Stunning View of Milky Way and Comet A3 Atlas in Between a Dead Tree Captured with Smartphone Google Pixel 9 Pro XL from Dark Sky® Alqueva in Portugal
I believe this is probably one of my best images of the Comet A3 Atlas. And if I tell you that it was not taken with any fancy DSLR or Mirrorless camera…but, with the new smartphone: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL…insane, right?! This is a photo I captured from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, in Portugal, on 25th October 2024 and it shows the Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas, crossing the skies close to Milky Way galaxy and in between the branches of a dead tree, near Alqueva lake. What an incredible nigh! This is a single 4 minutes integration in Night Mode, without star tracker, where the Pixel 9 combines 15 short exposures of 16 seconds each. The 50 MP Raw (DNG 16 bits file) was then processed in Adobe Camera Raw like a normal nightscape astrophotography. The Smartphone Google Pixel 9 Pro XL they will definitely be a game changer!
PT: Acredito que esta seja, provavelmente, uma das minhas melhores imagens do Cometa A3 Atlas. E se vos disser que não foi tirada com nenhuma DSLR sofisticada ou câmara Mirrorless…mas, com o novo smartphone: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL…uma loucura, quase inacreditável! Esta é uma foto que captei a partir do território certificado do Dark Sky® Alqueva, em Portugal, no dia 25 de Outubro de 2024 e que mostra o Cometa C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas, a cruzar os céus perto da Via Láctea e visível por entre os ramos de uma árvore morta localizada perto do lago Alqueva. Que noite incrível! Esta é uma integração única de 4 minutos no Modo Nocturno, sem seguimento das estrelas, onde o Pixel 9 combina 15 exposições curtas de 16 segundos cada. O Raw de 50 MP (ficheiro DNG de 16 bits) foi então processado no Adobe Camera Raw como uma astrofotografia nocturna normal. O Smartphone Google Pixel 9 Pro XL será definitivamente um game changer, num futuro próximo!
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Smartphone Astrophoto with Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Shows a Telescope and the Polar Constellations at Dark Sky® Alqueva Skies
Another smartphone nightscape taken with the new Google Pixel Pro 9 XL from Dark Sky® Alqueva, before a private stargazing session at São Lourenço do Barrocal, showing one of our telescopes and the polar constellations. A single photo of 4 min exposure – without star tracker- processed from a Raw file with 50 Megapixels captured with the 6.7mm lens 1x (equivalent to a 24mm at f1.7 on a DSLR camera). Smartphones like @googlepixel 9 Pro XL they will definitely be a game changer in a short future. More images to come so stay tuned!
PT: Mais uma paisagem nocturna captada com o novo Google Pixel Pro 9 XL a partir do Dark Sky® Alqueva, antes de uma sessão privada de observação de estrelas em São Lourenço do Barrocal, mostrando um dos nossos telescópios e as constelações polares. A imagem é uma única foto de 4 min de exposição – sem qualquer startracker – processada a partir de um ficheiro Raw com 50 Megapixels, captada com a lente 6.7mm 1x (equivalente a uma 24mm a f1 . 7 numa câmara DSLR). Smartphones como o @googlepixel 9 Pro XL serão certamente um “game changer” num futuro próximo.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
First Light in the Winter Milky Way with New Smartphone Google Pixel 9 Pro XL as Seen from Dark Sky® Alqueva, in Portugal
First Light with smartphone #googlepixel9proxl taken from the observatory roof at Dark Sky® Alqueva, showing the winter constellations from Auriga up to Cassiopeia including some deepsky gems like California nebula, Heart & Soul nebula, blueish young star cluster of Pleiades M45 or even M31 and M33 galaxies in the top right corner. I was very impressed with such result, using the night mode, without star tracker, the image is a single photo of 4 min exposure, from a Raw file with 50 Megapixels captured with the 6.7mm lens 1x (equivalent to a 24mm at f1.7 on a DSLR camera). Smartphones like @googlepixel 9 Pro XL they will definitely be a game changer in a short future. More images to come so stay tuned.
PT: First Light com smartphone #googlepixel9proxl captada a partir do telhado do Observatório Oficial do Dark Sky® Alqueva, mostrando as constelações de inverno desde Auriga até Cassiopeia, incluindo algumas jóias do céu profundo como a nebulosa da Califórnia, a nebulosa do Coração e da Alma, o jovem aglomerado estelar azulado das Pleiades M45 ou ainda M31 e a Galáxias M33 no canto superior direito. Fiquei muito impressionado com este resultado utilizando o modo nocturno do Pixel 9 Pro e sem seguimento das estrelas com startracker. A imagem é uma única foto de 4 min de exposição, processada a partir de um ficheiro Raw com 50 Megapixels, captada com a lente 6.7mm 1x (equivalente a uma 24mm a f1 . 7 numa câmara DSLR). Smartphones como o @googlepixel 9 Pro XL serão certamente um “game changer” num futuro próximo.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Colorful Startrail Above Rocky Formations from Lut Desert in Iran
More than 12h distance from Tehran, capital of Iran, stands an impressive, magical and pristine place, called Lut Desert. The image shows the light and colorful path of the brightest stars while our planet Earth rotates in one night. The result is a startrail image made of single shots captured above the rocky formation of Lut desert.
PT: A mais de 12h de distância de Teerão, capital do Irão, fica um lugar impressionante, mágico e intocado, chamado deserto de Lut. A imagem mostra o caminho luminoso e colorido das estrelas mais brilhantes enquanto o nosso planeta Terra gira em uma noite. O resultado é uma imagem startrail de disparos únicos captados acima de uma formação rochosa do deserto de Lut.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Capturing With Passion the Heart of Milky Way While Shinning above a Rocky Formation in Lut Desert
More than 12h distance from Tehran, capital of Iran, stands an impressive, magical and pristine place, called Lut Desert. Besides being beautiful and one of the hottest places on the Earth surface, it shows that the sky above us has no boundaries and must be preserved as a Human Heritage. This is probably one of the best skies I’ve been shooting so far around the world, a unique moment shared with new friends I met there. The image shows the core of Milky Way above a rocky formation. By accident, my friend Mauricio was visible in the field while controlling his camera in one of the time lapse shots I did. I think it end up with a perfect light and aligned with a scene don’t you think ?!
PT: A mais de 12h de distância de Teerão, capital do Irão, fica um lugar impressionante, mágico e intocado, chamado Deserto de Lut. Além de lindo e um dos lugares mais quentes da superfície terrestre com o record de 70º registado, mostra que o céu acima de nós não tem fronteiras e deve ser preservado como Património da Humanidade. Este é provavelmente um dos melhores céus que fotografei até hoje em todo o mundo, um momento único compartilhado com novos amigos que conheci lá. A imagem mostra o núcleo da Via Láctea acima de uma formação rochosa. Por acaso, meu amigo Mauricio estava visível no campo enquanto controlava sua câmara em uma das fotos da sequência time lapse que fiz. Felizmente penso que resultou numa luz perfeita e alinhada com o cenário em pano de fundo!
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
The Arch of Milky Way Above the Rocky Formations of Lut Desert in a Colorful Nightscape Scene
The arch of Milky Way shining bright above Lut Desert rocky formations in a panoramic image of single shots, taken in a pristine magical sky. Summer triangle dominates the center of the colorful nightscape scene showing that the Universe is anything but black. Kerman is the main city located at around 1h driving from Lut desert, while Tehran in Iran, stays at 12h distance. During our trip I only had one day to shoot the night sky so I tried to give my best to show the beauty of this place. Hope you like it!
PT: O arco da Via Láctea brilhando acima das formações rochosas do Deserto de Lut em uma imagem panorâmica de fotos individuais, tiradas em um céu mágico e pristino. O triângulo de verão domina o centro deste colorido cenário noturna mostrando que o Universo é tudo menos preto. Kerman é a principal cidade localizada a cerca de 1h de carro do deserto de Lut, enquanto Teerão, no Irão, fica a 12h de distância. Durante a nossa viagem só tive um dia para fotografar o céu nocturno por isso tentei dar o meu melhor para mostrar a beleza deste local singular. Espero que o leitor goste!
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Stargazer with Mercury, Venus, Moon and Pleiades above Alqueva Lake
On the morning of 26th June, the waning crescent Moon was in a close alignment with planet Venus and Pleiades star cluster M45, featuring a wonderful Earthshine. While Pleiades are high in the Sky and near the upper edge, Mercury has joined the show and is close to the horizon. Dificult to find ? Yes, so please, follow my arm, I´m the photographer on the ground holding the bright light and pointing to the same region of the sky you are looking for. Hope it helps you to identify the small orange light of planet Mercury. Captured in the calm waters of Alqueva lake, at Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
PT: Na manhã de 26 de Junho, a lua minguante encontrava-se num alinhamento muito próximo com o planeta Vénus e o aglomerado das Pleiades M45, exibindo ainda um maravilhoso Earthshine lunar. Enquanto as Pleiades estão altas e no topo superior da imagem, Mercúrio também se juntou ao show e está junto ao horizonte. Difícil de encontrar? Sim, então por favor, siga o meu braço estendido, eu sou o fotógrafo visível na imagem segurando a luz brilhante e apontando para a mesma região do céu que o leitor está à procura. Espero que o ajude a identificar a pequena luz laranja que é o planeta Mercúrio na imagem. Captada nas águas calmas do lago Alqueva, no Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Waning Crescent Moon in Close Conjunction with Planet Venus and Pleiades Star Cluster
On the morning of 26th June, the waning crescent Moon was in a close alignment with planet Venus and Pleiades star cluster M45, featuring a wonderful Earthshine. Mercury has joined the show later, for being so close to the Sun. The background sky in the twilight reveals a beautiful combination of colors, while in the foregound, the main two scources of bright lights are reflected in the calm water of Alqueva lake, at Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
PT: Na manhã de 26 de Junho, a lua minguante encontrava-se num alinhamento muito próximo com o planeta Vénus e o aglomerado das Pleiades M45, exibindo ainda um maravilhoso Earthshine lunar. O planeta Mercúrio juntou-se ao show mais tarde, por estar tão perto do Sol. O céu de fundo ao crepúsculo revela uma bela combinação de cores, enquanto no primeiro plano, as duas principais fontes de luzes brilhantes, estão reflectidas nas águas calmas do lago Alqueva, no Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Twilight Show Reveals the Moon and 7 Planets Aligend Along the Ecliptic Plane
On the morning of 26th June, all planets were aligned along the Ecliptic plane. The waning crescent Moon has joined the parade, being very close to Venus and Pleiades star cluster. Mercury was not visible, for being below the horizon at 4h42 AM. The panoramic twilight scene of single images, also features the faint path of Milky Way, for being mixed with the morning bluish colors. In the upper left part and not faraway from Cassiopeia constellation, is visible Andromeda galaxy. The annotated version below, features the precise position and identification of each os the 7 planets. Pluto, although, is so faint (+14 mag.) that is not possible to resolve with a small lens, so the circle is marking the star TYC 6892-0124-1, which is the star more close to real position of Pluto, and the maximum magnitude I could register (+10 mag.) with my camera. The annotated version has a magnifying circle showing the area in full resolution to help identify the faintest planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Captured in Alqueva lake, at Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
PT: Na manhã de 26 de junho, todos os planetas estavam alinhados ao longo do plano da Eclíptica. A Lua minguante juntou-se ao desfile, estando muito perto de Vénus e do aglomerado das Pleiades. Mercúrio não era visível, por estar abaixo do horizonte às 4h42 AM. O cenário crepuscular panorâmico de disparos únicas, também revela o tênue caminho da Via Láctea, por se misturar com as cores azuladas do amanhecer. Na parte superior esquerda e não muito longe da constelação de Cassiopeia, é visível a galáxia de Andrómeda. A versão anotada visível em baixo, apresenta a posição precisa e a identificação de cada um dos 7 planetas. Plutão, no entanto, é tão fraco (+14 mag.) que não é possível resolver com uma lente pequena, por isso o círculo assinala a estrela TYC 6892-0124-1, que é a estrela mais próxima da posição real de Plutão, e a magnitude máxima que consegui registrar (+10 mag.) com minha câmara. A versão anotada tem um círculo de ampliação mostrando a área em resolução total para ajudar a identificar os planetas mais fracos, Urano, Netuno e Plutão. Captada junto ao lago de Alqueva, no Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Milky Way with Scorpius and a Red Eclipsed Super Moon
A panoramic scene of 4 singles images captured with a 70mm lens and a Vixen Polarie U tracking mount, shows the moment of totality, when a Super Full Moon decreases its lights and starts to shine in reddish hues for being under the Earth shadow cone. When this happens, a dark starry sky like Alqueva, can show the magnificent presence of Milky Way galaxy at the same time we can enjoy an eclipsed moon. But another yellow-orange bright scource of light is visible in the scene, this light belongs to Antares, a super giant red star located in the heart of Scorpius constellation, which fullfils the entire background scene. The image was captured at 5h AM, when the moon was at about 12º above the horizon of Mina de São Domingos, in Mértola, Dark Sky© Alqueva Reserve, Portugal. For this shot I’ve used a Canon 6D at ISO1250, aperture of f/2.8 and 25 seconds exposure.
PT: Um cenário panorâmico de 4 imagens (single) captadas com uma focal de 70mm e uma montagem Vixen Polarie U, revela o momento da totalidade, quando uma Super Lua Cheia diminui a sua intensidade luminosa e começou a brilhar em tons de vermelho por se encontrar sob a influência do cone de sombra da Terra. Quando isso acontece, um céu estrelado e escuro como o do Alqueva, pode mostrar a magnífica presença da Via Láctea ao mesmo tempo que podemos desfrutar de uma lua eclipsada. Mas outra fonte de luz brilhante de um amarelo-alaranjado é visível nesta cena nocturna, esta luz pertence a Antares, uma estrela supergigante vermelha localizada no coração da constelação do Escorpião, que preenche assim toda a imagem em pano de fundo. A imagem foi captada às 5h da manhã, quando a lua se situava a cerca de 12º acima do horizonte da Mina de São Domingos, em Mértola, Reserva Dark Sky© Alqueva, Portugal. Para esta foto foi usada uma Canon 6D com ISO1250, abertura de f/2.8 e uma exposição única de 25 segundos.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Deep Nightscape Portratit Reveals Orion Colors Shining above the Trees from Dark Sky® Vale do Tua
A deep nightscape portrait taken from Dark Sky® Vale do Tua territory, shows a line of trees below the Colourful and bright stars from winter constellations Orion. Reddish pink hues from Hydrogen-alpha emission nebulae, are painting the dark background sky easily revealing deepsky objects like Barnards loop, Orion Nebula and Horsehead region, with Rosette Nebula shinning bright in the top left corner. This is a tracked/stacked image of 30 sec. single shots combining a total exposure of 9.5 minutes.
PT: Um retrato de paisagem nocturna profunda captado no território do Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, revela uma linha de árvores abaixo das estrelas coloridas e brilhantes da constelações de Orion. Tons de rosa avermelhado pertencem às nebulosas de emissão de hidrogénio-alfa, que pintam assim o céu escuro de fundo revelando facilmente objetos do céu profundo como o loop de Barnard, a nebulosa de Orion ou a região da Cabeça do Cavalo. No canto superior esquerdo é ainda possível ver a nebulosa da Roseta brilhante em tons de vermelho. A imagem final é o resultado de um stack de disparos únicos de 30 segundos, com seguimento, que combinam uma exposição total de 9,5 minutos.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Jupiter Shining above a line of Trees and Against a Starry Sky
Captured from Madeirã, Oleiros, in Dark Sky® Adeias do Xisto, the image shows a natural landscape scene with a nice line of tree in the foreground while a quiet starry sky is light up by the brightest planet of the solar system, the giant Jupiter.
PT: Captada a partir da Madeirã, Oleiros, nos céus do Dark Sky® Adeias do Xisto, a imagem revela uma paisagem natural em ambiente nocturno com uma fotogénica linha de árvores que se alinham em primeiro plano enquanto um tranquilo céu estrelado é iluminado pelo planeta mais brilhante do sistema solar, o gigante gasoso Júpiter.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A lovely Moonrise in the Winter Sky above Lagoa do Fogo in Azores
Probably one of the most beautiful moonrises I have witness in many many years. Captured literally in middle of Atlantic Ocean, in the island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal, the image reveals a panorama of single images taken around midnight from Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of Fire).The blue lake is located at 575 meters above the sea level – it is about 2 km long and 1 km wide – filling the ground of an extinct crater, whose caldera was formed during an eruption in 1563. In the background, a winter sky shows the bright light of the moon while rising between the mountains and against Auriga and Taurus constellation. Pleiades, is the blueish star cluster visible at center right. Near the left edge, stars from Big Dipper (Ursa Major) are very well visible above a layer of white clouds
PT: Provavelmente um dos mais belos nasceres da lua que já testemunhei em muitos anos. Captada literalmente em pleno Oceano Atlântico, na ilha de São Miguel, Açores, Portugal, a imagem revela um panorama de disparos únicas, feitos por volta da meia-noite a partir da Lagoa do Fogo. Esta lagoa azul está localizada a 575 metros acima do nível do mar – tem cerca de 2 km de comprimento e 1 km de largura – enchendo o solo de uma cratera extinta, cuja caldeira foi formada durante uma erupção em 1563. Em pano de fundo, um céu de inverno mostra a luz brilhante da lua enquanto esta se ergue por entre as montanhas e contra a constelação de Auriga e Taurus. As Pleiades são o aglomerado de estrelas azulado – por serem ainda jovens e quentes – visível no centro à direita. Perto do extremo esquerdo da imagem, as estrelas da Ursa Maior (Ursa Major) são bem visíveis acima de uma camada de nuvens brancas.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Wonders of Deep Sky Around the Galactic Center Shining above Alqueva Lake
May is the best month to start enjoying wonderful views of the Milky Way galaxy in the Northern Hemisphere. For being low and close to the horizon, is perfect for a nice framing with landscape. This panoramic shot comprises 8 single images of 1 minute exposure, tracked with the new Polarie U star tracker, taken with a 48mm lens at f2.8. The deep nightscape view captured recently above Dark Sky® Alqueva lake, shows the core of our galaxy full of known deep sky objects, like emission, reflection and dark nebulae, as well as some star clusters. The stars from Sagittarius and Scorpius constellations are shining so bright and colorful. Thanks to a fog filter used in front of the lens, it could help reveal better their colors temperatures. Below, an annotated version highlights all the summer wonders of deep sky that can be spotted in the image, as well as the galactic center.
PT: Maio é o melhor mês para começar a desfrutar das maravilhosas vistas da Via Láctea no Hemisfério Norte. Por se encontrar baixa e próxima ao horizonte, é o momento perfeito para um bom enquadramento com a paisagem. Esta foto panorâmica compreende 8 imagens únicas de 1 minuto de exposição com seguimento sideral, através da nova montagem portátil da Vixen, a Polarie U. As imagens foram captadas com uma lente de 48 mm a f2.8. Esta visão de paisagem noturna profunda, captada recentemente acima do lago Alqueva, no Dark Sky® Alqueva, mostra o núcleo da nossa galáxia repleto de objetos do céu profundo conhecidos, como nebulosas de emissão, reflexão e nebulosas escuras, bem como alguns aglomerados de estrelas. As estrelas das constelações de Sagitário e Escorpião, destacam-se assim graças ao seu brilho intenso e colorido. Para tal, foi usado um fog filter na frente da objectiva, para ajudar a destacar a temperatura de cor de cada estrela. Em baixo, uma versão anotada revela todas as maravilhas do céu mais profundo de verão que se destacam na imagem, bem como o centro galáctico da Via Láctea.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Andromeda and Cassiopeia Shining above the Cross from Vidual’s Quartzite Crest in a Deep Nightscape Scene
A deep nightscape image shows Andromeda Galaxy M31 shinning close to the “W or M” from Cassiopeia constellation, both framed in the same close-up winter scene, above the Cross from the quartzite crest of Vidual, in Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto, Portugal. The image was captured with vixen Polarie star tracker and the featured result comprises a stack of 6 single shots to improve the view of the deepest details on this nighscape scene. Winter deepsky objects are visible and easily identified in the annotated version below, where we can spot and highlight the Elephant’s Trunk, NGC7380, Caroline’s Rose and Pacman Nebula.
