, in the the opposite direction, was enough the light up all the green landscape.
Canon 60Da – ISO1600; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 15 secs. in 03/05/2014 at 2:39 AM. Below is the annotated version.
The Moonlight from Miradouro de Santa Iria – Azores
In this Moonlight scene captured in Miradouro de Santa Iria, Azores, facing to west , the moon is bright enough to light up the green mountain hill and the Atlantic Ocean. Between the clear and cloudy sky we can find in the left corner, the star Procyon, next and above the moon, shines the light of planet Jupiter. In the center is visible Capella star. Above the horizon the light pollution are coming from Ribeira Grande, as well from Lagoa and Ponta Delgada.
Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, is located about 1,360 km west of continental Portugal, about 880 km (550 mi) northwest of Madeira, and about 1,925 km southeast of Newfoundland.There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas Reef to the east. They extend for more than 600 km and lie in a northwest-southeast direction.
Canon 50D – ISO1600; 10mm at f/4; Exp. 55 secs. in 03/05/2014 at 23:25. Captured with Travel Mount Vixen Polarie.
Skywatching Against the Lights
There are milions of sky enthusiasts and amateur astronomers in the entire world, fighting against the growing problem of light pollution and trying to find some dark places that could revealing more stars as well, the beautiful presence of Milky Way. Skygazing is more then a passion…becoming a life style. The image were captured in Miradouro de Santa Iria, S. Miguel, Azores, facing to East, where the lights from Porto Formoso e São Brás, are even stronger.
Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, is located about 1,360 km west of continental Portugal, about 880 km (550 mi) northwest of Madeira, and about 1,925 km southeast of Newfoundland.There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas Reef to the east. They extend for more than 600 km and lie in a northwest-southeast direction.
Canon 60Da – ISO1250; 24mm at f/4; Exp. 20 secs. in 03/05/2014 at 00:44 AM.
A colorful Moontrail above S. Miguel island – Azores
In this full star/moon trail, we can see the different colors from each type of star. This scene captured in Miradouro de Santa Iria – Azores, shows a long exposure (integration) starting at the nautical twilgiht until the moonset behind a the cloudy sky, reflecting the light pollution coming from Ribeira Grande, as well from Lagoa and Ponta Delgada. The strong small path near the moon in the top edge of the image, belongs to planet Jupiter.
Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, is located about 1,360 km west of continental Portugal, about 880 km (550 mi) northwest of Madeira, and about 1,925 km southeast of Newfoundland.There are nine major Azorean islands and an islet cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west; Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre; and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and the Formigas Reef to the east. They extend for more than 600 km and lie in a northwest-southeast direction.
The vast extent of the islands defines an immense exclusive economic zone of 1,100,000 km2 (420,000 sq mi). The westernmost point of this area is 3,380 km (2,100 mi) from the North American continent. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity since the islands were settled. Mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m. The Azores are actually some of the tallest mountains on the planet, measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic.
Canon 60Da – ISO1000; 24mm at f/2.8; Exp. 15 secs. in 02/05/2014. Sum of 314 images taken between 22:47 and 00:17 AM. Total time integration of 79 minutes.
The Passion of night sky photography
My friend and TWAN photographer Babak Tafreshi, practicing his passion for astronomy and photography, capturing the beauty of the night sky in a moonlight scene over the Atlantic Ocean, in Miradouro de Santa Iria, Azores island. Canon 50D – ISO800; 24mm at f/4; Exp. 13 secs. in 02/05/2014 at 23:37
Jupiter Aureole & four Galilean Moons
Canon 60Da – ISO 640; Exp. 5 sec with an ED80 APO refractor Astro Professional 560mm at f/7 in 29/03/2014 at 00h16m
In this wide view we can see a blueish white aureole around planet Jupiter, seems to the larger aureoles that occur around the Sun and Moon due to the presence of ice crystals in the atmosphere. Beside the intentional overexposed disc of planet Jupiter, and also involved inside the aureole circular shape, are also visible the well known four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Io, Callisto and Europa – observed for the first time 400 years ago by Galileu Galilei – only part of the 67 confirmed moons that are orbiting the biggest planet of our solar system. In the moment of the capture, Jupiter was about 22º above the horizon in the Gemini constellation, with an apparent diameter of +0º 00´38.8″ at a distance of 5.075644 AU with a magnitude of -1.81. Below is the annotated version with the identification of each Jupiter moons.
Earth Hour 2014 in Lisbon
Earth Hour 2014 in Lisbon – by Miguel Claro from Miguel Claro on Vimeo.