PT: A imagem mostra uma paisagem nocturna profunda onde é possivel ver a galáxia de Andrómeda M31, brilhando perto do “W ou M” da constelação da Cassiopeia, ambas enquadradas na mesma cena de inverno, num close-up captado acima da cruz da crista quartzítica do Vidual, no Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto, Portugal. A imagem foi captada com seguimento sideral numa Vixen Polarie e o resultado compreende um stack de 6 single frames para permitir revelar mais detalhes desta cena nocturna de paisagem profunda. Em segundo plano, objectos de céu profundo são visíveis e facilmente identificáveis na versão anotada, onde podemos localizar e destacar a Nebulosa Tromba do Elefante, NGC7380, Rosa da Carolina e Nebulosa Pacman.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
The Great Celestial Dog in a Deep Nightscape Scene
A deep nightscape image shows the Great Celestial Dog. Entirely framed in the scene, Canis Major constellation is shining bright above the top of Pampilhosa da Serra hill, in Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto, Portugal. Canis Major features the brightest star visible from Earth (Northern and Southern Hemisphere), with a magnitude of -1.46, contains the first white dwarf star discovered, Sirius B. For being so bright, we can easily distinguish its blueish color with unaided eye. In many cultures, Sirius was used as a time marker for harvesting and celebration, and an important marker in the ancient Egyptian calendar. At a distance of 8.7 light years, Sirius is the fifth nearest star system. The image was captured with vixen Polarie star tracker and the featured result comprises a stack of 10 single shots to improve the view of the deepest details on this nighscape scene.
PT: A imagem mostra uma paisagem noturna profunda onde é possivel ver o Grande Cão Celestial. Totalmente enquadrada no cenário, está a constelação de Canis Major a brilhar no alto da Pampilhosa da Serra, no Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto. Canis Major apresenta a estrela mais brilhante visível da Terra (hemisfério Norte e Sul), com magnitude de -1,46, contém a primeira estrela anã branca descoberta, Sirius B. Por ser tão brilhante, podemos facilmente distinguir a sua cor azulada a olho nu. Em muitas culturas, Sirius foi usado como um marcador de tempo para colheita e celebração, e um marcador importante no antigo calendário egípcio. A uma distância de 8,7 anos-luz, Sirius é o quinto sistema estelar mais próximo. A imagem foi captada com seguimento sideral numa Vixen Polarie e o resultado compreende um stack de 10 single frames para permitir revelar mais detalhes nesta cena nocturna de paisagem profunda.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Stargazer Taking Care of the Bluish Brightest Star Sirius
The image features a stargazer holding the hot bluish star Sirius in his hand while the silhouette of the tree seems to hold other colorful bright stars from the winter constellations, like Orion, which dominates the background of the natural scene captured in Dark Sky® Aldeias do Xisto, resembling a Christmas Feeling.
PT: A imagem mostra uma observadora de estrelas amparando em sua mão a estrela azulada Sirius, enquanto a silhueta da árvore parece conter outras estrelas coloridas brilhantes das constelações de Inverno, como Orion, que domina o plano de fundo desta cena de paisagem natural, captada no Dark Sky® Aldeias de Xisto e que nos deixa com uma sensação de espírito natalício.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
The Entrance of Ansiães Castle with Sirius and Orion in a Deep Nightscape Scene – Phot and Time Lapse
Captured in the entrance of Ansiães Castle, the still image features the result of multiple exposures to help reveal a deep nightscape scene where is possible to enjoy besides the bluish star Siriuis and the main colorful stars of Orion constellation, deepsky objects shinning in reddish/violets hues like Barnards loop, Orion nebula, Horse Head nebula, Rosette nebula, and Lambda Orionis. Below is also possible to enjoy a time lapse video showing the shadow shape from the entrance of Ansiães Castle, located in Dark Sky Vale do Tua, northern Portugal, acting as a frame while in the background stars from winter constellations like Orion are shining in different colors due to their temperatures, the scene highlights the bluish brightest hot star in the celestial sphere, Sirius, moving behind the foreground tree. But the busy sky also feature another interesting object, even looking strange at first sight, it’s not an UFO event, but a spinning satellite which took several minutes to cross the entire field of view. Nowadays we are starting to face a huge problem, the growing presence of satellites surrounding our Planet, which will turn into space junk in a near future. Many scientists and astronomers are worried with this problem and the announcements of Elon Musk to launch thousands of new satellites, for sure, it has to be faced as a new kind of Earth/Space pollution. Enjoy with sound on.
PT: Captada na entrada do Castelo de Ansiães, a imagem estática apresenta o resultado de múltiplas exposições para ajudar a revelar um cenário nocturno profundo onde é possível apreciar para além da estrela azulada Sirius e das principais estrelas da constelação de Orion, objectos de céu profundo brilhando numa tonalidade vermelho/violeta como Barnards loop, a nebulosa de Orion, nebulosa Cabeça do Cavalo, nebulosa Roseta e Lambda Orionis. Em baixo é também possível desfrutar de um vídeo time lapse que mostra a silhueta escura da entrada do Castelo de Ansiães, localizado no Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, no norte de Portugal, a funcionar como moldura enquanto ao fundo as estrelas de constelações de inverno como Orion, brilham com diferente cores devido às suas temperaturas. Esta cena nocturna destaca ainda a estrela quente azulada mais brilhante da esfera celeste, Sirius, movendo-se atrás da árvore em primeiro plano. Mas este céu revela ainda outro objeto interessante, mesmo parecendo estranho à primeira vista, não é um evento OVNI, mas um satélite giratório que levou vários minutos para cruzar todo o campo de visão. Hoje em dia enfrentamos um grande problema, a crescente presença de satélites em torno de nosso planeta, que se transformarão em lixo espacial em um futuro próximo. Muitos cientistas e astrónomos de todo o mundo estão seriamente preocupados com este problema e os anúncios de Elon Musk que prevêm o lançamento de milhares de novos satélites. Este é um problema que terá de ser encarado como um novo tipo de poluição na Terra / Espaço.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A High Cross Against the Starry Sky of Pampilhosa da Serra in Dark Sky Aladeias do Xisto
Captured from Pampilhosa da Serra – in the heart of a new starlight destination created in center of Portugal, called Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto – the image shows in the foreground a high cross against a starry sky.
PT: Captada na Pampilhosa da Serra – no coração de um novo destino de estrelas criado no centro de Portugal, denominado Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto – a imagem revela em primeiro plano uma cruz imponente contra um céu estrelado.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Purple and Greenish Dance of Northern Lights Over the Icy Iceland
In Iceland, Auroras can be seen in a wonderful variety of colours combined in different ways regarding altitude and the type of gas, forming beautiful and phantasmagoric shapes that can last during several minutes. The image features a green-purple aurora above a mountain range from Iceland.
PT: Na Islândia, as auroras podem ser vistas em uma maravilhosa variedade de cores combinadas de maneiras diferentes dependendo da altitude a que ocorrem e do tipo de gás envoldio, criando formas lindas e fantasmagóricas que podem durar vários minutos. A imagem mostra uma aurora verde-violeta acima de uma cordilheira da Islândia.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Archeoastronomy in Dark Sky Vale do Tua Shows the View from Inside the Dolmen of Anta de Zedes
Captured in the newest territory of Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, in northern part of Portugal – a new certified Starlight Tourist Destination – is one of the best spots to enjoy archeoastronomy. The image feature the view from inside a dolmen entitled Anta de Zedes, where in the background is possible to see the motion of a dragged starry sky. Against it, is my shadow representing the human presence of our ancestors while being the first ones enjoying and respecting the beauty of the night sky with pureness and wisdom.
PT: Captado no Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, o mais recente Destino Turístico Starlight certificado no Norte de Portugal, é um dos melhores locais para desfrutar da arqueoastronomia. A imagem revela a vista de dentro de um dolmen intitulado Anta de Zedes, onde ao fundo é possível ver o movimento de um céu estrelado arrastado. Contra ele, está minha sombra representando a presença humana dos nossos ancestrais, os primeiros a desfrutar e respeitar a beleza do céu noturno com pureza e sabedoria.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Milky Way Gradually Transitioning from Summer to Winter in a Wonder Night Show above Canais do Guadiana
A starry night scene captured at the end of Summer season from the wonderful region of Canais do Guadiana, in Mértola, at Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, shows a mosaic image of a galactic arch above the mountains and water channels from Guadiana river. The arch itself is featuring from left to right, a “Summer Milky Way” which is gradually disappearing in the western horizon due to the time of the year. Featured high in the sky, near the center top edge is Andromeda galaxy, while in the right side of the arch, in the Eastern sky, the “Winter Milky Way” is start to appearing with Auriga and Taurus constellation shinning bright. While stars from Summer Triangle are getting low – left side of the sky, the blueish star cluster of Pleiades is gradually getting high, to wonder stargazers around Northern hemisphere.
PT: Uma paisagem cénica captada no final da temporada de verão na maravilhosa região dos Canais do Guadiana, em Mértola, no território do Dark Sky® Alqueva, mostra uma imagem em mosaico de um arco galáctico sobre as montanhas e canais de água do rio Guadiana. O próprio arco apresenta, da esquerda para a direita, uma “Via Láctea de verão” que está gradualmente desaparecendo no horizonte ocidental devido à época do ano. No alto do céu, perto do limite superior central, está a galáxia de Andrómeda, enquanto no lado direito do arco, no céu oriental, a “Via Láctea de Inverno” está começando a aparecer com a constelação de Auriga e Taurus brilhando intensamente. Enquanto as estrelas do Triângulo de Verão estão a desaparecer – lado esquerdo do céu, o aglomerado de estrelas azuladas Pleiades está gradualmente a aparecer, para deslumbrar os observadores ao redor do hemisfério norte.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Passionate Stargazing Girl Enjoying the Beautiful Alignment Between Saturn and Jupiter
Captured in Mina de São Domingos, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, the image shows a passionate girl while stargazing and enjoying the beautiful alignment between planets Saturn and Jupiter against a cloudy night. .
PT: Captada na Mina de São Domingos, no território do Dark Sky® Alqueva em Mértola, a imagem mostra uma entusiasta observadora do céu nocturno enquanto observa o belo alinhamento entre os planetas Saturno e Júpiter que parecem espreitar por entre as núvens de uma noite parcialmente nublada.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Summer Triangle Rises above Anta de Zedes Dolmen in Dark Sky® Vale do Tua
The newest territory of Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, in northern part of Portugal, has been certified as Starlight Tourist Destination, being an amazing place to stargaze is also one of the best spots to enjoy archeoastronomy. The image feature a dolmen entitled Anta de Zedes, where in the background is possible to enjoy the Summer Triangle and the path of a rising Milky Way.
PT: Na região mais a norte de Portugal encontramos o Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, recentemente certificado como Destino Turístico Starlight, é um local incrível para observar as estrelas e um dos melhores locais para desfrutar da arqueoastronomia. A imagem mostra em primeiro plano um dolmen intitulado Anta de Zedes, enquanto ao fundo é possível apreciar o Triângulo de Verão a nascer e revelando o caminho brilhante da Via Láctea.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Stars of Scorpius Rising above Anta de Zedes Dolmen
Captured in the newest territory of Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, in northern part of Portugal – a new certified Starlight Tourist Destination – is one of the best spots to enjoy archeoastronomy. The image feature a dolmen entitled Anta de Zedes, where in the background is possible to enjoy a rising Milky Way while the brightest and colorful stars of scorpius constellation are shining on the right center. To highlight the color temperature I used in front of the lens a fog filter which gives more diffusion on those stars, something that also can naturally happen when we have high thin clouds on the sky or some fog above the horizon.
PT: Captado no Dark Sky® Vale do Tua, o mais recente Destino Turístico Starlight certificado no Norte de Portugal, é um dos melhores locais para desfrutar da arqueoastronomia. A imagem revela um dolmen intitulado Anta de Zedes, onde ao fundo é possível apreciar uma ascensão da Via Láctea enquanto as estrelas mais brilhantes e coloridas da constelação de Escorpião, brilham no centro direito. Para destacar a temperatura de cor das estrelas, foi usado na frente da lente um fog filter que permite aumentar a difusão nessas estrelas, algo que também pode acontecer naturalmente quando temos nuvens altas e finas no céu ou alguma neblina acima do horizonte.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Colorful Stars from Ursa Major Shinning Above Lake Alqueva
A night scene captured in Amieira, near the lake Alqueva, Dark Sky® reserve, shows the brightest stars which forms the asterism of Big Dipper. Shinning in the upper left side of the image with subtle differences in hue, are visible the colorful stars Alkaid, Mizar-Alcor, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak and Dubhe, the main stars that are composing the constellation of Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear. Probably the easiest constellation recognisable in night time, it also features a noticeable difference in their star colors. The bluish has the hottest temperature, while white stars are at a medium temperature. The orange-red stars are the coldest stars which can be found in the night sky.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Goat and the Summer Triangle Announces the Arrival of Summer Sky
Captured close to the morning Twilight from Pampilhosa da Serra – in the heart of a new starlight destination created in center of Portugal, called Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto – the image shows in the foreground a piece of art made by Eduardo Teodoro with the silhouette of a Charnequeira goat, an autochthonous goat breed from the Schist Villages. The real animal has a reddish brown fur with curved horns and has been accompanying locals since immemorial times. As a symbiotic relationship between man, animal and the night environment, the silhouette is featured against a starry sky between the stars of Summer Triangle with Deneb (Cygnus), Vega (Lyra) and Altair (Aquila) shining in the background sky with the path of Milky Way visible above the hills, announcing the arrival of summer sky in the northern hemisphere.
PT: Captada recentemente na Pampilhosa da Serra, no coração de um novo destino Starlight criado no centro de Portugal, chamado Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, a imagem revela em primeiro plano uma obra de arte feita por Eduardo Teodoro com a silhueta de uma Cabra Charnequeira, uma raça caprina autóctone das Aldeias do Xisto. O animal real tem uma pelagem castanha avermelhada e cornos inclinados, tendo companhado os habitantes locais desde tempos imemoriais. Como uma relação simbiótica entre homem, animal e o ambiente noturno, a silhueta é apresentada contra um céu estrelado entre as estrelas do triângulo de Verão, com Deneb (constelação do Cisne), Vega (constelação da Lira) e Altair (constelação da Águia) brilhando em pano de fundo contra o caminho da Via Láctea visível acima das colinas, anunciando a chegada do céu de verão ao hemisfério norte.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Wind Tower Stands High Like the Wings of an Angel Against the Winter Sky
Using the power of wind as one of the many natural free resources available in our rich Planet to create renewable energy in a sustainable way, also reveals a wisdom choice as humankind. This is only one of the ways to help climate changes, and prevent our planet to reach a saturation point of no return, regarding other scarce resources as oil or gas. Captured recently from Pampilhosa da Serra, in the heart of a new starlight destination created in center of Portugal, called Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, the image shows Winter sky wonders like Orion surrounded by its red emission of Hydrogen-Alpha, as well as the young blueish star cluster of Pleiades, all of them shining below the huge propeller of this Wind Tower. One of the many available in the mountains of Pampilhosa. Standing high like the wings of an angel, this turbine has stopped suddenly during my shot. Ironically due to facing the strong wind gusts of 110Km/h, a security measure of these sky monsters.
PT: Usar o poder do vento como um dos muitos recursos naturais gratuitos disponíveis no nosso rico Planeta Terra, para criar energia renovável de uma forma sustentável, revela uma escolha sábia por parte do Homem. Essa é apenas uma das muitas formas possíveis de ajudar no processo das alterações climáticas e impedir que nosso Planeta atinja um ponto de saturação sem retorno, em relação a outros recursos escassos, como o petróleo ou gás. Captada recentemente na Pampilhosa da Serra, no coração de um novo destino Starlight criado no centro de Portugal, chamado Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, a imagem mostra as maravilhas do céu de inverno com a constelação de Orion envolta na emissão avermelhada proveniente do hidrogénio-alfa, ou o jovem aglomerado de estrelas azuis Pleiades brilhando abaixo da enorme hélice da Torre Eólica. Esta, é apenas uma das muitas Torres disponíveis nas montanhas da Pampilhosa. Quase a tocar o céu, elegante e imponente como se das asas de um anjo se tratasse, esta turbina parou subitamente durante o meu disparo. Ironicamente, devido ao facto de enfrentar as fortes rajadas de vento de 110 km / h, uma medida de segurança destes monstros do céu.
Orion in the Winter Sky and the Story Behind the Fainting Star Betelgeuse
Captured few months ago during one of my private workshops, the image reveals a lonely stargazer enjoying the most beautiful constellation of the winter sky, Orion, as seen from one of the landscapes of Dark Sky® Alqueva territory. Many amateur and professional astronomers since last October have been reporting a decrease in brightness of the yellow/orange star Betelgeuse giving space for some speculation that the star is about to explode. According to a recent article on National Geographic, decades of photometric data show that Betelgeuse brightens and dims in cycles, with one notable cycle vacillating on a roughly six-year timescale, and another rising and falling every 425 days. Scientists suspects that the red supergiant Betelgeuse is dramatically dimmer now because two of its cycles are overlapping at minimal brightness. Although, we also know that star will most likely explode within the next million years, or perhaps Betelgeuse has already exploded and we have not yet seen it happen. But if by chance it happens in our current living time on Earth, for sure, it will be the most astonishing astronomy event of all times. When Betelgeuse will turn into a Supernova, exploding and die, will be briefly visible as brighter as the full moon before vanishing from our night sky forever.
A Moonlight Scene Shows Ursa Major above Alqueva Lake
A moonlight scene captured in Campinho village, near the lake Alqueva from Dark Sky® reserve, shows the brightest stars that are composing the well known asterism of Big Dipper or Ursa Major. Probably the easiest constellation recognisable in night time, are normally used as a starting point, from beginners to experienced stargazers, to help localize and identify the northern star, also known as Polaris.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
A Winter Milky Way above Favàritx Lighthouse in Menorca Island
During my trip to Menorca at the end of November, I managed to capture with clear sky a winter night scene in Favàritx Lighthouse. Recalling that just as stars were important for the first Portuguese and Spanish navigators for orientating and correcting their routes while exploring the seas, so too are lighthouses for the sailors of today. While the lighthouse beams were illuminating all the landscape, a beautiful winter Milky Way was shining above, featuring winter deep sky wonders like California nebula (on the top right) or the bluish star cluster of Pleiades, this one visible with naked eye during the Winter time.
PT: Em uma viagem muito recente à ilha de Menorca, nas Baleares, em Espanha, foi possível registar numa noite de céu limpo de inverno, o céu estrelado que se ergue acima do Farol Favàritx. Enquanto os feixes de luz em permanente rotação iluminavam toda a paisagem envolvente do Farol, a Via Láctea brilhava suavemente exibindo as maravilhas do céu profundo como a nebulosa da Califórnia (no canto superior direito) ou o aglomerado de estrelas azuladas, Pleiades (M45), visiveis a olho nu durante a estação de Inverno.
Climb your Challenges in Life and Expect Nothing less Than the Best.
Remember that each rock that you may found in your life has not be necessarily an obstacle, but maybe the incentive you need to climb and go even further. From the top you can see the beauty of the “big picture” and how small your problems seems to be down there. Facing all challenges with a smile, a positive mind will let you feel your inner peace, and for sure you will know where to find your North and let the Stars and Nature guide the beautiful life you are suppose to live!! As a human being in this cosmic voyage in space, you deserve always, to expect nothing less than the Best. The image shows two stargazers following the Ursa Major stars, which are pointing to Polaris, the Northern Star.