For the first time Lisbon was participating of the international event, shutting down the lights, as a symbolic act, of some of the main monuments, buildings and structures, as the great statue Christ the King and the 25 April bidge across the Tagus River, as we can see in the time lapse sequence captured in the south edge of Lisbon, from Almada. Heart Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet, and is organised by WWF. Engaging a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues, Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement.
Captured with 2 Canon cameras (50D and 60Da) and 2 Great Vixen Polarie travel mounts.
Sunset and Sunspot AR2005
Image of the sunset while it is visible the sunspot AR2005 and a subtile effect of a green flash in the upper limb of the distorted disc. Canon 50D – ISO 100; 1/320 sec with an ED80 APO refractor Astro Professional 560mm at f/7 in 16/03/2014 at 18:43. Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, Portugal. Below is a short time lapse video with a sequence.
Seven MAGICal Sisters
| Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 15 secs. in 30/09/2013 at: 23h30
In the foreground we can see the the great MAGIC I telescope (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes) with the back of it´s gigantic structure in front of Perseus constellation. At the right side of it, low in the sky and near the horizon, stands one of the most beautiful open star clusters in the celestial sphere, the Pleiades M45, well known as the Seven Sisters, or in portuguese: “Sete Irmãs”.
MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes situated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, at about 2200 m above sea level. MAGIC detects particle showers released by gamma rays, using the Cherenkov radiation, i.e., faint light radiated by the charged particles in the showers. With a diameter of 17 meters and 236 m2 reflective surface, it was the largest in the world before the construction of H.E.S.S. II. MAGIC is not only huge, but also pioneers a number of technical developments that had never been applied to Cherenkov telescopes before. The mirror is extremely light and can be moved to any position in the sky in less than thirty seconds. It is made up of 270 individual mirror panels that can be independently focussed using an active mirror control system equipped with lasers.
The cosmos and its evolution are studied using all radiation, in particular electromagnetic waves. The observable spectrum extends from radio waves to infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma-rays and finally very high energy gamma rays (starting at energies of 10 GeV). Observations at visible wavelengths (.5 to 1 micrometer) have a history of centuries, gamma astronomy by satellites (keV to few GeV) and ground-based telescopes (above 300 GeV) are end-of-20th century newcomers. The MAGIC telescope can detect very high energy gamma rays in a range of energies where no other telescope in the world can operate, so it opens up a brand new window into the universe.
Below is the annotated version with the identification of the main night sky objects.
Worm Moon in the Lighthouse
This March Full Moon, well known as “Worm Moon”, for signaling the coming of spring in the northern hemisphere, was captured near the top of Cape Espichel lighthouse. Opened in 1790, in 1865 was powered by olive oil, changing to fuel in 1886, when its light began to be fueled by glowing vapor of oil, much later in 1926 by electricity. Measures 32 meters high and lies at an altitude of 168m above the see level. Presently, its luminous range is 42 nautical miles, about 67 km.
Canon 50D – Two combined exposures taken at approximately the same time. ISO 1000; 1/4 sec plus ISo 640; 1/80 sec with an ED80 APO refractor Astro Professional 560mm at f/7 in 16/03/2014 at 20:22. Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, Portugal.
Full Worm Moon Sequence in the Lighthouse
The full Moon in this sequence, well known as “Worm Moon”, for signaling the coming of spring in the northern hemisphere, was captured in Cape Espichel lighthouse. Opened in 1790, in 1865 was powered by olive oil, changing to fuel in 1886, when its light began to be fueled by glowing vapor of oil, much later in 1926 by electricity. Measures 32 meters high and lies at an altitude of 168m above the see level. Presently, its luminous range is 42 nautical miles, about 67 km.
Canon 60Da – 35mm at f/4 ISO500; 1/5 sec. Sequence of 93 images with 2-minute intervals each other, taken in 16/03/2014 between 19:16 and 20:42. Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, Portugal.
The First Quarter Moon
Image of the Moon one day before reaching the “First Quarter”, with the disc 44% illuminated by the sun, the moon was at a distance of about 396.512km from Earth, with an apparent diameter of 30.27´arc minutes. In this phase, we could see a lot of craters due to the game of light and shadows on its surface. Canon 50D + Maksutov telescope F=1250 mm in a Vixen GP2 Photo Guider S tracking mount. ISO 1000; f/ 13.8; Exp: 1/80 sec. in 07/03/2014 at 23:08. Median Sum of 10 images in Maxim DL.