PT: Lembre-se que cada pedra que encontrar em sua vida não é necessariamente um obstáculo, mas talvez o incentivo que você precisa para subir e seguir ainda mais longe. Do topo, poderá apreciar a beleza da “grande figura” e dar conta de quão pequenos parecem ser nossos problemas quando vistos, lá de cima, de um ponto de vista privilegiado. Enfrentar todos os desafios com um sorriso e uma mente positiva, vai certamente permitir-le sentir a sua paz interior, e com certeza irá saber onde encontrar o seu Norte e deixar as estrelas e a natureza guiarem a maravilhosa vida que deve viver!! Como ser humano nesta viagem cósmica no espaço, lembre-se que merece sempre esperar nada menos, que o Melhor! A imagem revela dois stargazers, que seguindo as estrelas da Ursa Maior, encontram a Estrela Polar, a que indica o Norte.
Sharing a Passion Under the Big Dipper
This recent scene shows my silhouette holding the hand of my soulmate, while enjoying Ursa Major constellation shinning bright above the newborn destination in central Portugal, named Dark Sky Aldeias de Xisto! Each time we look up at the sky, we celebrate not only a special love, but also the gift of sharing together our same passion about the Universe and the Nature itself. If you have not yet found your soulmate, please don’t give up and don’t stop trying to achieve your dreams! Look up at a starry sky and remember that there are millions of stars and constellations waiting to be discovered and appreciated by you! Even if you have not yet recognized them, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist…they’re always there, shining in beauty and waiting for you!! The first time you recognize a pattern of a constellation in the night sky, you will never forget it and maybe you could find the right direction to go…same happens when you let the love In.
PT: Um cenário nocturno revela a minha silhueta segurando a mão da minha alma gémea, enquanto observamos juntos as estrelas que compõem a constelação da Ursa Maior, que brilha intensamente sobre o recém-nascido destino turístico starlight, Dark Sky Aldeias de Xisto, na região centro de Portuga! Cada vez que olhamos para o céu, celebramos não apenas um amor especial, mas também o dom de compartilhar juntos uma mesma paixão pelo Universo e pela própria Natureza. Se o leitor ainda não encontrou a sua cara-metade, por favor, não desista e não pare de tentar alcançar os seus sonhos! Olhe para um céu estrelado e lembre-se de que existem milhões de estrelas e constelações à espera de serem descobertas e apreciadas por si! Mesmo se ainda não as reconheceu, não significa que elas não existem…na verdade estão sempre lá, brilhando em beleza enquanto esperam parcientemente por si!! A primeira vez que reconhecer um padrão de uma constelação no céu noturno, diria que nunca mais o vai esquecer e talvez consiga assim encontrar a direção certa para onde seguir… o mesmo acontece quando cada um de nós deixa verdadeiramente o amor entrar nas nossas vidas.
Learning How to Photograph the Night Wonders of the Summer Sky
The image shows the Arch of Milky Way while a group of photographers and stargazers are enjoying the wonders of the summer sky in the Northern Hemisphere, Campinho, in Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve. High in the sky, we can see a “blue bright” star with an apparent magnitude of 0,0 called Vega, serving as a middle reference in the magnitude system chart created for the first time in 150 B.C.E, by the greek astronomer Hipparchus. Vega, from Lyra constellation, is forming an asterism well know as the “Summer Triangle” with stars Deneb (from Cygnus) and Altair (from Aquila) located in the center of the image. Below Deneb, a bright red emission nebula known as North America, is visible in violet hues, while in the opposite direction of the sky, the core of Milky Way galaxy is featuring many more red emission nebulae coming from deep sky objects like Lagoon, Trifid or Eagle nebula. Above Sagittarius constellation and against the galactic dusty center, Jupiter is shinning bright as a white light. Following the same line we can find the red supergiant star Antares, from Scorpius constellations. Above the horizon in the right center, is shinning the Lord of the Rings, planet Saturn. Located in Portugal, Dark Sky® Alqueva reserve was the First Starlight Tourism Destination in the World, being awarded in 2019 with a “Tourism Oscar” from World Travel Awards, as Europe´s Responsible Tourism Award 2019.
PT: A imagem mostra o Arco da Via Láctea enquanto um grupo de fotógrafos e observadores de estrelas aprecia as maravilhas do céu de verão no Hemisfério Norte, a partir do Campinho, na reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva. No alto do céu, é possível ver uma estrela azulada e brilhante com uma magnitude aparente de 0.0, de nome Vega. Serve como uma referência intermédia na tabela do sistema de magnitudes criado pela primeira vez no ano 150 A.C, pelo astrónomo grego Hiparco. Vega, da constelação de Lyra, forma um asterismo conhecido como o “Triângulo de Verão” com as estrelas Deneb (Cisne) e Altair (da Águia), localizadas no centro da imagem. Abaixo de Deneb, uma nebulosa de emissão vermelha brilhante conhecida como nebulosa North America, é visível em tons violeta, enquanto na direção oposta do céu, o núcleo da Via Láctea apresenta muitas nebulosas de emissão vermelha, provenientes de objetos do céu profundo como as nebulosas da Lagoa, Trifid ou a nebulosa da Águia. Acima da constelação de Sagitário e contra o centro galáctico de poeira cósmica, Júpiter brilha intensamente como uma luz branca. Seguindo a mesma linha, podemos encontrar a estrela supergigante vermelha Antares, da constelação do Escorpião. Acima do horizonte no centro direito, podemos encontrar o apelidado “Senhor dos Anéis”, o planeta Saturno. Localizada em Portugal, a reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva foi o primeiro destino do mundo, a receber a certificação da Fundação Starlight, tendo sido premiado em 2019 com um “Oscar do Turismo” nos World Travel Awards, como Europe´s Responsible Tourism Award 2019.
Stargazing Inside the New Official Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory in Cumeada
The official Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory and headquarters, located in Cumeada – a small village near Reguengos de Monsaraz – is equipped with cutting-edge telescopes for solar and astronomical purposes. With a totally new design after being re-built and expanded in 2019, a roll-off roof observatory shows an open window to the Universe, providing a one life experience under the stars that you can´t skip! If you didn´t try it yet, you must include it as a priority on your bucket list. From observing the planets up to looking at the craters on the moon, everything is possible under an unpolluted sky with the guidance of a professional astronomer from Dark Sky® Alqueva. On moonless nights, you can dive deeper in the sky with your own eyes, embarking on a cosmic journey among nebulae, galaxies and the swarms of stars which rise above us in one of the finest skies in the world.
PT: O Observatório e Sede Oficial Dark Sky® Alqueva, localizado na Cumeada – uma pequena aldeia perto de Reguengos de Monsaraz – está equipado com telescópios de ponta para fins solares e astronómicos. Com um design totalmente novo, depois de ter sido reconstruído e expandido em 2019, um observatório de tecto retráctil mostra uma janela aberta para o Universo, proporcionando “a experiência de uma vida” sob um céu estrelado, algo que você não devia perder! Se ainda não tentou, inclua já esta experiência única como uma prioridade a realizar na sua “bucket list”. Desde observar os planetas até olhar as crateras na Lua, tudo é possível sob um céu não poluído, com a orientação de um astrónomo profissional do Dark Sky® Alqueva. Nas noites sem lua, você pode mergulhar mais fundo no céu com seus próprios olhos, embarcando em uma jornada cósmica entre nebulosas, galáxias e enxames de estrelas que se erguem acima de nós, num dos melhores céus do mundo.
A Stargazer is Trying to Find the Big Dipper and Little Dipper in the Sky of Tua Valley
The image shows a night scene over S. Lourenço, in Tua Valley, featuring a stargazer that is trying to find Polaris, the Northern Star. Looking first to the main stars that are composing the constellation of Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is the easiest constellation recognisable in night time and used as a starting point, from beginners to experienced stargazers, to help localize and identify the Northern Star. To find Polaris, use the so-called “Pointer” stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, Merak and Dubhe (at left). Then, just draw an imaginary line between these two stars and extend it out for about 5 times, and you will end up in Polaris, located on the image above the head of the stargazer.
PT: A imagem revela uma cena nocturna captada em S. Lourenço, no Vale do Tua, onde um entusiasta das estrelas tenta encontrar a estrela Polar, também conhecida por Estrela do Norte. Como ponto de partida, observa primeiramente as principais estrelas que compõem a constelação da Ursa Maior (à esquerda), visto ser facilmente reconhecível no período nocturno, é também usada como ponto de partida – desde iniciantes a astrónomos experientes – para ajudar a localizar e identificar a Estrela Polar. Para encontrar a Polaris, use as estrelas da Ursa Maior, Merak e Dubhe. Seguidamente desenhe uma linha imaginária entre essas duas estrelas e estenda-a por cerca de 5 vezes, terminará assim na Estrela Polar, localizada no na imagem mesmo acima da cabeça do observador.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A panorama captured with a Nikon D810a | 26mm at f/2,8 | ISO3200 | Exp. 20 secs.
A Spring Milky Way Rises in the Morning Twilight above Castro de Palheiros
The image reveals a panoramic scene of a Spring Milky Way rising in the morning twilight, above Castro de Palheiros, or Fragada of Castro. Located in the Natural Park of Tua Valley, near Mirandela, “is an imposing quartzite ridge that was being carved and built by the people of Murça region, between the beginning of the third millennium BC up to the present”, according to the Interpretative Center of this region. In the background, Vega star from Lyra constellation is visible in the left side of the image, above Cygnus constellation, while in the opposite direction, the supergiant star Antares, from Scorpius constelllation, is shinning in orange.
PT: A imagem revela uma cena panorâmica de uma Via Láctea primaveril a nascer ao crepúsculo matinal, acima de Castro de Palheiros ou Fragada de Castro. Localizada no Parque Natural do Vale do Tua, perto de Mirandela, “é uma imponente crista quartzítica que foi sendo esculpida e construída pelas populações da região de Murça, entre o início do terceiro milénio antes de Cristo até ao presente, segundo o Centro Interpretativo da região. Em pano de fundo, a estrela Vega da constelação Lyra é visível no lado esquerdo da imagem, acima da constelação do Cisne, enquanto na direção oposta, a estrela supergigante Antares, da constelação do Escorpião, brilha numa tonalidade alaranjada.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A panorama captured with a Nikon D810a | 26mm at f/2,8 | ISO4000 | Exp. 15 secs.
A Sky Without Religious Boundaries Shows the ISS Above the Historic Old City of Jerusalem
The image shows the path of International Space Station (ISS) crossing a sky free of any religious, cultural or ethnic boundaries above the beautiful and historial old city of Jerusalem. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1981, it is one of the oldest cities in the world, and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and where several key events in the life of Jesus took place. The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters; The Jewish Quarter, The Armenian Quarter, The Christian Quarter, and The Muslim Quarter. During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, and attacked 52 time. On the image, the crane seen in the foreground also reminds us of our capacity as a mankind in recovering or building major things, specially when a teamwork between different countries can be achieved in the name of science, progress and peace. As an example is the most complex and advanced machine ever built and that is orbiting our planet Earth, the International Space Station, featured on upper left corner of the image, between the trails of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major constellation.
On the ground, the right side of the image shows the only part that survived to all attacks along the history and stills partially intact until today, is the Western Wall, (aka Wailing Walland or in Hebrew Kotel), being the most religious site in the world for the Jewish people. Thousands of people journey to the wall every year to visit and recite prayers. These prayers are either spoken or written down and placed in the cracks of the wall. The wall is divided into two sections, the left side for males and the right side for females. It is also the western support wall of the Temple Mount and Temple Rock, visible above the horizon as a blue base and a golden dome. The Temple Mount is a holy site within the Old City for Jewish, Christian and Muslim people, the walls were built around the summit of Mount Moriah, where biblically, Abraham offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. In Muslim tradition, this is where the Prophet Mohammed made his “Night Journey” to the throne of God from the rock located at the center of the structure. The Foundation Stone in the temple, was built over bears great significance in Judaism as the place where God created the world and the first human, Adam.
PT: A imagem mostra o rasto da Estação Espacial Internacional (ISS) cruzando um céu livre de quaisquer fronteiras religiosas, culturais ou étnicas acima da bela e histórica cidade velha de Jerusalém. Adicionado à lista de Património Mundial da UNESCO em 1981, é uma das cidades mais antigas do mundo, e é considerada sagrada para as três principais religiões abraâmica, judaísmo, cristianismo e islamismo, e onde vários eventos importantes na vida de Jesus tiveram lugar. A Cidade Velha de Jerusalém é dividida em quatro quadrantes; O bairro judeu, o bairro armênio, o bairro cristão e o bairro muçulmano. Durante sua longa história, Jerusalém foi destruída pelo menos duas vezes, sitiada 23 vezes, capturada e recapturada 44 vezes e atacada 52 vezes. Na imagem, o guindaste visto em primeiro plano também nos lembra da nossa capacidade como humanidade em recuperar ou construir coisas importantes, especialmente quando um trabalho em equipe entre diferentes países pode ser alcançado em nome da ciência, do progresso e da paz. Como exemplo, é a máquina mais complexa e avançada já construída até hoje e que orbita o nosso planeta Terra, a Estação Espacial Internacional, visível no canto superior esquerdo da imagem, entre os rastos luminosos da constelação de Cassiopeia e Ursa Maior.
No solo, o lado direito da imagem mostra a única parte que sobreviveu a todos os ataques ao longo da história e ainda está parcialmente intacta até hoje, é o Muro das Lamentações, (Wailing Walland ou em hebraico Kotel), sendo o local mais religioso do mundo para o povo judeu. Milhares de pessoas viajam para a parede todos os anos para visitar e recitar orações. Essas orações são ditas ou escritas e colocadas nas fendas da parede. A parede é dividida em duas seções, o lado esquerdo para os homens e o lado direito para as mulheres. É também a parede de sustentação ocidental do Monte do Templo e da Rocha do Templo, visível acima do horizonte como uma base azul e uma cúpula dourada. O Monte do Templo é um local sagrado dentro da Cidade Velha para judeus, cristãos e muçulmanos, as paredes foram construídas em torno do cume do Monte Moriah, onde biblicamente, Abraão ofereceu seu filho, Isaac, como um sacrifício. Na tradição muçulmana, é aqui que o Profeta Maomé fez sua “Viagem Noturna” até o trono de Deus a partir da rocha localizada no centro da estrutura. A Pedra Fundamental no templo foi construída com grande significado no judaísmo como o lugar onde Deus criou o mundo e o primeiro ser humano, Adão.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A sequence of 52 single shots with a Canon 6D | 14mm lens at f/8 | ISO500 | Exp. 2 secs.
The Skyline of Tel Aviv at Night with Saturn, Venus and Jupiter Shinning Bright
Located on the Mediterranean coastline of Israel, Tel Aviv comprises the world’s largest concentration of International Style buildings, including Bauhaus and other related modernist architectural styles. The “White City” of Tel Aviv was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The image features a morning alignment at the end of astronomical twilight between planets Saturn, Venus and Jupiter, as seen above the skyline of Tel Aviv. The red super giant star Antares, from Scorpius is also visible in the right top corner, being the brightest one on the image, after the main planets.
PT: Localizada na costa mediterrânea de Israel, Tel Aviv compreende a maior concentração mundial de edifícios de estilo internacional, incluindo Bauhaus e outros estilos arquitectónicos modernistas relacionados. A “Cidade Branca” de Tel Aviv, foi classificada como Património Mundial pela UNESCO em 2003. A imagem revela um alinhamento captado no final do crepúsculo astronómico, entre os planetas Saturno, Vénus e Júpiter, visível acima do horizonte de Tel Aviv. A estrela super gigante vermelha Antares pode também ser vista no canto superior direito da imagem, sendo a mais brilhante depois dos planetas principais.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A panorama of 5 single frames with a Canon 6D | 50mm at f/2,8 | ISO800 | Exp. 1/3 secs.
Morning Planets in the Skyline of Tel Aviv
Located on the Mediterranean coastline of Israel, Tel Aviv comprises the world’s largest concentration of International Style buildings, including Bauhaus and other related modernist architectural styles. The “White City” of Tel Aviv was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The image features a morning alignment between planets Saturn, Venus and Jupiter above the skyline of Tel Aviv as seen during the morning Twilight. Pluto was also joining the alignment, being only 6º apart below Saturn, but not distinguishable due to the very dim brightness of +14,4 visual magnitude, compared to the background sky from the twilight and our human limit capacity of distinguish stars with no more than +6 magnitude in naked eye. At the right side of the tallest building in the foreground, are also visible the main stars from Scorpius constellation, being the red super giant star Antares – visible in the right top corner – the brightest one on the image, after the main planets.
PT: Localizada na costa mediterrânea de Israel, Tel Aviv compreende a maior concentração mundial de edifícios de estilo internacional, incluindo Bauhaus e outros estilos arquitectónicos modernistas relacionados. A “Cidade Branca” de Tel Aviv, foi classificada como Património Mundial pela UNESCO em 2003. A imagem revela um alinhamento matinal entre os planetas Saturno, Vénus e Júpiter acima do horizonte de Tel Aviv, como visto durante a manhã de Crepúsculo. Plutão também estava se unindo ao alinhamento, ficando apenas 6º abaixo de Saturno, mas não distinguível devido ao brilho muito fraco de magnitude visual de +14,4, comparado ao céu de fundo do crepúsculo e nossa capacidade limite humana de distinguir estrelas sem mais de magnitude +6 a olho nu. À direita do prédio mais alto em primeiro plano, também estão visíveis as principais estrelas da constelação do Escorpião, sendo a super gigante vermelha Antares – visível no canto superior direito – a mais brilhante na imagem, depois dos planetas principais.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A panorama of 2 single frames with a Canon 6D | 24mm at f/3,5 | ISO800 | Exp. 0,8 secs.
Colorful Vertical Panorama from Mitpze Ramon in Negev Desert
Captured from inside of Ramon Crater or “Makhtesh Ramon” in Israel’s Negev Desert, is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” – a landform which are only found in the Negev and its extension into Egypt’s Sinai desert created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area. Located in the southern of Israel, Negev is a rocky desert with clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellowish colors, and cover more than half of the country. Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years, and perhaps as much as 7,000 years according to some books, featuring a number of small Bedouin cities. This wide vertical panorama is featuring on the top an arched path of faint light from the winter Milky Way full of deep sky objects visible as a diffuse red/violet colors. In upper left corner we can find the Pleiades, a small group of bright blueish stars, also known as the seven sisters while below is visible the California Nebula. Orion Nebula and Rosette Nebula is also featuring on the center top edge, while further down to the right (below the Milky Way) the Beehive Cluster is shinning in a faint blue hue. On the ground, a path of light from a passing car light up the scene, resembling us the speed of light, the fastest thing we already know that can exist – at least until now – in our Universe. Above the horizon and the driest landscape of Isarel, lies the well known asterism of Ursa Major (Big Dipper), probably the easiest constellation recognisable in night time.
Biliblically and according to the Book of Genesis chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev desert after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent twelve scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later the northern part of biblical Negev was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the southern part of biblical Negev by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the south, part of the Kingdom of Judah. Source from wikipedia.
PT: Captada a partir da Cratera Ramon ou “Makhtesh Ramon” no Deserto de Negev, é o maior “cirque de erosão” do mundo – uma forma que só é encontrada no Negev e na sua extensão até ao deserto do Sinai, no Egipto – criado há 220 milhões de anos atrás. Localizado no sul de Israel, o Negev é um deserto rochoso com colinas de argila conhecidas por suas fantásticas cores vermelhas e amareladas, e cobre mais da metade do país. A vida nómade no Negev remonta pelo menos a 4.000 anos atrás, e talvez até 7.000 anos, de acordo com alguns livros, apresentando uma série de pequenas cidades beduínas. Este amplo panorama vertical apresenta no topo o caminho arqueado de luz fraca proveniente da Via Láctea de inverno, repleta de objetos do céu profundo, visíveis como um vermelho/violeta difuso. No canto superior esquerdo podemos encontrar as Pleiades, um pequeno grupo de estrelas azuladas brilhantes, também conhecidas como as Sete Irmãs, enquanto abaixo é visível a Nebulosa da Califórnia. A Nebulosa de Orion e a Nebulosa Roseta também são visíveis na extremo superior central da imagem, enquanto mais abaixo à direita (depois da Via Láctea), o aglomerado de Colmeia brilha em um tom azul fraco. No solo, um rasto de luz descrito por um carro iluminou toda a cena, relembrando-nos da velocidade da luz, a referência mais rápida que concebemos existir – pelo menos até hoje – no nosso Universo em evolução. Acima do horizonte e da paisagem mais seca de Isarel, encontra-se o bem conhecido asterismo da Ursa Maior, provavelmente a constelação mais fácil de reconhecer no céu nocturno.
Biblicamente e de acordo com o capítulo 13 do Livro de Gênesis, Abraão viveu por um tempo no deserto de Negev após ser banido do Egipto. Durante a viagem do Êxodo à terra prometida, Moisés enviou doze exploradores ao Negev para avaliar a terra e a população. Mais tarde, a parte norte do Negev bíblico foi habitada pela Tribo de Judá e a parte sul do Negev bíblico, pela Tribo de Simeão. O Negev foi mais tarde parte do Reino de Salomão (na sua totalidade, todo o caminho para o Mar Vermelho), e depois, com extensão variada para o sul, parte do Reino de Judá. Fonte da wikipedia.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A vertical panorama of 4 single frames with a Nikon D810a | 14mm at f/2,8 | ISO2500 | Exp. 25 secs.
A Natural View of the Night Sky from Ramon Crater in Negev Desert
Captured from inside of Ramon Crater or “Makhtesh Ramon” in Israel’s Negev Desert, is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” – a landform which are only found in the Negev and its extension into Egypt’s Sinai desert created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area. Located in the southern of Israel, Negev is a rocky desert with clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellowish colors, and cover more than half of the country. Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years, and perhaps as much as 7,000 years according to some books, featuring a number of small Bedouin cities. The image is showing a less saturated sky comparing to what our cameras can capture in order to show a more natural appearance of what our eyes can perceive during a dark night from that particular location. Featuring an arched path of faint light from the winter Milky Way, at left, we can find Sirius, the brightest star in the entire celestial sphere, and next to it, Orion constellation, with a diffusion glow from Orion Nebula. In the upper left corner, a group of small stars called Beehive cluster can also be seen. In the right center of the image, Auriga constellation and Taurus are visible, while the Pleiades, a small group of blueish stars, also known as the Seven Sisters, are shinning bright. The light pollution seen above the horizon is coming from Mitzpe Ramon.
Biliblically and according to the Book of Genesis chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev desert after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent twelve scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later the northern part of biblical Negev was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the southern part of biblical Negev by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the south, part of the Kingdom of Judah. Source from wikipedia.
PT: Captada a partir da Cratera Ramon ou “Makhtesh Ramon” no Deserto de Negev, é o maior “cirque de erosão” do mundo – uma forma que só é encontrada no Negev e na sua extensão até ao deserto do Sinai, no Egipto – criado há 220 milhões de anos atrás. Localizado no sul de Israel, o Negev é um deserto rochoso com colinas de argila conhecidas por suas fantásticas cores vermelhas e amareladas, e cobre mais da metade do país. A vida nómade no Negev remonta pelo menos a 4.000 anos atrás, e talvez até 7.000 anos, de acordo com alguns livros, apresentando uma série de pequenas cidades beduínas. A imagem revela um céu menos saturado em comparação com o que as nossas câmaras fotográficas podem captar, com o intuito de mostrar uma aparência mais natural e próxima do que os nossos olhos podem percepcionar durante uma noite escura, a partir deste local. Na imagem é possível ver o trajeto arqueado da luz fraca proveniente da Via Láctea de Inverno. À esquerda, podemos encontrar Sirius, a estrela mais brilhante em toda a esfera celeste, e ao lado desta, a constelação de Orion, com um brilho difuso da Nebulosa de Orion. No canto superior esquerdo, um grupo de pequenas estrelas chamado aglomerado da Colmeia também pode ser apreciado. No centro direito da imagem, a constelação de Auriga e Touro são visíveis, enquanto as Pleiades, um pequeno grupo de estrelas azuladas, também conhecidas como as Sete Irmãs, se destaca pelo seu brilho e forma particular. A poluição luminosa vista acima do horizonte é proveniente de Mitzpe Ramon..
Biblicamente e de acordo com o capítulo 13 do Livro de Gênesis, Abraão viveu por um tempo no deserto de Negev após ser banido do Egipto. Durante a viagem do Êxodo à terra prometida, Moisés enviou doze exploradores ao Negev para avaliar a terra e a população. Mais tarde, a parte norte do Negev bíblico foi habitada pela Tribo de Judá e a parte sul do Negev bíblico, pela Tribo de Simeão. O Negev foi mais tarde parte do Reino de Salomão (na sua totalidade, todo o caminho para o Mar Vermelho), e depois, com extensão variada para o sul, parte do Reino de Judá. Fonte da wikipedia.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A vertical panorama composed by 3 single frames with a Nikon D810a | 21mm at f/2,8 | ISO2500 | Exp. 25 secs.
Winter Constellations above Mitzpe Ramon in Negev Desert
Captured from inside of Ramon Crater or “Makhtesh Ramon” in Israel’s Negev Desert, is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” – a landform which are only found in the Negev and its extension into Egypt’s Sinai desert created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area. Located in the southern of Israel, Negev is a rocky desert with clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellowish colors, and cover more than half of the country. Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years, and perhaps as much as 7,000 years according to some books, featuring a number of small Bedouin cities. The image is featuring an arched path of faint light from the winter Milky Way full of deep sky objects visible as a diffuse red/violet colors. At left we can find Sirius, the brightest star in the entire celestial sphere, and next to it, Orion constellation, with the reddish emission coming from Orion Nebula. Above, we can also find Rosette Nebula. In the top right Auriga constellation and Taurus are visible, while the Pleiades, a small group of bright blueish stars, also known as the seven sisters, are set behind the horizon. The light pollution seen above the horizon is coming from Mitzpe Ramon.
Biliblically and according to the Book of Genesis chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev desert after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent twelve scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later the northern part of biblical Negev was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the southern part of biblical Negev by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the south, part of the Kingdom of Judah. Source from wikipedia.
PT: Captada a partir da Cratera Ramon ou “Makhtesh Ramon” no Deserto de Negev, é o maior “cirque de erosão” do mundo – uma forma que só é encontrada no Negev e na sua extensão até ao deserto do Sinai, no Egipto – criado há 220 milhões de anos atrás. Localizado no sul de Israel, o Negev é um deserto rochoso com colinas de argila conhecidas por suas fantásticas cores vermelhas e amareladas, e cobre mais da metade do país. A vida nómade no Negev remonta pelo menos a 4.000 anos atrás, e talvez até 7.000 anos, de acordo com alguns livros, apresentando uma série de pequenas cidades beduínas. A imagem mostra um caminho arqueado de luz fraca da Via Láctea de Inverno, cheia de objetos do céu profundo, visíveis como uma cor vermelha a violeta difusa. À esquerda, podemos encontrar Sirius, a estrela mais brilhante em toda a esfera celeste, e ao lado dela, a constelação de Orion, com a emissão avermelhada vinda da Nebulosa de Orion. Acima, também podemos encontrar a Nebulosa Roseta. No canto superior direito, a constelação de Auriga e Touro são visíveis, enquanto as Pleiades, um pequeno grupo de estrelas azuladas brilhantes, também conhecidas como as sete irmãs, se deitam por detrás do horizonte. A poluição luminosa visível acima do horizonte, provém de Mitzpe Ramon.
Biblicamente e de acordo com o capítulo 13 do Livro de Gênesis, Abraão viveu por um tempo no deserto de Negev após ser banido do Egipto. Durante a viagem do Êxodo à terra prometida, Moisés enviou doze exploradores ao Negev para avaliar a terra e a população. Mais tarde, a parte norte do Negev bíblico foi habitada pela Tribo de Judá e a parte sul do Negev bíblico, pela Tribo de Simeão. O Negev foi mais tarde parte do Reino de Salomão (na sua totalidade, todo o caminho para o Mar Vermelho), e depois, com extensão variada para o sul, parte do Reino de Judá. Fonte da wikipedia.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
A mosaic of 6 single frames with a Nikon D810a | 21mm at f/2,8 | ISO2500 | Exp. 25 secs.
Ursa Major, Leo and a Comet above Negev Desert
Captured from inside of Ramon Crater or “Makhtesh Ramon” in Israel’s Negev Desert, is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” – a landform which are only found in the Negev and its extension into Egypt’s Sinai desert created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area. Located in the southern of Israel, Negev is a rocky desert with clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellowish colors, and cover more than half of the country. Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years, and perhaps as much as 7,000 years according to some books, featuring a number of small Bedouin cities. Above the dry landscape, a starry sky faced to north features the well known asterism of Ursa Major (Big Dipper), probably the easiest constellation recognisable in night time. In the center of the image and above the horizon, the red giant star Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation of Bootes. Going further to the top of the image, we can find Leo constellation and near the right edge of the picture – not faraway from the small triangle formed by Denebola, Zosma and Chertan stars, from Leo – a faint diffuse green dot is showing the naked eye comet C/2018 Y1 Iwamoto.
Bliblically and cccording to the Book of Genesis chapter 13, Abraham lived for a while in the Negev desert after being banished from Egypt. During the Exodus journey to the promised land, Moses sent twelve scouts into the Negev to assess the land and population. Later the northern part of biblical Negev was inhabited by the Tribe of Judah and the southern part of biblical Negev by the Tribe of Simeon. The Negev was later part of the Kingdom of Solomon (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the south, part of the Kingdom of Judah. Source from wikipedia.
PT: Captada a partir da Cratera Ramon ou “Makhtesh Ramon” no Deserto de Negev, é o maior “cirque de erosão” do mundo – uma forma que só é encontrada no Negev e na sua extensão até ao deserto do Sinai, no Egipto – criado há 220 milhões de anos atrás. Localizado no sul de Israel, o Negev é um deserto rochoso com colinas de argila conhecidas por suas fantásticas cores vermelhas e amareladas, e cobre mais da metade do país. A vida nómade no Negev remonta pelo menos a 4.000 anos atrás, e talvez até 7.000 anos, de acordo com alguns livros, apresentando uma série de pequenas cidades beduínas. Acima da paisagem seca, um céu estrelado voltado para o norte apresenta o conhecido asterismo da Ursa Maior, provavelmente a constelação mais facilmente reconhecível no céu nocturno. No centro da imagem e acima do horizonte, a gigante vermelha Arcturus é a estrela mais brilhante da constelação de Bootes. Subindo até ao topo da imagem, podemos encontrar a constelação Leo e perto da extremidade direita da imagem – não longe do pequeno triângulo formado pelas estrelas Denebola, Zosma e Chertan – um ponto verde difuso revela o cometa visível a olho nu C/2018 Y1 Iwamoto.
Biblicamente e de acordo com o capítulo 13 do Livro de Gênesis, Abraão viveu por um tempo no deserto de Negev após ser banido do Egipto. Durante a viagem do Êxodo à terra prometida, Moisés enviou doze exploradores ao Negev para avaliar a terra e a população. Mais tarde, a parte norte do Negev bíblico foi habitada pela Tribo de Judá e a parte sul do Negev bíblico, pela Tribo de Simeão. O Negev foi mais tarde parte do Reino de Salomão (na sua totalidade, todo o caminho para o Mar Vermelho), e depois, com extensão variada para o sul, parte do Reino de Judá. Fonte da wikipedia.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Mosaic of 6 single frames captured with a Nikon D810a | 18mm at f/2,8 | ISO2500 | Exp. 25 secs.
Ramon Crater in the Moonlight – The World’s Largest Erosion Crater in Israel’s Negev Desert
This large mosaic image captured during the Moonlight, is featuring a wide view of Ramon Crater or “Makhtesh Ramon” in Israel’s Negev Desert. This geological feature located at the peak of Mount Negev is not an impact crater from a meteorite nor even formed by a volcanic eruption, but rather is the world’s largest “erosion cirque” – a landform which are only found in the Negev and its extension into Egypt’s Sinai desert – created 220 million years ago when oceans covered the area (the word crater is therefore a misleading translation of Hebrew to English). The Ramon Crater measures 40km in length and between 2 and 10km wide and 500 meters deep, shaped like a long heart, and forms Israel’s largest national park, the Ramon Nature Reserve, according to Tourist Isarel source. From the privileged point of view located at an altitude of 800 meters above the see level, a widest desert scene only lighted by 28% of a Crescent Moon is featuring the diversity of rocks including clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellowish colors and forms. Impressive mountains rise at the borders of the crater while above them, the winter stars from Canis Major and Orion constellations are shining bright in the background of a blueish moonlite sky.
PT: Um mosaico fotográfico captado ao luar revela uma visão ampla da Cratera Ramon ou “Makhtesh Ramon” no deserto de Negev, em Israel. Esta formação geológica localizada no pico do Monte Negev não é uma cratera de impacto de um meteorito nem mesmo formada por uma erupção vulcânica, mas é o maior “cirque de erosão” do mundo – uma formação única dos desertos do Negev e do Sinai, no Egipto – criado há 220 milhões de anos atrás, quando os oceanos cobriam a área (a palavra cratera é, portanto, uma tradução passível de induzir em erro, pela tradução feita do hebraico para o inglês). A Cratera Ramon mede 40 km de comprimento e entre 2 e 10 km de largura e 500 metros de profundidade, com a forma de um coração alongado, faz parte do maior parque nacional de Israel, a Reserva Natural Ramon, segundo a fonte Tourist Isarel. Do ponto de vista privilegiado localizado a uma altitude de 800 metros acima do nível do mar, este cenário revela um deserto apenas 28% iluminado por uma Lua Crescente e que permite tornar visível uma diversidade de rochas, incluindo colinas de argila conhecidas por suas fantásticas cores e formas vermelhas e amareladas. Montanhas impressionantes se erguem nas bordas da cratera, enquanto as estrelas de inverno das constelações do Cão Maior e de Orion, brilham em pano de fundo a um céu azul celestial.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Mosaic of 8 single frames captured with a Nikon D810a | 14mm at f/2,8 | ISO1250 | Exp. 15 secs.
Close-up View of a Waning Crescent Moon near Planet Saturn and Titan Moon
The image reveals a strong Earthshine of the Waning Crescent Moon captured during the nautical twilight on the 2nd day of February 2019, just few minutes after ending an occultation of planet Saturn which is visible in the upper right edge of the moon, as a white-yellow pale oblong dot. The “faint star” visible very close to the planet, is Titan, the well known moon of Saturn. The image was captured from a rural hotel called Nave Terra, located in Alandroal, in Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal..
PT: A imagem revela um forte Earthshine Lunar na fase de Quarto Minguante, captado durante o Crepúsculo Náutico de dia 2 de fevereiro de 2019, poucos minutos depois de terminar uma ocultação do planeta Saturno, visível no canto superior direito da lua como um ponto oblongo pálido de tonalidade amarela-esbranquiçada. O pequeno ponto de luz visível muito perto do planeta, é Titan, uma das luas mais conhecidas do planeta Saturno. A imagem foi captada a partir do hotel rural Nave Terra, localizado no Alandroal, região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
Milky Way, Andromeda and a Dutch Sailboat
Visible below two galaxies, our Great Milky Way that stands bright at the top of this vertical panorama and Andromeda Galaxy, the diffuse elliptic shape shining near the center of the image, is Sem Fim boat. A Westlander sailboat built in 1913 in Holland. This type of boat, was used in the Dutch channels for the transport of goods, among them flowers. It was later transformed into house and bring it to Portugal. Now it navigates in Alqueva lake giving tourists the experience of sailing in the wind on board of a vintage boat. The image was captured during the XII edition of Dark Sky® Party Alqueva, held annually in Campinho, Dark Sky® Alqueva reserve.
A Stargazer Shows Where to Find Polaris in the Night Sky
A night scene captured in Achada do Gamo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows the silhouette of a sky enthusiast that is trying to show us where to find Polaris, the Northern Star, and is not so hard. At left side are visible the colorful stars Alkaid, Mizar-Alcor, Alioth, Megrez, Phecda, Merak and Dubhe, the main stars that are composing the constellation of Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear. Probably is the easiest constellation recognisable in night time and used as a starting point, from beginners to experienced stargazers, to help localize and identify the Northern Star. To find Polaris, use the so-called “Pointer” stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper, Merak and Dubhe. The left hand of the stargazer is pointing to Merak, then just draw an imaginary line between these two stars and extend it out for about 5 times, and you will end up in Polaris, located in the upper right corner of the image.
Andromeda Galaxy Shinning above the Landscape
The photo shows a single shot made with a tracking mount of the entire Andromeda constellation rising above a puddle of acid water from Achada do Gamo. Andromeda Galaxy M31 stands very well visible and aligned between two chimneys from the century old mine of São Domingos, in Dark Sky® Alqueva – Mértola, highlighted against a faint greenish background from a thin band of airglow. With approximately 4 times the angular size of the full moon as seen from Earth, the great spiral galaxy Andromeda is at a mere 2.5 million light-years distant from us, being the closest large spiral to our own Milky Way. In really dark places we can clearly distinguish this naked eye galaxy, but how to find it? Start to identify the star Alpheratz, as the constellation Andromeda begins here, then follow down two stars and we will end up on Mirach. You should see two stars stacked one on top of each other, are they Mirach and Mu Andromedae. If you draw a line through the two stars and extend it past Mu Andromedae star, you should run into the Andromeda galaxy, which is located at about the same distance that separates this last two stars mentioned, being Mu Andromedae much dimmer than Mirach star. Very close to Andromeda galaxy is also visible an even week star called Nu Andromedae. The annotated version that can be found below, also shows galaxy M33 and the well known double cluster in Perseus.
PT: Nesta foto captada numa única exposição com seguimento, é possível ver toda a constelação de Andromeda enquanto nasce acima das águas ácidas da Achada do Gamo. A galáxia de Andromeda M31 está assim bem visível e alinhada entre as duas chaminés da centenária Mina de São Domingos, no Dark Sky® Alqueva – Mértola, destacando-se contra um fundo esverdeado proveniente de uma fina faixa de airglow (luminescência foto-química). Com aproximadamente 4 vezes o tamanho angular da Lua Cheia quando vista a partir da Terra, a grande galáxia espiral de Andromeda está a meros 2,5 milhões de anos-luz de nós, sendo a maior galáxia espiral próxima à nossa Via Láctea. Em lugares realmente escuros, podemos distinguir claramente esta galáxia a olho nu, mas como localizá-la no céu? Comece por identificar a estrela Alpheratz onde se inicia a constelação de Andromeda, depois siga duas estrelas até chegar a Mirach. A partir daqui deve ver duas estrelas que parecem estar uma por cima da outra, são elas Mirach e Mu Andromedae. Se traçar uma linha imaginária através destas duas estrelas e estender à estrela de Mu Andromedae, deverá se deparar com a galáxia de Andromeda, que está assim localizada sensivelmente à mesma distância que separa estas duas últimas estrelas mencionadas, sendo Mu Andromedae de brilho muito mais fraco que a estrela Mirach. Muito perto da galáxia de Andromeda encontra-se ainda uma estrela mais fraca de nome Nu Andromedae. A versão da imagem com legenda pode ser encontrada abaixo, e também mostra a galáxia M33 e o conhecido Duplo Enxame de Estrelas do Perseus.
A Spring Milky Way above Campinho
The image shows the Arch of Milky Way as seen during a Spring night in the Northern Hemisphere, Campinho, in Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve. High in the sky, we can see a “blue bright” star with an apparent magnitude of 0,0 called Vega, serving as a middle reference in the magnitude system chart created for the first time in 150 B.C.E, by the greek astronomer Hipparchus. Vega, from Lyra constellation, is forming an asterism well know as the “Summer Triangle” with stars Deneb (from Cygnus) and Altair (from Aquila). At the right center of the picture, planet Mars and Saturn are shinning near the core of the Galaxy. Following the same line we can find the red supergiant star Antares, from Scorpius constellations, and the bright planet Jupiter. Above the horizon is visible a mix of yellow/greenish airglow with the lights from Aldeia da Luz, and below, a water mirror from the largest manmade lake in Europa, The Great Lake Alqueva.