Below is the annotated version to help identifying some of them, as well as the Apollo II mission base.
Comet Lovejoy in Serra D´Aire
This image shows the peculiar landscape of Algar do Ladoeira, in Serra de Santo António, near Serra de Aires with a view to the comet c/2013 R1 well known as the comet Lovejoy, specially, after the dead of comet ISON who was suposed to be the comet of the century, but unfortunately was to young to resist the power our Sun. To help identify the comet in the picture, please see below the annotated version of the picture. Canon 50D – ISO1600 f/2.8; Exp:10 sec. 35mm, taken in 07/12/2013 at 18h30.
The Moonset over the Ocean
Picture of the Moonset facing to the Atlantic Ocean, captured from Fonte-de-telha pine forest, in Portugal. Below is a Short time lapse movie of the scene. Taken in 13/02/2013 between 21h34 and 21h59. The motion during the sequence was made with the use of Vixen Polarie travel mount, following the Crescent Moon. Canon 60Da ISO500 f/4; Exp:10 sec. 35mm.
Clouds and Fog in Caldera de Taburiente
Captured in a height of 2,200 meters from the sea level we can see the clouds and Fog near the border of Caldera de Taburiente – a very large volcanic crater with about 10 km across. Above the horizon the sun sets behind the silhouette mountains of Roque de Los Muchachos, where stands a huge complex with the some of the largest telescopes in the world. The picture was taken in Pico de La Cruz, La Palma, Canary Island.
Canon 60Da – ISO250; 24mm at f/4; Exp. 1/250 secs. in 26/09/2013 at: 20h11
Orion´s Shining Behind the La Palma Trees
Captured in Los Canarios, Fuencaliente, Canary island, above the landscape full of pine trees, the Orion stars are shining with it´s different colors, from blue to yellow/orange, like star Betelgeuse, or the Orion “violet” nebula, M42. | Near the horizon and above the clouds, is also visible a smooth yellow/green airglow effect. Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 20 secs. in 28/09/2013 at: 2h12 AM
The Great Orion Nebula M42 – Serra D’Aire
The well known Great Nebula M42, in Orion constelalltions, is one of the brightest nebulae in the celestial sphere, cleary visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4, is located at a distance of about 1500 light years. At about 30 light-years in diameter, this great big cocoon nebulous is giving birth to perhaps a thousand stars. Physically part of the Great Nebula (in this image, at left of M42) is M43, a “circular” shaped emission nebula that appears separated from M42 by a dark dust lane in the foreground. Near the left edge of this picture, is an interstellar cloud of dust reflecting light from hot young stars. It is composed of three regions known as NGC 1977, NGC 1975, and NGC 1973.
The Orion nebula is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth, and has revealed much about the process of how stars and planetary systems are formed from collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers have identified around 700 stars that are formed from this nebula. The red areas in the nebula are mostly shining from hot hydrogen gas in the nebula. The blue areas are mostly dust that reflects the light of the hot blue stars. The red hue is a result of the Hα recombination line radiation at a wavelength of 656.3 nm. The blue-violet coloration is the reflected radiation from the massive O-class stars at the core of the nebula. This nebula is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, that includes M78 and the Horsehead Nebula.
Captured in the sky of Serra de Aire, near the Mira de Aire complex Caves in 08/12/2013 at 3:52 AM – Canon 60Da; ISO 2500, Exp: 21s. at f/7 with a focal 570mm + Travel mount Vixen Polarie + Astro Professional ED 80. Sum of 51 pictures combined in Maxim DL 5
Moon Earthshine – The Leonardo Da Vinci phenomenon
Seems that this February 1st, the Moon was almost Full and the calendar were wrong…or maybe not ? Actually it was right, in this smile view of the moon captured from Almada, Portugal, I could see the night side of the Moon very well illuminated by the Earth reflected light, like if it was Full Moon. This impressive phenomenon known as Earthshine, was described and drawn for the first time, by the great Leonardo Da Vinci about 500 years ago on his book Codex Leicester. Leonardo da Vinci explained the phenomenon in the early 16th century when he realized that both Earth and the Moon reflect sunlight at the same time. Light is reflected from the Earth to the Moon and back to the Earth as earthshine.
To increase the faint details, I had to made a long exposure of about 6 seconds with a Vixen GP2 Photo Guider S tracking mount, using a Astro Professional ED80 APO telescope with 570mm f/7 and a Canon 50D – ISO 400; Exp: 6 sec. in 01/02/2014 at 19:17