PT: A imagem mostra o Arco da Via Láctea como visto durante uma noite de primavera no Hemisfério Norte, na região do Campinho, Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva. No alto do céu, é possível ver uma estrela azulada e brilhante com uma magnitude aparente de 0.0, de nome Vega. Serve como uma referência intermédia na tabela do sistema de magnitudes criado pela primeira vez no 150 A.C, pelo astrónomo grego Hiparco. Vega, da constelação de Lyra, forma um asterismo conhecido como o “Triângulo de Verão” com as estrelas Deneb (Cisne) e Altair (da Águia). No centro direito da imagem, o planeta Marte e Saturno brilham perto do centro da galáxia. Seguindo a mesma linha, podemos encontrar a estrela supergigante vermelha Antares, da constelações do Escorpião, terminando no extremo direito da imagem com o brilho intenso do planeta Júpiter. Um pouco acima do horizonte é visível uma tonalidade de amarelo/esverdeado proveniente da subtil presença de airglow (Luminescência Foto-química) que se mistura ainda com algumas luzes da Aldeia da Luz, já bem junto ao horizonte deste panorama. Logo abaixo, o enorme espelho de água do maior lago artificial da Europa Ocidental, o Grande Lago Alqueva, reflecte assim algumas das estrelas que salpicam o firmamento do Dark Sky® Alqueva.
Zodiacal Light and Winter Constellations above Pulo do Lobo
A night scene captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows a view of the winter Milky Way full of deep sky objects shinning bright with a diffuse red/violet colors. From top right corner to the bottom, we can find California nebula and Pleiades, a bright blueish star cluster, while below is visible all the reddish emission coming from Orion, with Lambda Orionis, Barnard´s Loop, Horse Head and M42 nebulae surrounding the main brightest stars of Orion constellation. At the left side not far away from Orion, a violet emission is shinning from Rosette nebula. At left edge of the image and above the horizon is visible a faint white light that seems to point to Beehive star cluster, known as Zodiacal light, is the sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust. Most of this dust is orbiting the Sun in about the ecliptic plane.
Pulo do Lobo is the most dramatic stretch of Guadiana River, located about 18 kms north of Mértola, where the Guadiana river bed is reduced to a narrow strait a few meters wide, followed by a small waterfall with about 4m high. The margins on this site are tall and stony, and so tight that they have given rise to a legend that says that a wolf in hunting could transports them in a jump.
PT: Este cenário nocturno captado no Pulo do Lobo, na Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, mostra uma visão da Via Láctea de inverno repleta de objectos do céu profundo que se destacam com tonalidades difusas vermelho/violeta ao longo do caminho descrito pela nossa galáxia. Do topo direito em direcção ao horizonte, é possível ver a Nebulosa da Califórnia e à direita as Pleiades, um aglomerado estelar azul brilhante. Logo abaixo é visível toda a emissão avermelhada proveniente de Orion, com diversos objectos como Lambda Orionis, Barnard´s Loop, Horse Head e a nebulosa M42 circundando as principais estrelas brilhantes da constelação de Orion. No lado esquerdo, não longe de Orion, a nebulosa da Roseta é visível como uma emissão violeta brilhante. No extremo esquerdo da imagem e logo acima do horizonte, uma fraca emissão esbranquiçada que parece incidir na direcção do aglomerado estelar Beehive, é conhecida como a Luz Zodiacal. Trata-se da luz solar dispersa pela poeira interplanetária. A maior parte dessa poeira está orbitando o Sol em torno do plano eclíptico.
O Pulo do Lobo é o mais dramático trecho do rio Guadiana, situado a cerca de 18 kms a Norte de Mértola, onde o leito do rio Guadiana fica reduzido a um estreito rápido com poucos metros de largura, seguido de uma pequena queda de água com cerca de 4m de altura. As margens neste local apresentam-se altas e pedregosas, e tão apertadas que deram origem a uma lenda que afirma que um lobo em caça as transpõe em um salto.
A Strong Gegenschein Between the Winter Constellations
A night scene captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows a path of light from the winter Milky Way full of bright stars like the ones that are composing the constellations of Orion. Above the horizon, Sirius is the brightest star that dominates the night, but due to the little presence of haze, stars like Pollux and Castor from Gemini constellation are also showing their beautiful natural colors. But between Procyon, Castor and Betelgeuse, near the Zenith spotted in the center of the image, is noticeable a rare and faint white light known as Gegenschein, that is a faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the antisolar point. like the zodiacal light, the gegenschein is sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust. Most of this dust is orbiting the Sun in about the ecliptic plane. It is distinguished from zodiacal light by its high angle of reflection of the incident sunlight on the dust particles.
PT: Uma cena nocturna captada no Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, mostra o ténue caminho de luz da Via Láctea invernal repleto de estrelas brilhantes como as que compõem as constelações de Orion. Acima do horizonte, Sirius é a estrela mais brilhante que domina a noite, mas devido à pequena presença de neblina, estrelas como Pollux e Castor da constelação de Gémeos também mostram suas lindas cores naturais. No entanto, entre Procyon, Castor e Betelgeuse, perto do Zénite, localizado no centro da imagem, é possível percepcionar uma luz branca rara e fraca, conhecida como Gegenschein, que é um leve brilho do céu noturno na região do ponto antissolar. Tal como a luz Zodiacal, a Gegenschein é a luz solar espalhada pelo poeira interplanetária. A maior parte desta poeira está orbitando o Sol em aproximadamente o plano da Eclíptica. Distingue-se da luz Zodiacal pelo seu alto ângulo de reflexão da luz solar incidente sobre as partículas de poeira.
A Panorama of the Deep Sky Objects in the Winter Milky Way above Pulo do Lobo
A vertical panorama captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows the path of the winter Milky Way full of deep sky objects visible as a colorful diffuse red/violet colors. Above the horizon, we can find Sirius, the brightest star in the entire celestial sphere and immediately above, the reddish emission coming from Rosette and Orion Nebula, with Lambda Orionis, Barnard´s Loop, Horse Head and M42 visible. Following to the right center of the image, Hyades open cluster are close to Pleiades, or the seven sisters, a small group of bright blueish stars. Going further high on the image, we can find California nebula, and in the way to the top, we can find the red emission from Heart and Soul nebula, finishing in the right top corner with the diffuse elipse shape from Andromeda galaxy. Pulo do Lobo is the most dramatic stretch of Guadiana River, located about 18 kms north of Mértola, where the Guadiana river bed is reduced to a narrow strait a few meters wide, followed by a small waterfall with about 4m high. The margins on this site are tall and stony, and so tight that they have given rise to a legend that says that a wolf in hunting could transports them in a jump.
PT: Um panorama vertical composto por single shots sem qualquer tracking captados no Pulo do Lobo, no Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, mostra a trajetória da Via Láctea invernal, repleta de objetos do céu profundo, visíveis como cores vermelhas / violetas difusas. Acima do horizonte, podemos encontrar Sirius, a estrela mais brilhante em toda a esfera celeste e imediatamente acima, a emissão avermelhada vinda da Nebulosa Rosette e Orion, com Lambda Orionis, Barnard´s Loop, Horse Head e M42 visíveis. Seguindo para o centro direito da imagem, o aglomerado aberto de Hyades fica próximo das do enxame aberto das Pleiades, ou das sete irmãs, um pequeno grupo de estrelas azuladas brilhantes. Seguindo mais alto na imagem, podemos encontrar a nebulosa da Califórnia, e no caminho para o extremo superior, podemos encontrar a emissão vermelha da nebulosa Heart & Soul, terminando no canto superior direito com a presença de uma luz difusa em forma de elipse, proveniente da galáxia de Andrómeda. O Pulo do Lobo é o troço mais dramático do rio Guadiana, localizado a cerca de 18 kms a norte de Mértola, onde o leito do rio Guadiana é reduzido a um estreito de poucos metros de largura, seguido de uma pequena cascata com cerca de 4m de altura. As margens deste local são altas e pedregosas, e tão estreitas que deram origem a uma lenda que diz que um lobo em caça poderia transpô-las em um único salto.
Big Dipper, Red Airglow and Milky Way in a Panoramic view from Mértola
A panoramic view from Mértola, Dark Sky® Alqueva, shows a celestial scene captured in a night where the presence of a reddish-yellow airglow was very active. In the background, the well know asterism from Big Dipper or Ursa Major, is shinning at the left edge, while in the opposite direction of the image a faint light from the Milky Way is visible behind the layer of airglow. Sirius, the brightest star in the entire celestial sphere is well spotted and above it – in the right top corner – the H-alfa emission coming from Rosette and Orion Nebula are noticeable in red, with Lambda Orionis, Barnard´s Loop, Horse Head and M42 well visible. Below, a partial path of Guadiana river is reflecting the color of the sky.
A Vortex of Light from the Winter Sky
A fish-eye “full dome” scene captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows a starry sky trailed in a long exposure sequence with some bright and colourful light trails from the winter constellations that are surrounding Polaris, the northern star, remembering us that Earth Rotation never stops. In the landscape is visible a dramatic stretch of Guadiana River located about 18 kms north of Mértola, where the Guadiana river bed is reduced to a narrow strait a few meters wide, followed by a small waterfall with about 4m high. The margins on this site are tall and stony, and so tight that they have given rise to a legend that says that a wolf in hunting could transports them in a jump.
PT: Uma visão fish-eye “full-dome” de 180º captada no Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, mostra os rastos de estrelas brilhantes e coloridas das constelações de inverno que circundam a estrela Polar. Em baixo, a paisagem revela o mais dramático trecho do rio Guadiana, situado a cerca de 18 kms a Norte de Mértola, onde o leito do rio Guadiana fica reduzido a um estreito rápido com poucos metros de largura, seguido de uma pequena queda de água com cerca de 4m de altura. As margens neste local apresentam-se altas e pedregosas, e tão apertadas que deram origem a uma lenda que afirma que um lobo em caça as transpõe em um salto.
Full Dome View of Pulo do Lobo in a Winter Night
A fish-eye “full dome” scene captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows the faint path of light from the winter Milky Way above the most dramatic stretch of Guadiana River, located about 18 kms north of Mértola, is where the Guadiana river bed is reduced to a narrow strait a few meters wide, followed by a small waterfall with about 4m high. The margins on this site are tall and stony, and so tight that they have given rise to a legend that says that a wolf in hunting could transports them in a jump.
PT: Uma visão fish-eye “full-dome” de 180º captada no Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, mostra o ténue caminho de luz da Via Láctea de inverno, acima do mais dramático trecho do rio Guadiana, situado a cerca de 18 kms a Norte de Mértola, onde o leito do rio Guadiana fica reduzido a um estreito rápido com poucos metros de largura, seguido de uma pequena queda de água com cerca de 4m de altura. As margens neste local apresentam-se altas e pedregosas, e tão apertadas que deram origem a uma lenda que afirma que um lobo em caça as transpõe em um salto.
The Colourful Constellation of Big Dipper above Pulo do Lobo
A night scene captured in Pulo do Lobo, Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola, shows the brightest and colorful stars that are composing the well known asterism of Big Dipper or Ursa Major. Probably the easiest constellation recognisable in night time, are normally used as a starting point, from beginners to experienced stargazers, to help localize and identify the northern star, also known as Polaris. In the foreground is visible part of the landscape of Pulo do Lobo, the most dramatic stretch of Guadiana River, located about 18 kms north of Mértola, is where the Guadiana river bed is reduced to a narrow strait a few meters wide, followed by a small waterfall with about 4m high. The margins on this site are tall and stony, and so tight that they have given rise to a legend that says that a wolf in hunting could transports them in a jump.
A Spring Milky Way Shines above Monsaraz
With the arrival of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere the central region of Milky Way starts to be visible right above the horizon before Dawn, with the certain of getting better and better in the upcoming months, reaching it´s highest visibility to the naked eye in the middle of summer with the core of Milky Way facing south, and being well visible in the beginning of the night from a Dark Sky location. This scene captured in the spring equinox from Monsaraz village, in Dark Sky® Alqueva, shows a green field with small yellow flowers while in the sky, planets Saturn and Mars are shining against the the core of our galaxy, being Mars very close to the Lagoon nebula. In the upper right corner of the image, the bright light that cauth our attention is from the planet Jupiter.
PT: Com a chegada da primavera no Hemisfério Norte, a região central da Via Láctea começa a ficar visível logo acima do horizonte pouco tempo antes do nascer do dia, com a certeza de se encontrar cada vez melhor nos próximos meses, atingindo a sua maior visibilidade a olho nu nos meses de verão, com o núcleo da Via Láctea voltado a sul e sendo bem visível no início da noite a partir de um local escuro. Este cenário celeste captado no equinócio da primavera a partir de Monsaraz, no Dark Sky® Alqueva, mostra um campo verde com pequenas flores amarelas enquanto no céu, os planetas Saturno e Marte brilham contra o núcleo da nossa galáxia, estando Marte muito perto da Nebulosa da Lagoa. No canto superior direito da imagem, a luz brilhante que chama a nossa atenção é do planeta Júpiter.
Communicating With the Interplanetary Space
The image above shows the light path of stars above the 70-meter antenna from Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex.
The Spanish complex of NASA MDSCC – Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex – is located 65 km west of Madrid, close to the town of Robledo de Chavela, and is part of the global network known as DSN, Deep Space Network, that has two other centers in Canberra, Australia and in Goldstone, California, USA. The geographical location of these, approximately 120 degrees apart in length, has been chosen to allow vehicles to maintain contact with a ground station, regardless of the daily movement of the Earth’s rotation. Each Deep Space Network site has one huge, 70-meter (230-foot) diameter antenna. The 70-meter antennas are the largest and most sensitive, capable of tracking a spacecraft traveling tens of billions of miles (kilometers) from Earth. NASA built the 70-meter antenna when ambitious missions began venturing beyond Earth orbit and needed more powerful communications tools to track them. The antenna was designed to receive weak signals and transmit very strong ones far out into space. The dish from Madrid 70-meter antenna, also known as “DSS-63”, was upgraded from 64 meters to 70 meters in 1987, to enable the antenna to track NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft as it encountered Neptune. The stations communicate with the space vehicles through radio waves, which are used to carry messages in both directions. The radio waves used for space communications belong to the region of the microwave whose frequency range is between 30 and 100,000 MHz, and its speed of propagation is the same to that of light, 300.000 km/s.
Received messages can contain television signals, data from measurements made by the scientific instruments on board the vehicle, such as temperature sensors, radiation, magnetic fields, etc… And information that allows us to know the functioning of the instruments that control navigation and engineering of the vehicle itself, such as computers, receivers, transmitters, antennas, power generation systems, etc. These messages use a binary language, and therefore they are series of ones and zeros, turned into electrical impulses, carried by radio waves. Some of the future missions that this gigantic antenna will be in charge to communicate, are: James Webb – Space Telescope; Solar Probe Plus (SPP) Heliophysics; inSight – Mission to Mars and INSPIRE – CubeSats satellites.
Enter the intricate world of NASA’s Deep Space Network as it provides you an inside look in real-time at how their team communicates and tracks multiple spacecraft within the solar system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Click Here
PT: A imagem acima mostra o rasto das estrelas acima da antena de 70 metros do Complexo de Comunicações do Espaço Profundo de Madrid.
Orion Shines above NASA Deep Space Network in Madrid
The image above shows the 70-meter antenna from Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex, that seems to point to the brightest star in the celestial sphere, Sirius, while above it, is shinning the colourful winter constellation of Orion.
The Spanish complex of NASA MDSCC – Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex – is located 65 km west of Madrid, close to the town of Robledo de Chavela, and is part of the global network known as DSN, Deep Space Network, that has two other centers in Canberra, Australia and in Goldstone, California, USA. The geographical location of these, approximately 120 degrees apart in length, has been chosen to allow vehicles to maintain contact with a ground station, regardless of the daily movement of the Earth’s rotation. Each Deep Space Network site has one huge, 70-meter (230-foot) diameter antenna. The 70-meter antennas are the largest and most sensitive, capable of tracking a spacecraft traveling tens of billions of miles (kilometers) from Earth. NASA built the 70-meter antenna when ambitious missions began venturing beyond Earth orbit and needed more powerful communications tools to track them. The antenna was designed to receive weak signals and transmit very strong ones far out into space. The dish from Madrid 70-meter antenna, also known as “DSS-63”, was upgraded from 64 meters to 70 meters in 1987, to enable the antenna to track NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft as it encountered Neptune. The stations communicate with the space vehicles through radio waves, which are used to carry messages in both directions. The radio waves used for space communications belong to the region of the microwave whose frequency range is between 30 and 100,000 MHz, and its speed of propagation is the same to that of light, 300.000 km/s.
Received messages can contain television signals, data from measurements made by the scientific instruments on board the vehicle, such as temperature sensors, radiation, magnetic fields, etc… And information that allows us to know the functioning of the instruments that control navigation and engineering of the vehicle itself, such as computers, receivers, transmitters, antennas, power generation systems, etc. These messages use a binary language, and therefore they are series of ones and zeros, turned into electrical impulses, carried by radio waves. Some of the future missions that this gigantic antenna will be in charge to communicate, are: James Webb – Space Telescope; Solar Probe Plus (SPP) Heliophysics; inSight – Mission to Mars and INSPIRE – CubeSats satellites.
Enter the intricate world of NASA’s Deep Space Network as it provides you an inside look in real-time at how their team communicates and tracks multiple spacecraft within the solar system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Click Here
PT: A imagem acima mostra a antena de 70 metros do Complexo de Comunicações do Espaço Profundo de Madrid, que parece apontar para a estrela mais brilhante da esfera celestial, Sirius. Logo acima desta, brilham as estrelas coloridas da constelação de inverno, Orion.
Canis Major and a 70-meter Antenna from NASA Deep Space Network
The image above shows the 70-meter antenna from Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex, that seems to point to the brightest star in the celestial sphere, Sirius. Also visible is the entire constellation of Canis Major.
The Spanish complex of NASA MDSCC – Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex – is located 65 km west of Madrid, close to the town of Robledo de Chavela, and is part of the global network known as DSN, Deep Space Network, that has two other centers in Canberra, Australia and in Goldstone, California, USA. The geographical location of these, approximately 120 degrees apart in length, has been chosen to allow vehicles to maintain contact with a ground station, regardless of the daily movement of the Earth’s rotation. Each Deep Space Network site has one huge, 70-meter (230-foot) diameter antenna. The 70-meter antennas are the largest and most sensitive, capable of tracking a spacecraft traveling tens of billions of miles (kilometers) from Earth. NASA built the 70-meter antenna when ambitious missions began venturing beyond Earth orbit and needed more powerful communications tools to track them. The antenna was designed to receive weak signals and transmit very strong ones far out into space. The dish from Madrid 70-meter antenna, also known as “DSS-63”, was upgraded from 64 meters to 70 meters in 1987, to enable the antenna to track NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft as it encountered Neptune. The stations communicate with the space vehicles through radio waves, which are used to carry messages in both directions. The radio waves used for space communications belong to the region of the microwave whose frequency range is between 30 and 100,000 MHz, and its speed of propagation is the same to that of light, 300.000 km/s.
Received messages can contain television signals, data from measurements made by the scientific instruments on board the vehicle, such as temperature sensors, radiation, magnetic fields, etc… And information that allows us to know the functioning of the instruments that control navigation and engineering of the vehicle itself, such as computers, receivers, transmitters, antennas, power generation systems, etc. These messages use a binary language, and therefore they are series of ones and zeros, turned into electrical impulses, carried by radio waves. Some of the future missions that this gigantic antenna will be in charge to communicate, are: James Webb – Space Telescope; Solar Probe Plus (SPP) Heliophysics; inSight – Mission to Mars and INSPIRE – CubeSats satellites.
Enter the intricate world of NASA’s Deep Space Network as it provides you an inside look in real-time at how their team communicates and tracks multiple spacecraft within the solar system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Click Here
PT: A imagem acima mostra a antena de 70 metros do Complexo de Comunicações do Espaço Profundo de Madrid, que parece apontar para a estrela mais brilhante da esfera celestial, Sirius. À direita desta, é também visível toda a constelação Canis Major.
Bright Milky Way Mixed with Airglow and Clouds above Mina de São Domingos
A wide view of the Milky Way with planet Saturn shinning against the galaxy core above Scorpius constellation, while in the opposite direction, bright star Arcturus is setting behind a layer of orange clouds. In the background horizon, a smooth presence of green airglow is also mixed with a starry sky. In the top right corner of the image, a pink/red emission from North America Nebula (NGC7000) is well visible near Deneb star, forming a perfect triangle with the blue star Vega (top center) and Altair star (left center). This mosaic of the Milky Way was captured above a puddle of acid water from Achada do Gamo, that was – since the beginning of modern mining activities in the São Domingos Mine – the center of metallurgical activities on extracted minerals. Already during the 20th century, between the 30s and 40s, a new direction of industrial exploration took place: the sulfur, however much valued, began to be extracted from the copper pyrites through furnaces (Orkla process) in two plants installed in the Achada do Gamo during the years of 1934 and 1943.
São Domingos Mine is located in Baixo Alentejo, about 240 km from Lisbon, in the municipality of Mértola, which recently joined the Dark Sky® Alqueva Route for the great quality of the night sky. The São Domingos mining area is part of the Iberian Pyrite Range and is a decisive source of basic metals (S, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) and other elements such as sulfur (S). It has been a sought after place for the extraction of ores since antiquity, with evidence of gold, silver and copper mining in the pre-Roman and Roman times. The pyritic deposit of São Domingos (St. Dominic) was explored in various historical periods, namely: for several centuries of the first millennium BC (Eastern period), during the period between 14 BC and 395 AD (Roman period), during the Islamic period and during the modern period that was initiated in 1858 for the extraction of copper, gold and silver and was maintained until 1966, the year in which the reserves were considered exhausted. During this period, the work was done in the open air up to 120 meters deep, with work continued through wells and galleries up to 400 meters. Over 108 years of regular exploration, more than 20 million tons of materials were removed from the site, producing about 14.7 million tons of waste accumulated in heaps up to 14 meters high with a dozen different materials such as pyrite , gossan, slag, ash, iron oxides, barren rock, sludge, debris, etc. The areas of heaps, slag and channels of water, give the landscape a “lunar” aspect. The heaps are composed of different materials with high levels of metals, such as slag and ash, whose leaching through the rainwater leads to the production of acid mine drainage, usually with an ocher or reddish color.|
PT: Nesta imagem é possível aceder a uma ampla visão da Via Láctea com o planeta Saturno brilhando contra o núcleo da galáxia acima da constelação do Escorpião, enquanto na direção oposta, a estrela brilhante Arcturus se põe atrás de uma camada de nuvens alaranjada. Logo acima do horizonte e em pano de fundo, uma presença suave de airglow (luminescência foto-química) mistura-se com um céu estrelado. No canto superior direito da imagem, uma emissão rosa/vermelha proveniente da Nebulosa América do Norte (NGC7000) é bem visível perto da estrela Deneb, formando um triângulo perfeito com a estrela azul Vega (centro superior) e a estrela Altair (centro esquerdo). Este mosaico da Via Láctea foi captado acima das águas ácidas da Achada do Gamo, que foi desde o início das atividades modernas de mineração na Mina de São Domingos, o centro das atividades metalúrgicas sobre os minérios extraídos. Já durante o século XX, entre as décadas de 30 e 40, uma nova direção de exploração industrial tomou lugar: o enxofre, entretanto muito valorizado, passou a ser extraído das pirites cupríferas através de fornos (processo Orkla) em duas unidades fabris instaladas na Achada do Gamo durante os anos de 1934 e 1943.
A Mina de São Domingos, situa-se no Baixo Alentejo, a cerca de 240 km de Lisboa, no concelho de Mértola, que passou a integrar recentemente a Rota Dark Sky® Alqueva pela grande qualidade do seu céu escuro. A área mineira de São Domingos, está inserida na Faixa Piritosa Ibérica e constitui uma fonte decisiva de metais básicos (Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) e de outros elementos como o enxofre (S). Foi desde a Antiguidade um local procurado para a extracção de minérios, existindo indícios de trabalhos de extracção de ouro, prata e cobre no período pré-romano e romano. O depósito pirítico de São Domingos foi explorado em diversos períodos históricos, nomeadamente: durante vários séculos do primeiro milénio a.C. (período Oriental), durante o período que mediou entre o ano 14 a.C. e o ano de 395 d.C. (período romano), durante o período islâmico e durante o período moderno que se iniciou em 1858 para a extracção de cobre, ouro e prata e manteve-se até 1966, ano em que as reservas foram consideradas esgotadas. Neste período, a lavra foi feita a céu aberto até aos 120 metros de profundidade, tendo os trabalhos continuado por meio de poços e galerias até aos 400 metros. Ao longo de 108 anos de exploração regular, foram retirados do local mais de 20 milhões de toneladas de materiais, tendo produzido cerca 14,7 milhões de toneladas de resíduos acumulados em escombreiras de até 14 metros de altura, com uma dezena de materiais diferentes como pirite, gossan, escórias, cinzas, óxidos de ferro, rocha estéril, lamas, entulhos, etc. As áreas de escombreiras, escórias e canais de água, dão à paisagem um aspecto “lunar”. As escombreiras são constituídas por diferentes materiais com teores elevados em metais, como escórias e cinzas, cuja lixiviação através das águas das chuvas leva à produção de águas ácidas (‘acid mine drainage’), geralmente com uma cor ocre ou avermelhada.
The Arch of Milky Way Shinning Against the Acid Landscape of Achada do Gamo
The arch of Milky Way galaxy behind a tiny layer of clouds mixed with a smooth presence of green airglow, is shinning above a puddle of acid water from Achada do Gamo, that was – since the beginning of modern mining activities in the São Domingos Mine – the center of metallurgical activities on extracted minerals. Already during the 20th century, between the 30s and 40s, a new direction of industrial exploration took place: the sulfur, however much valued, began to be extracted from the copper pyrites through furnaces (Orkla process) in two plants installed in the Achada do Gamo during the years of 1934 and 1943. Near the left chimney is visible the Andromeda galaxy, seen from here as an elongated diffuse dot.
São Domingos Mine is located in Baixo Alentejo, about 240 km from Lisbon, in the municipality of Mértola, which recently joined the Dark Sky® Alqueva Route for the great quality of the night sky. The São Domingos mining area is part of the Iberian Pyrite Range and is a decisive source of basic metals (S, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) and other elements such as sulfur (S). It has been a sought after place for the extraction of ores since antiquity, with evidence of gold, silver and copper mining in the pre-Roman and Roman times. The pyritic deposit of São Domingos (St. Dominic) was explored in various historical periods, namely: for several centuries of the first millennium BC (Eastern period), during the period between 14 BC and 395 AD (Roman period), during the Islamic period and during the modern period that was initiated in 1858 for the extraction of copper, gold and silver and was maintained until 1966, the year in which the reserves were considered exhausted. During this period, the work was done in the open air up to 120 meters deep, with work continued through wells and galleries up to 400 meters. Over 108 years of regular exploration, more than 20 million tons of materials were removed from the site, producing about 14.7 million tons of waste accumulated in heaps up to 14 meters high with a dozen different materials such as pyrite , gossan, slag, ash, iron oxides, barren rock, sludge, debris, etc. The areas of heaps, slag and channels of water, give the landscape a “lunar” aspect. The heaps are composed of different materials with high levels of metals, such as slag and ash, whose leaching through the rainwater leads to the production of acid mine drainage, usually with an ocher or reddish color.|
PT: O arco da Via Láctea ergue-se por detrás de uma fina camada de nuvens que se mistura em pano de fundo com a presença suave de airglow, tornando-se visível acima das águas ácidas da Achada do Gamo, que foi desde o início das atividades modernas de mineração na Mina de São Domingos, o centro das atividades metalúrgicas sobre os minérios extraídos. Já durante o século XX, entre as décadas de 30 e 40, uma nova direção de exploração industrial tomou lugar: o enxofre, entretanto muito valorizado, passou a ser extraído das pirites cupríferas através de fornos (processo Orkla) em duas unidades fabris instaladas na Achada do Gamo durante os anos de 1934 e 1943. Logo acima do horizonte esquerdo, e perto da primeira chaminé, é visível a galáxia de Andrómeda, vista a partir daqui como um ponto difuso alongado.
A Mina de São Domingos, situa-se no Baixo Alentejo, a cerca de 240 km de Lisboa, no concelho de Mértola, que passou a integrar recentemente a Rota Dark Sky® Alqueva pela grande qualidade do seu céu escuro. A área mineira de São Domingos, está inserida na Faixa Piritosa Ibérica e constitui uma fonte decisiva de metais básicos (Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) e de outros elementos como o enxofre (S). Foi desde a Antiguidade um local procurado para a extracção de minérios, existindo indícios de trabalhos de extracção de ouro, prata e cobre no período pré-romano e romano. O depósito pirítico de São Domingos foi explorado em diversos períodos históricos, nomeadamente: durante vários séculos do primeiro milénio a.C. (período Oriental), durante o período que mediou entre o ano 14 a.C. e o ano de 395 d.C. (período romano), durante o período islâmico e durante o período moderno que se iniciou em 1858 para a extracção de cobre, ouro e prata e manteve-se até 1966, ano em que as reservas foram consideradas esgotadas. Neste período, a lavra foi feita a céu aberto até aos 120 metros de profundidade, tendo os trabalhos continuado por meio de poços e galerias até aos 400 metros. Ao longo de 108 anos de exploração regular, foram retirados do local mais de 20 milhões de toneladas de materiais, tendo produzido cerca 14,7 milhões de toneladas de resíduos acumulados em escombreiras de até 14 metros de altura, com uma dezena de materiais diferentes como pirite, gossan, escórias, cinzas, óxidos de ferro, rocha estéril, lamas, entulhos, etc. As áreas de escombreiras, escórias e canais de água, dão à paisagem um aspecto “lunar”. As escombreiras são constituídas por diferentes materiais com teores elevados em metais, como escórias e cinzas, cuja lixiviação através das águas das chuvas leva à produção de águas ácidas (‘acid mine drainage’), geralmente com uma cor ocre ou avermelhada.
Milky Way Arm above an Acid Water
A view of the Milky Way arm mixed with some clouds with planet Saturn shinning against the galaxy core, near Scorpius constellation. In the top right corner of the image, a pink/red emission from North America Nebula (NGC7000) is well visible near Deneb star, forming a triangle with the blue star Vega (top center) and Altair star (left center). This mosaic of the Milky Way was captured above a puddle of acid water reflecting the starlight from Scorpius and Saturn, located in Achada do Gamo, that was – since the beginning of modern mining activities in the São Domingos Mine – the center of metallurgical activities on extracted minerals. Already during the 20th century, between the 30s and 40s, a new direction of industrial exploration took place: the sulfur, however much valued, began to be extracted from the copper pyrites through furnaces (Orkla process) in two plants installed in the Achada do Gamo during the years of 1934 and 1943.
São Domingos Mine is located in Baixo Alentejo, about 240 km from Lisbon, in the municipality of Mértola, which recently joined the Dark Sky® Alqueva Route for the great quality of the night sky. The São Domingos mining area is part of the Iberian Pyrite Range and is a decisive source of basic metals (S, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) and other elements such as sulfur (S). It has been a sought after place for the extraction of ores since antiquity, with evidence of gold, silver and copper mining in the pre-Roman and Roman times. The pyritic deposit of São Domingos (St. Dominic) was explored in various historical periods, namely: for several centuries of the first millennium BC (Eastern period), during the period between 14 BC and 395 AD (Roman period), during the Islamic period and during the modern period that was initiated in 1858 for the extraction of copper, gold and silver and was maintained until 1966, the year in which the reserves were considered exhausted. During this period, the work was done in the open air up to 120 meters deep, with work continued through wells and galleries up to 400 meters. Over 108 years of regular exploration, more than 20 million tons of materials were removed from the site, producing about 14.7 million tons of waste accumulated in heaps up to 14 meters high with a dozen different materials such as pyrite , gossan, slag, ash, iron oxides, barren rock, sludge, debris, etc. The areas of heaps, slag and channels of water, give the landscape a “lunar” aspect. The heaps are composed of different materials with high levels of metals, such as slag and ash, whose leaching through the rainwater leads to the production of acid mine drainage, usually with an ocher or reddish color.|
PT: Uma visão do braço da Via Láctea misturado com algumas nuvens com o planeta Saturno brilhando contra o centro da galáxia, perto da constelação do Escorpião. No canto superior direito da imagem, uma emissão rosa/vermelha proveniente da Nebulosa América do Norte (NGC7000) é bem visível perto da estrela Deneb, formando um triângulo com a estrela azul Vega (centro superior) e a estrela Altair (centro esquerdo). Este mosaico da Via Láctea foi captado acima das águas ácidas de um charco, reflectindo a luz estelar de Escorpião e Saturno, a partir da região da Achada do Gamo, que foi desde o início das atividades modernas de mineração na Mina de São Domingos, o centro das atividades metalúrgicas sobre os minérios extraídos. Já durante o século XX, entre as décadas de 30 e 40, uma nova direção de exploração industrial tomou lugar: o enxofre, entretanto muito valorizado, passou a ser extraído das pirites cupríferas através de fornos (processo Orkla) em duas unidades fabris instaladas na Achada do Gamo durante os anos de 1934 e 1943.
A Mina de São Domingos, situa-se no Baixo Alentejo, a cerca de 240 km de Lisboa, no concelho de Mértola, que passou a integrar recentemente a Rota Dark Sky® Alqueva pela grande qualidade do seu céu escuro. A área mineira de São Domingos, está inserida na Faixa Piritosa Ibérica e constitui uma fonte decisiva de metais básicos (Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) e de outros elementos como o enxofre (S). Foi desde a Antiguidade um local procurado para a extracção de minérios, existindo indícios de trabalhos de extracção de ouro, prata e cobre no período pré-romano e romano. O depósito pirítico de São Domingos foi explorado em diversos períodos históricos, nomeadamente: durante vários séculos do primeiro milénio a.C. (período Oriental), durante o período que mediou entre o ano 14 a.C. e o ano de 395 d.C. (período romano), durante o período islâmico e durante o período moderno que se iniciou em 1858 para a extracção de cobre, ouro e prata e manteve-se até 1966, ano em que as reservas foram consideradas esgotadas. Neste período, a lavra foi feita a céu aberto até aos 120 metros de profundidade, tendo os trabalhos continuado por meio de poços e galerias até aos 400 metros. Ao longo de 108 anos de exploração regular, foram retirados do local mais de 20 milhões de toneladas de materiais, tendo produzido cerca 14,7 milhões de toneladas de resíduos acumulados em escombreiras de até 14 metros de altura, com uma dezena de materiais diferentes como pirite, gossan, escórias, cinzas, óxidos de ferro, rocha estéril, lamas, entulhos, etc. As áreas de escombreiras, escórias e canais de água, dão à paisagem um aspecto “lunar”. As escombreiras são constituídas por diferentes materiais com teores elevados em metais, como escórias e cinzas, cuja lixiviação através das águas das chuvas leva à produção de águas ácidas (‘acid mine drainage’), geralmente com uma cor ocre ou avermelhada.
Summer Triangle and Planet Saturn Shinning above Achada do Gamo
A view of the Milky Way arm with planet Saturn shinning against the galaxy core, near Scorpius constellation. In the top right corner of the image, a pink/red emission from North America Nebula (NGC7000) is well visible near Deneb star, forming a perfect triangle with the blue star Vega (top center) and Altair star (left center). This mosaic of the Milky Way was captured above a puddle of acid water from Achada do Gamo, that was – since the beginning of modern mining activities in the São Domingos Mine – the center of metallurgical activities on extracted minerals. Already during the 20th century, between the 30s and 40s, a new direction of industrial exploration took place: the sulfur, however much valued, began to be extracted from the copper pyrites through furnaces (Orkla process) in two plants installed in the Achada do Gamo during the years of 1934 and 1943.
São Domingos Mine is located in Baixo Alentejo, about 240 km from Lisbon, in the municipality of Mértola, which recently joined the Dark Sky® Alqueva Route for the great quality of the night sky. The São Domingos mining area is part of the Iberian Pyrite Range and is a decisive source of basic metals (S, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) and other elements such as sulfur (S). It has been a sought after place for the extraction of ores since antiquity, with evidence of gold, silver and copper mining in the pre-Roman and Roman times. The pyritic deposit of São Domingos (St. Dominic) was explored in various historical periods, namely: for several centuries of the first millennium BC (Eastern period), during the period between 14 BC and 395 AD (Roman period), during the Islamic period and during the modern period that was initiated in 1858 for the extraction of copper, gold and silver and was maintained until 1966, the year in which the reserves were considered exhausted. During this period, the work was done in the open air up to 120 meters deep, with work continued through wells and galleries up to 400 meters. Over 108 years of regular exploration, more than 20 million tons of materials were removed from the site, producing about 14.7 million tons of waste accumulated in heaps up to 14 meters high with a dozen different materials such as pyrite , gossan, slag, ash, iron oxides, barren rock, sludge, debris, etc. The areas of heaps, slag and channels of water, give the landscape a “lunar” aspect. The heaps are composed of different materials with high levels of metals, such as slag and ash, whose leaching through the rainwater leads to the production of acid mine drainage, usually with an ocher or reddish color.|
PT: Uma visão do braço da Via Láctea com o planeta Saturno brilhando contra o centro da galáxia, perto da constelação do Escorpião. No canto superior direito da imagem, uma emissão rosa/vermelha proveniente da Nebulosa América do Norte (NGC7000) é bem visível perto da estrela Deneb, formando um triângulo perfeito com a estrela azul Vega (centro superior) e a estrela Altair (centro esquerdo). Este mosaico da Via Láctea foi captado acima das águas ácidas da Achada do Gamo, que foi desde o início das atividades modernas de mineração na Mina de São Domingos, o centro das atividades metalúrgicas sobre os minérios extraídos. Já durante o século XX, entre as décadas de 30 e 40, uma nova direção de exploração industrial tomou lugar: o enxofre, entretanto muito valorizado, passou a ser extraído das pirites cupríferas através de fornos (processo Orkla) em duas unidades fabris instaladas na Achada do Gamo durante os anos de 1934 e 1943.
A Mina de São Domingos, situa-se no Baixo Alentejo, a cerca de 240 km de Lisboa, no concelho de Mértola, que passou a integrar recentemente a Rota Dark Sky® Alqueva pela grande qualidade do seu céu escuro. A área mineira de São Domingos, está inserida na Faixa Piritosa Ibérica e constitui uma fonte decisiva de metais básicos (Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, Ag, Au, Fe, Co, Cd, etc.) e de outros elementos como o enxofre (S). Foi desde a Antiguidade um local procurado para a extracção de minérios, existindo indícios de trabalhos de extracção de ouro, prata e cobre no período pré-romano e romano. O depósito pirítico de São Domingos foi explorado em diversos períodos históricos, nomeadamente: durante vários séculos do primeiro milénio a.C. (período Oriental), durante o período que mediou entre o ano 14 a.C. e o ano de 395 d.C. (período romano), durante o período islâmico e durante o período moderno que se iniciou em 1858 para a extracção de cobre, ouro e prata e manteve-se até 1966, ano em que as reservas foram consideradas esgotadas. Neste período, a lavra foi feita a céu aberto até aos 120 metros de profundidade, tendo os trabalhos continuado por meio de poços e galerias até aos 400 metros. Ao longo de 108 anos de exploração regular, foram retirados do local mais de 20 milhões de toneladas de materiais, tendo produzido cerca 14,7 milhões de toneladas de resíduos acumulados em escombreiras de até 14 metros de altura, com uma dezena de materiais diferentes como pirite, gossan, escórias, cinzas, óxidos de ferro, rocha estéril, lamas, entulhos, etc. As áreas de escombreiras, escórias e canais de água, dão à paisagem um aspecto “lunar”. As escombreiras são constituídas por diferentes materiais com teores elevados em metais, como escórias e cinzas, cuja lixiviação através das águas das chuvas leva à produção de águas ácidas (‘acid mine drainage’), geralmente com uma cor ocre ou avermelhada.
Milky Way from the Tunnel View of Yosemite National Park
First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, it´s full of beauty with deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, and a vast wilderness area where the animals are living in harmony with the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, and the tranquility of the High Sierra, that shows the persistence of life even with the large and strong fires that seems to threaten all this area each summer.
A blaze near Yosemite National Park have created smoky skies for days. On the top of the image, a Milky Way is trying to shine above the band of smoke and dust in this framing from the beautiful Tunnel View of Yosemite. Works on the exit road of the park have helped to light up the scene for several hours.
Big Dipper shinning above Zabriskie, in Death Valley
Ursa Major (Big Dipper) shinning above Zabriskie Point, that is part of Amargosa Range located east of Death Valley in Death Valley National Park, in California, United States. Noted for its erosional landscape, it is composed of sediments from Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up 5 million years ago—long before Death Valley came into existence. The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 134 °F (56.7 °C) on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek, which is the hottest atmospheric temperature ever recorded on earth.
Bright Meteor and Planet Jupiter above Alqueva
In this winter scene of a cloudy night, a bright and fast meteor have crossed the sky near Arcturus while at the right side planet Jupiter were shinning near the blue star Spica. Below, in the small lagoon from the rural hotel Naveterra, in Alandroal, northern part of Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, two horses were spotted near the water that is reflecting the greenish color of the sky.
Alqueva Paradise and the Winter Sky
This paradise night scene of the winter sky above the lake of Campinho village, Alqueva Dark Sky® Reserve, shows, above, star clusters and diffuse red/violet colors shinning from deep space objects like Orion and other emission nebulae spread in the celestial sphere. In the center left of the image, we can see a rare and faint white light known as Gegenschein, a faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the antisolar point. like the zodiacal light, the gegenschein is sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust. Most of this dust is orbiting the Sun in about the ecliptic plane. It is distinguished from zodiacal light by its high angle of reflection of the incident sunlight on the dust particles.
PT: Esta linda cena noturna do céu de inverno que se ergue acima do lago da vila do Campinho, Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva, mostra-nos aglomerados de estrelas e cores difusas vermelho/violeta brilhando intensamente espalhadas pelo céu de inverno, provenientes de nebulosas de emissão e objectos de céu profundo como Orion. No centro esquerdo da imagem, podemos ver uma luz branca rara e fraca conhecida como Gegenschein, que é um ligeiro brilho do céu noturno na região do ponto antisolar. Como a luz zodiacal, o gegenschein é a luz solar dispersa pela poeira interplanetária. A maior parte dessa poeira está orbitando o Sol em torno do plano eclíptico. Distingue-se da luz zodiacal pelo seu alto ângulo de reflexão da luz solar incidente sobre as partículas de poeira.
A Bridge to Andromeda Galaxy
In this lovely night scene of the winter sky we can see a small bridge from Campinho region, Alqueva Dark Sky® Reserve that seems to indicate the path to Andromeda Galaxy which is visible just above the horizon in the center of the picture. High above, star clusters and diffuse red/violet colors are shinning and spread in the winter sky, coming from deep sky objects like Orion, California, Rosette, Barnard´s Loop, Heart & Soul and other emission nebulae. At left in the direction of Pleiades, a faint white light is visible and known as the Zodiacal Light.
PT: Nesta cena de céu noturno do inverno, podemos ver uma pequena ponte da região do Campinho, na Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva, que parece indicar o caminho para a Galáxia de Andrómeda, que é visível logo acima do horizonte no centro da fotografia. No alto, aglomerados de estrelas e cores difusas vermelho/violeta brilham intensamente espalhadas pelo céu de inverno. Orion, California, Rosette, Barnard´s Loop, Heart & Soul nebula, são algumas das imensas nebulosas de emissão visíveis nesta época do ano. À esquerda, na direção das Pleiades, uma fraca luz branca é visível e conhecida como a Luz Zodiacal.
A Christmas tree adorned with stars
This could be a Christmas tree from Alentejo adorned with stars…the luminous and colorful balls that sprinkle with magic the sky of the Dark Sky® Alqueva. In the center of this composition captured in Campinho, Reguengos de Monsaraz, the silhouetted branches embrace the most beautiful and well-known winter constellation, Orion. Just below them, the bright and shimmering star Sirius reminds us of the star of Bethlehem.
Above we can see a comparison between the wide field image at left, where we can spot the entire constellation of Orion in the winter sky, with the small angle of about (2.25ºx 1.37º) where it fits the beautiful Dusty Heart of Orion Nebula (at right). The full resolution of Orion Nebula can be seen here.
PT: Esta poderia ser uma árvore de Natal alentejana, adornada de estrelas… as bolas luminosas e coloridas que salpicam de magia o céu do Dark Sky® Alqueva. No centro desta composição captada no Campinho, em Reguengos de Monsaraz, os ramos em silhueta abraçam a mais bela e conhecida constelação de Inverno, Orion. Logo abaixo destes, a estrela Sírius luminosa e cintilante faz-nos lembrar a estrela de Belém!
Zodiacal light in the glacial valley of Glendalough
Zodiacal light and planet Venus in the forest of Glendalough. Meaning “Valley of two lakes”, is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. It combines extensive monastic ruins with a stunning natural setting in the Wicklow Mountains. The beauty and tranquility of the lakes and glacial-carved valley no doubt appealed to St Kevin, a hermit monk, who founded the monastic site near the Lower Lake in the 6th Century. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united. The settlement was destroyed by English forces in 1398. A reconstruction program was started in 1878 and today the valley boasts a visitor centre, wooded trails, walkways and rock climbing. The monastic ruins include a round tower, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary Stone, two High Crosses, the priest’s house, a graveyard, Reeferts Church, St. Kevin’s Bed (Cave) and St. Kevin’s Cell (hermitage hut). More about.
PT: Luz zodiacal e o planeta Vénus na floresta de Glendalough. Com o significado “Vale dos dois lagos”, é um vale glacial no condado de Wicklow, na Irlanda, conhecida por uma povoação monástica medieval precoce fundada no século 6 pelo St Kevin. Combina extensas ruínas monásticas com um cenário natural deslumbrante nas montanhas de Wicklow. A beleza e tranquilidade dos lagos e do vale glacial esculpido, sem dúvida, chamaram a atenção do monge eremita St Kevin . A maioria dos edifícios que sobreviveram até aos dias de hoje datam do século 12. Apesar dos ataques de Vikings ao longo dos anos, Glendalough prosperou como uma das grandes fundações eclesiásticas irlandesas e escolas de aprendizagem até que os normandos destruiram o mosteiro em 1214 e as dioceses de Glendalough e Dublin foram unidos. A liquidação foi destruída por forças inglesas em 1398. Um programa de reconstrução foi iniciado em 1878 e hoje o vale dispõe de um centro de visitantes, trilhas arborizadas, calçadas e escalada. As ruínas monásticas incluem uma torre redonda, sete igrejas, uma porta de entrada para a povoação com um Santuário de pedra, duas cruzes celtas altas, casa do padre e um cemitério.
Celtic Cemetery in Glendalough
The Celtic cemetery at Glendalough has spread Celtic crosses and ancient gravestones throughout the area. Finest examples of a plain cross remarkably carved from a single granite stone. The cross is the most ancient and powerful of symbols: an encounter of the vertical with the horizontal, the feminine & masculine, temporal & eternal. The circle of the Celtic cross, implying infinity, gives it a cosmic dimension. The arms of the cross are over a metre in length. The imperforate cross stands about 2.5m tall. It may have marked the boundary of the cemetery in which stands the priests’ house. This cross is a fine example of how St Patrick trying to help the once pagan people of Ireland acclimate to Christianity. This was done by combining the cross with the circle representing the sun, because the pagans worshipped the sun and moon. A local legend surrounding St. Kevin’s Cross says that anyone who can wrap their arms around the entire width of the cross body and close the circle by touching fingertips will have their wishes granted.
Glendalough (meaning “Valley of two lakes”) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. It combines extensive monastic ruins with a stunning natural setting in the Wicklow Mountains. The beauty and tranquility of the lakes and glacial-carved valley no doubt appealed to St Kevin, a hermit monk, who founded the monastic site near the Lower Lake in the 6th Century. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united. The settlement was destroyed by English forces in 1398. A reconstruction program was started in 1878 and today the valley boasts a visitor centre, wooded trails, walkways and rock climbing. The monastic ruins include a round tower, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary Stone, two High Crosses, the priest’s house, a graveyard, Reeferts Church, St. Kevin’s Bed (Cave) and St. Kevin’s Cell (hermitage hut). More about.
PT: Este cemitério em Glendalough tem espalhadas cruzes celtas e lápides anciãs. A cruz celta é um belo exemplo de uma cruz simples notavelmente esculpida de uma única pedra de granito. A cruz é o mais antiga e poderoso símbolo: um encontro do vertical com o horizontal, o feminino e masculino, temporal e eterno. O círculo da cruz celta, o que implica infinito, dá-lhe uma dimensão cósmica. Estas cruzes celtas podem ser encontradas no cemitério de Glendalough. Com o significado “Vale dos dois lagos”, é um vale glacial no condado de Wicklow, na Irlanda, conhecida por uma povoação monástica medieval precoce fundada no século 6 pelo St Kevin. Combina extensas ruínas monásticas com um cenário natural deslumbrante nas montanhas de Wicklow. A beleza e tranquilidade dos lagos e do vale glacial esculpido, sem dúvida, chamaram a atenção do monge eremita St Kevin . A maioria dos edifícios que sobreviveram até aos dias de hoje datam do século 12. Apesar dos ataques de Vikings ao longo dos anos, Glendalough prosperou como uma das grandes fundações eclesiásticas irlandesas e escolas de aprendizagem até que os normandos destruiram o mosteiro em 1214 e as dioceses de Glendalough e Dublin foram unidos. A liquidação foi destruída por forças inglesas em 1398. Um programa de reconstrução foi iniciado em 1878 e hoje o vale dispõe de um centro de visitantes, trilhas arborizadas, calçadas e escalada. As ruínas monásticas incluem uma torre redonda, sete igrejas, uma porta de entrada para a povoação com um Santuário de pedra, duas cruzes celtas altas, casa do padre e um cemitério.
Celtic Cross in Ireland
This Celtic Cross is a fine example of a plain cross remarkably carved from a single granite stone. The cross is the most ancient and powerful of symbols: an encounter of the vertical with the horizontal, the feminine & masculine, temporal & eternal. The circle of the Celtic cross, implying infinity, gives it a cosmic dimension. The arms of the cross are over a meter in length. The imperforate cross stands about 2.5m tall. It may have marked the boundary of the cemetery in which stands the priests’ house. This cross is a fine example of how St Patrick trying to help the once pagan people of Ireland acclimate to Christianity. This was done by combining the cross with the circle representing the sun, because the pagans worshipped the sun and moon. A local legend surrounding St. Kevin’s Cross says that anyone who can wrap their arms around the entire width of the cross body and close the circle by touching fingertips will have their wishes granted.
Glendalough (meaning “Valley of two lakes”) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. It combines extensive monastic ruins with a stunning natural setting in the Wicklow Mountains. The beauty and tranquility of the lakes and glacial-carved valley no doubt appealed to St Kevin, a hermit monk, who founded the monastic site near the Lower Lake in the 6th Century. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united. The settlement was destroyed by English forces in 1398. A reconstruction program was started in 1878 and today the valley boasts a visitor centre, wooded trails, walkways and rock climbing. The monastic ruins include a round tower, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary Stone, two High Crosses, the priest’s house, a graveyard, Reeferts Church, St. Kevin’s Bed (Cave) and St. Kevin’s Cell (hermitage hut). More about.
PT: Esta cruz celta é um belo exemplo de uma cruz simples notavelmente esculpida de uma única pedra de granito. A cruz é o mais antiga e poderoso símbolo: um encontro do vertical com o horizontal, o feminino e masculino, temporal e eterno. O círculo da cruz celta, o que implica infinito, dá-lhe uma dimensão cósmica. Estas cruzes celtas podem ser encontradas no cemitério de Glendalough. Com o significado “Vale dos dois lagos”, é um vale glacial no condado de Wicklow, na Irlanda, conhecida por uma povoação monástica medieval precoce fundada no século 6 pelo St Kevin. Combina extensas ruínas monásticas com um cenário natural deslumbrante nas montanhas de Wicklow. A beleza e tranquilidade dos lagos e do vale glacial esculpido, sem dúvida, chamaram a atenção do monge eremita St Kevin . A maioria dos edifícios que sobreviveram até aos dias de hoje datam do século 12. Apesar dos ataques de Vikings ao longo dos anos, Glendalough prosperou como uma das grandes fundações eclesiásticas irlandesas e escolas de aprendizagem até que os normandos destruiram o mosteiro em 1214 e as dioceses de Glendalough e Dublin foram unidos. A liquidação foi destruída por forças inglesas em 1398. Um programa de reconstrução foi iniciado em 1878 e hoje o vale dispõe de um centro de visitantes, trilhas arborizadas, calçadas e escalada. As ruínas monásticas incluem uma torre redonda, sete igrejas, uma porta de entrada para a povoação com um Santuário de pedra, duas cruzes celtas altas, casa do padre e um cemitério.
Celtic Cross Against the Night Sky
This Celtic Cross is a fine example of a plain cross remarkably carved from a single granite stone. The cross is the most ancient and powerful of symbols: an encounter of the vertical with the horizontal, the feminine & masculine, temporal & eternal. The circle of the Celtic cross, implying infinity, gives it a cosmic dimension. The arms of the cross are over a metre in length. The imperforate cross stands about 2.5m tall. It may have marked the boundary of the cemetery in which stands the priests’ house. This cross is a fine example of how St Patrick trying to help the once pagan people of Ireland acclimate to Christianity. This was done by combining the cross with the circle representing the sun, because the pagans worshipped the sun and moon. A local legend surrounding St. Kevin’s Cross says that anyone who can wrap their arms around the entire width of the cross body and close the circle by touching fingertips will have their wishes granted.
Glendalough (meaning “Valley of two lakes”) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. It combines extensive monastic ruins with a stunning natural setting in the Wicklow Mountains. The beauty and tranquility of the lakes and glacial-carved valley no doubt appealed to St Kevin, a hermit monk, who founded the monastic site near the Lower Lake in the 6th Century. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united. The settlement was destroyed by English forces in 1398. A reconstruction program was started in 1878 and today the valley boasts a visitor centre, wooded trails, walkways and rock climbing. The monastic ruins include a round tower, seven churches, a gateway into the settlement with a Sanctuary Stone, two High Crosses, the priest’s house, a graveyard, Reeferts Church, St. Kevin’s Bed (Cave) and St. Kevin’s Cell (hermitage hut). More about.
PT: Esta cruz celta é um belo exemplo de uma cruz simples notavelmente esculpida de uma única pedra de granito. A cruz é o mais antiga e poderoso símbolo: um encontro do vertical com o horizontal, o feminino e masculino, temporal e eterno. O círculo da cruz celta, o que implica infinito, dá-lhe uma dimensão cósmica. Estas cruzes celtas podem ser encontradas no cemitério de Glendalough. Com o significado “Vale dos dois lagos”, é um vale glacial no condado de Wicklow, na Irlanda, conhecida por uma povoação monástica medieval precoce fundada no século 6 pelo St Kevin. Combina extensas ruínas monásticas com um cenário natural deslumbrante nas montanhas de Wicklow. A beleza e tranquilidade dos lagos e do vale glacial esculpido, sem dúvida, chamaram a atenção do monge eremita St Kevin . A maioria dos edifícios que sobreviveram até aos dias de hoje datam do século 12. Apesar dos ataques de Vikings ao longo dos anos, Glendalough prosperou como uma das grandes fundações eclesiásticas irlandesas e escolas de aprendizagem até que os normandos destruiram o mosteiro em 1214 e as dioceses de Glendalough e Dublin foram unidos. A liquidação foi destruída por forças inglesas em 1398. Um programa de reconstrução foi iniciado em 1878 e hoje o vale dispõe de um centro de visitantes, trilhas arborizadas, calçadas e escalada. As ruínas monásticas incluem uma torre redonda, sete igrejas, uma porta de entrada para a povoação com um Santuário de pedra, duas cruzes celtas altas, casa do padre e um cemitério.
Venus Reflecting on Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland
Venus is the second-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows. Is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. It has the longest rotation period (243 days) of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets. It has no natural satellite. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Normally visible at Dawn or other times at Dusk, Venus has been a major fixture in human culture for as long as records have existed. It has been made sacred to gods of many cultures, and has been a prime inspiration for writers and poets as the “morning star” and “evening star”. In the image above, the brightness of this planet is reflecting in the ocean surface from Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland, due to a presence of tiny water droplets in thin clouds – which diffract the light of bright heavenly bodies working as a natural diffuse filter – we also can see a blueish color from its corona. The Giant’s Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
Beyond the Limits of Earth – Astrophotography from an Airplane
When I was back to Lisbon from a large trip between Chile, Argentina and Uruguay with a stopover in São Paulo, Brazil, I had a rare opportunity somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and under the moonlight to take some images from the window of an airplane, during the sleeping hours, when the lights of the plane were shut off. I asked my colleague Apolónia Rodrigues to cover my head with a black jacket around the window to avoid any reflections from inside. The shutter speed had to be very fast for a night sky photography because it was very difficult to have a pinpoint stars without shaking with the movements of the plane. After a few attempts and efforts, I could capture some nice views with the stars and the night sky above Earth taken at a high altitude, probably between 10,000 to 12,000 meters at a cruise speed of ~900km/h, some of them with lightning below.
Due to the presence of moonlight we can distinguish very well the limb and transition between the blue color from our atmosphere and the black from outer space. Blue light is scattered more than other wavelengths by the gases in the atmosphere, giving Earth a blue halo. The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, commonly known as air, that surrounds the planet Earth and is retained by Earth’s gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night (the diurnal temperature variation). The atmosphere has a mass of about 5.15×1018 kg, three quarters of which is within about 11 km (6.8 mi; 36,000 ft) of the surface. The atmosphere becomes thinner and thinner with increasing altitude, with no definite boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. The Kármán line, at 100 km (62 mi), or 1.57% of Earth’s radius, is often used as the border between the atmosphere and outer space.
PT: De regresso a Lisboa a partir de uma grande viagem entre o Chile, Argentina e Uruguai com escala em São Paulo, Brasil, eu tive uma oportunidade rara enquanto estava algures a sobrevoar o Oceano Atlântico, de captar imagens ao luar a partir da janela de um avião comercial, durante as horas de sono e enquanto as luzes do avião foram desligados. Pedi à minha colega de equipa Apolónia Rodrigues para me cobrir a cabeça e ao redor da janela com um casaco preto, no sentido de evitar quaisquer reflexos a partir do interior do avião. A velocidade do obturador tinha que ser muito rápida para uma fotografia de céu noturna, porque era muito difícil ter estrelas pontuais com a agitação do avião. Depois de algumas tentativas e esforços, tive a felicidade de captar algumas imagens com as estrelas pontuais onde se distinguem as estrelas que compõem o Cão Maior e Orion e onde é possível ver também o contorno da atmosfera acima da Terra. As imagens foram tiradas a uma alta altitude, provavelmente entre 10.000 a 12.000 metros e a uma velocidade de cruzeiro de ~ 900 km/h, alguns deles com relâmpagos abaixo .
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It extends from Earth’s surface to an average height of about 12 km, although this altitude actually varies from about 9 km (30,000 ft) at the poles to 17 km (56,000 ft) at the equator, with some variation due to weather. Most conventional aviation activity takes place in the troposphere, and it is the only layer that can be accessed by propeller-driven aircraft.
In one of the pictures I made an annotation with the main constellations visible. Orion and Sirius are very well spotted. Each one is a single shot: Canon 6D, Exp: 1/3s; ISO8000 24mm f/2.8
Summer Triangle above Vatican City State
The Summer Triangle is an astronomical asterism involving an imaginary triangle drawn on the northern hemisphere’s celestial sphere, with its defining vertices at Altair, Deneb, and Vega, the brightest stars in the three constellations of Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra, respectively. Only this 3 stars are bright enough to be visible above the light polluted sky from the City State of Vaticano, in Rome, Italy.
Near midnight, the Summer Triangle lies virtually overhead at mid-northern latitudes during the summer months, but can also be seen during spring in the early morning to the East. In the autumn the summer triangle is visible in the evening to the West well until November. From the southern hemisphere it appears upside down and low in the sky during the winter months.
The Church has had a long-standing interest in astronomy, due to the astronomical basis of the calendar by which holy days and Easter are determined. For instance, the Gregorian Calendar, promulgated in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, was developed by Aloysius Lilius and later modified by Christoph Clavius at the Collegio Romano from astronomical data. The Gregorian Tower was completed in 1580 for his purpose, designed by Bolognese architect Ottaviano Matte.
The Vatican Observatory (Latin: Specola Vaticana) is an astronomical research and educational institution supported by the Holy See. Originally based in the Roman College of Rome, the Observatory is now headquartered in Castel Gandolfo, Italy and operates a telescope at the Mount Graham International Observatory in the United States. In the 18th century, the Papacy actively supported astronomy, establishing the Observatory of the Roman College in 1774. In 1789–1787, the Specola Vaticana in the Tower of the Winds within the Vatican was established under the direction of Msgr. Filippo Luigi Gilii (1756–1821). When Msgr. Gilii died, the Specola was closed down because it was inconvenient for students in the city because the dome of St. Peter’s obstructed its view. Its instruments were transferred to the College Observatory. A third facility, the Observatory of the Capitol, was operated from 1827 to 1870. In 1891, however, Pope Leo XIII issued a Motu Proprio re-founding the Specola Vaticana (Vatican Observatory) and a new observatory was built on the walls at the edge of the Vatican.The new Vatican Observatory remained there for the next forty years.
By the 1930s, the smoke and sky-glow of the city had made it impossible to conduct useful observations in Rome. Pope Pius XI relocated the Observatory to Castel Gandolfo, which is 25 kilometres (16 mi) southeast of Rome. By 1961, the same problems with light pollution made observing difficult at Castel Gandolfo. The Observatory then established the Vatican Observatory Research Group, with offices at the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona.
PT: O Triângulo de Verão é um asterismo astronómico envolvendo um triângulo imaginário “desenhado na esfera celeste” do hemisfério norte, com os seus vértices a definirem Altair, Deneb e Vega, as estrelas mais brilhantes nas três constelações de Aquila, Cygnus e Lyra, respectivamente. Só estas 3 estrelas conseguem ser suficientemente brilhantes para serem visíveis a partir de um céu poluído como o que se ergue acima do Estado da Cidade do Vaticano, em Roma, Itália.
Officially called Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of 842, it is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area and population. It is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state (a type of theocracy) ruled by the Bishop of Rome – the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various national origins. Since the return of the Popes from Avignon in 1377, they have generally resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City. Vatican City is distinct from the Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes), which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe. The independent city-state, on the other hand, came into existence in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, which spoke of it as a new creation, not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756–1870), which had previously encompassed much of central Italy. According to the terms of the treaty, the Holy See has “full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction” over the city-state.
Colorful Night Sky – A Stellar Spectrum
When we first look at the night sky, we can not distinguish the color of each star with our own eyes, although, if we record in a long exposure sequence the path of each star, due to the motion of rotating Earth and consequently the rotation of celestial sphere, a starry trailed sky can reveal much of our colorful Universe. In the image above, captured in Noudar Park, Alqueva Dark Sky® Reserve, Portugal, we can see a lot of different color paths, like: blue, yellow, white or orange. Each color is directly related to the type and temperature of each star. Some of them are hottest, like Alfirk, in Cepheus constellation, and some are coolest like Eltanin, in Draco.
In astronomy, stellar classification is the classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. Electromagnetic radiation from the star is analyzed by splitting it with a prism or diffraction grating into a spectrum exhibiting the rainbow of colors interspersed with absorption lines. Each line indicates an ion of a certain chemical element, with the line strength indicating the abundance of that ion. The relative abundance of the different ions varies with the temperature of the photosphere. The spectral class of a star is a short code summarizing the ionization state, giving an objective measure of the photosphere’s temperature and density.
Most stars are currently classified under the Morgan–Keenan (MK) system using the letters O, B, A, F, G, K, and M, a sequence from the hottest (O type – blue stars) to the coolest (M type – red stars). Each letter class is then subdivided using a numeric digit with 0 being hottest and 9 being coolest (e.g. A8, A9, F0, F1 form a sequence from hotter to cooler). The sequence has been expanded with classes for other stars and star-like objects that do not fit in the classical system, such as class D for white dwarfs and class C for carbon stars.
In the MK system, a luminosity class is added to the spectral class using Roman numerals. This is based on the width of certain absorption lines in the star’s spectrum, which vary with the density of the atmosphere and so distinguish giant stars from dwarfs. Luminosity class 0 or Ia+ stars for hypergiants, class I stars for supergiants, class II for bright giants, class III for regular giants, class IV for sub-giants, class V for main-sequence stars, class sd for sub-dwarfs, and class D for white dwarfs. The full spectral class for the Sun is then G2V, indicating a main-sequence star with a temperature around 5,800 K. Source and more info: click here.
PT: Quando de noite olhamos para o céu não conseguimos percepcionar com os nossos próprios olhos a cor de cada estrela, no entanto, se registarmos numa sequência de longa exposição o rasto de cada estrela, devido ao movimento de rotação da Terra e à consequente rotação da esfera celeste, uma imagem startrail poderá revelar um Universo colorido e rico em informação. Na imagem acima captada no Parque de Natureza de Noudar, Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva, em Barrancos, podemos ver uma grande diversidade de cores desde o azul, ao amarelo, branco ou laranja. Cada cor está directamente relacionada com o tipo e temperatura de cada estrela. Algumas delas são mais quentes, como Alfirk, na constelação do Cefeu, e outras são mais frias como Eltanin, no Dragão.
Stargazing in Punta Cana
EN: Enjoying the night surrounded by coconut trees spread along Punta Cana beach, in Dominican Republic.
PT: Relaxando numa noite estrelada, cercado por coqueiros espalhados ao longo da praia de Punta Cana, na República Dominicana.
Milky Way above Valle de la Muerte in Chile
Milky Way and Zodiacal Light captured after the nautical twilight above Valle de la Muerte, in la Cordillera De La Sal, near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile – October 2015.
PT: Via Láctea e a Luz Zodiacal captada a seguir ao crepúsculo náutico acima do Vale da Morte, na cordilheira De La Sal, próxima a São Pedro de Atacama, no Chile. Outubro 2015
Bridge of Light – Connecting worlds, realities and dimensions
EN: A bridge could be a connection of two worlds, realities or dimensions, or simply two sides of lake as we can see on the image, but in a figurative sense, could also be a word that simbolizes a “perfect connection” between pristine and modern, the night sky and the landscape of our beautiful planet in suspension among the arm of gas and dust from our galaxy, the Milky Way. Reflected in the calm water of the largest manmade lake in Europe (250Km²) are the light of a slowly lonely car that took several seconds to cross the entire bridge. But also the light of the stars, which took hundred or millions of years at a speed of light to reach this particular point, ready to be recorded in this singular picture taken from one of the rare Dark Sky places on Earth, in Mourão, Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve.
PT: Uma ponte pode ser a conexão de dois mundos, realidades ou dimensões, ou simplesmente a ligação a duas margens de um lago. Em sentido figurado, também pode ser uma palavra que simboliza uma “conexão perfeita” entre o Prístino e o Moderno, o céu noturno e a paisagem do nosso belo planeta em suspensão entre o braço de gás e poeira cósmica da nossa galáxia, a Via Láctea. Refletida na água calma do maior lago artificial da Europa (250Km²), está não só a luz de um carro lento e solitário que levou vários segundos para completar a travessia desta ponte e gravar o seu trajecto no espelho de água do Alqueva, como também o brilho das estrelas que levou dezenas, centenas e milhares de anos a percorrer numa viajem à velocidade da luz, a distância que nos separa no longínquo vácuo Interestelar. Aqui ficaram registadas as impressões de luz de uma viagem no tempo e no espaço, na história da própria Terra, do próprio Homem, um ser inteligente mas ainda recente na cronologia da vida deste Universo, que nesta imagem singular nos é revelado em perfeita harmonia e sintonia com a natureza que nos rodeia, num dos raros lugares da Terra onde o céu da antiguidade, ainda pode ser apreciado, partilhado e lembrado. Mourão, Dark Sky® Alqueva.
Rainbow Bands of Airglow in Gravity Waves above Pico Island Were seen from NOAA/NASA Satellite in Space
Featured as NASA´s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
PT | EN During a climb to the highest mountain of Portugal (2351m) – Pico mountain, located in Pico island, Azores – with a very hard weather conditions due to a strong winds and rain during almost the entire photo expedition with my team colleagues, I stopped at about 1200 meters to appreciate the views and photograph the lights coming from the island of Faial in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in a rare occasion with only a few clouds and part of the “winter” Milky Way visible as a background of a temporarily clear sky. Above the low clouds, I have captured strange “rainbow bands” of airglow and between them, the Andromeda Galaxy M31 on the top left of the picture. The air glows all of the time, but it is usually hard to see. A disturbance however – like an approaching storm – may cause noticeable rippling in the Earth’s atmosphere. The bands are actually huge parallel structures in the thermosphere 90 km upwards. Perspective makes them appear to converge. These atmospheric Gravity Waves* (not confound with gravitational waves related to Einstein) propagating upwards from disturbances lower down in the atmosphere, are likely the source of the bands. The wave amplitude increases with height (reducing density) and wavelengths can be thousands of kilometers.
Dr. Martin Setvák from Czech Hydrometeorological Institute Satellite Department, Praha, Czech Republic, has processed the Suomi-NPP VIIRS data to check if these gravity waves in airglow can be found in NOAA/NASA Soumi-NPP satellite Day/Night Band (DNB) image. The “day-night band,” of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite has indeed captured these glowing ripples in the night sky. The day-night band detects lights over a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses highly sensitive electronics to observe low light signals. The structures of the bands can be seen below, above the Pico and Faial islands in Azores, Portugal.
Airglow is a layer of nighttime light emissions caused by chemical reactions, light of electronically and/or vibration-rotationally excited atoms and molecules high in Earth’s atmosphere, by solar ultra-violet radiation. A variety of reactions involving oxygen, sodium, ozone, and nitrogen result in the production of a very faint amount of light. In fact, it’s approximately one billion times fainter than sunlight. Technically speaking, airglow occurs at all times. During the day it is called “dayglow,” at twilight “twilightglow,” and at night “nightglow”. There are slightly different processes taking place in each case, but in the image above the source of light is nightglow or airglow.
In the first colorful image captured above Pico, we can see a rare event where is distinguished almost each possible airglow color that is appearing on a single band (Gravity Wave) showed like a rainbow. Below is the Airglow Spectrum designed and explained by the expert Dr. Les Cowley from Atmospheric Optics. Green light from excited oxygen atoms dominates the glow. The atoms are 90-100 km (56-62 mile) high in the thermosphere. The weaker red light is from oxygen atoms further up. Sodium atoms, hydroxyl radicals (OH) and molecular oxygen add to the light.
Dr. Steve Smith, Senior Research Scientist at Center for Space Physics of Boston University, is a specialist in airglow and has explained the rare phenomenon captured on these images: “The photo is very other-worldly but it is indeed a photo of two, maybe three, airglow layers with gravity waves propagating through them in the upper mesosphere. The green is most likely due to atomic oxygen near 96 km. The red is probably due to hydroxyl (OH) near 87 km. Possibly sodium from near 90 k m also but the orange may also just be the response of the system to the combination of the red and green airglow. The awesome rainbow appearance of the patterns is easily explained. A GW wave propagates upwards at an angle and because airglow layers reside at slightly different altitudes, the waves reach each layer at a slightly different times. The vertical scale size of the gravity waves is also much larger than the height differences between the layers: OH = 87 km | Na = 90 km | O2 = 94 km | OI = 96 km.
I exploit the fact of the altitude separation of the four brightest airglow layers in my work to determine the scale sizes and other things associated with the GWs. Sometimes atomic oxygen can also produce red emission. This occurs due times of auroral activity particularly at high latitudes but occasionally in the mid-latitudes during strong aurora. This red-line OI emission, as it is called, originates from 250 km (much higher) in the thermosphere and would not match wave patterns seen in the green-line OI emission.
Solar activity has little effect on gravity wave activity in the mesosphere, at least at the latitude of the Azores. There may be effects at high latitudes though. Also solar activity seen on the sun’s disc doesn’t necessarily impact the Earth. Flares and other solar phenomena that are rich in x-rays and UV radiation can cause immediate effects in the earth’s upper atmosphere. Also, even though a CME my be observed occurring on the sun, it may not affect the Earth because they usually miss us because of the sun’s rotation. The Kp index – a measure of the solar activity prior to the time of this photo was at 2-3, which means a relatively quiet time. At the location of the Azores, one would need a Kp index of 6-7 to see auroral emission.”
Dr. Steven D. Miller, Senior Research Scientist – Deputy Director Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere – Colorado State University, have commented the fact that the photos were taken at high altitude and this would probably be the reason why the greens are seen so well, since oxygen in the lower atmosphere will absorb much of that downwelling emission.
Dr. Les Cowley, explain in Atmospheric Optics page that red/orange could be yet more oxygen airglow, this time from atoms 150-300km high where the atmosphere is so sparse and collisions so infrequent that the atoms have time to radiate ‘forbidden’ light (1D ->3P) before losing their electronic excitation in impacts with other atoms and molecules. Deep red banded airglow is likely emission from vibrationally excited OH radicals in a layer ~86km high. Blue airglow is much much fainter and not very obvious on the image. Excited molecular oxygen at ~95 km high can produce it. The excitation is indirect. Possible routes are via daylight dissociation of N2 and NO or twilight recombination of NO+ whose reaction products generate excited O2. The oxygen then decays by emitting blue multi-wavelength banded radiation (Herzberg bands) if it is not first collisionally de-excited.
After receiving the first results of the Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite, I decided to start processing another 12 images taken in the same place and time, to create a wide-angle – panoramic view – of more than 200º where it is clearly visible the airglow activity combined with strong ripples from gravity waves occurring in a huge part of the sky from West to Northeast (from left to right on the panoramic image above). At the same time, Dr. Martin Stevák, starts the final stage of processing the images taken by Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite but in different bands and the result is shown below. These are in Transverse Mercator projection, centered at 38.5N 28W, remapped to 1km pixel size (for Azores).
DNB image
M15 IR band image
Night-Microphysical RGB image
More information about Suomi-NPP satellite and its bands can be found on the following links: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NPP/main/index.html | http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/suomi.html | http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/projects/npp/ | http://www.pnas.org/content/109/39/15706.full.pdf | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/5/12/6717
Below, on (A) we can see the DNB image, that can show the Gravity Waves appearing high in the atmosphere, but on (B) Night-Microphysical RGB image can show a different waves from low atmosphere, they are very likely part of the same spectrum of waves launched by the small island of Flores. The (C) is an output from EUMETRAIN’s ePort (http://www.eumetrain.org/eport.html), for 2015-11-17 00 UTC, based on Meteosat WV6.2 band and showing the geopotential (“height”) of the 300 hPa pressure level (in cyan) and isotachs (yellow) at the same level (both from the ECMWF model). The red arrow indicates the jet-stream above the Azores. The (D) is the WV band 27 from Terra MODIS satellite taken at 00:20 UTC. The images are in the same projection and pixel size as the Soumi-NPP images (A & B). The (E) is a Meteosat-10 satellite in the Airmass-RGB product, documenting the dynamics of the atmosphere in the area, and namely showing the jet stream above Azores, taken at 03:00 UTC, the arrow points to the jet-stream band, and the polygon indicates roughly the area covered by NPP images. To watch a 24h loop from Meteosat-10 satellite, click here.
Below is a illustration from a combination of Google Earth Maps from Azores region and Stellarium planetarium software, that can show through the yellow dot, where I was located in the island and which direction my camera was pointing to the sky – as we can see in the illustration at right.
Gravity waves (disturbances to the density structure of the atmosphere whose restoring forces are gravity and buoyancy) comprise the principal form of energy exchange between the lower and upper atmosphere. Wave breaking drives the mean upper atmospheric circulation, determining boundary conditions to stratospheric processes, which in turn influence tropospheric weather and climate patterns on various spatial and temporal scales. Despite their recognized importance, very little is known about upper-level gravity wave characteristics. The knowledge gap is mainly due to lack of global, high-resolution observations from currently available satellite observing systems. The capability of the Day/Night Band (DNB) on the NOAA/NASA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership environmental satellite to resolve gravity structures near the mesopause via nightglow emissions at unprecedented subkilometric detail, are impressive. On moonless nights, the Day/Night Band observations provide all-weather viewing of waves as they modulate the nightglow layer located near the mesopause (∼90 km above mean sea level). These waves are launched by a variety of physical mechanisms, ranging from orography to convection, intensifying fronts, and even seismic and volcanic events. Cross-referencing the Day/Night Band imagery with conventional thermal infrared imagery also available helps to discern nightglow structures and in some cases to attribute their sources. The capability stands to advance our basic understanding of a critical yet poorly constrained driver of the atmospheric circulation. More about this study and scientific paper which includes the picture of my TWAN colleague Jeff Dai , led by Dr. Steven D. Miller, Dr. Steve Smith and others…
Below in gray scale are DNB images captured by Suomi-NPP VIIRS satellite above Pico island, Azores, as a result of a pre-processing enhanced by a High-Pass filter. Taken on 17th November of 2015 at 02h05AM (03h05 GMT. Local time for the Azores is GMT-1,) approximately at same time I took the pictures from Earth between 1h43 and 2h00AM, pointing to the same direction of the sky. Those waves seen at ~2AM local were right overhead at that time. The waves can change rapidly over the course of an hour, so must have been a very expansive wave train, which seems to be consistent with a large-scale forcing like a frontal system. The result shows the ripples of atmospheric Gravity Waves (left and right image).
Suomi NPP is in orbit around Earth at 834 kilometers (about 518 miles), well above the nightglow layer. The day-night band imagery contains signals from the upward emission of the nightglow layer and the reflection of the nightglow emissions from clouds and Earth’s surface. While nightglow is a well-known phenomenon, it is not typically considered by meteorological sensors. In fact, scientists were surprised at Suomi NPP’s ability to detect it. During the satellite’s check-out procedures, scientists thought this light source was a problem with the sensor until they realized that they were seeing the faintest light in the darkness of night. Learn more about the VIIRS day-night band and nighttime imaging of Earth in this story: Out of the Blue and Into the Black.
In conclusion, Dr. Steven D. Miller, has shared his thoughts related to this picture and beyond…by saying: “is that it would be very nice to have such observations on a geostationary satellite platform so as to be able to observe the wave motion and from that information infer important properties of the energy transfer. The community has a growing interest for such observations now that we are seeing them in “snapshot mode” from the Day/Night Band. The hope is that the publicity gained by such nice photos as yours will help to raise awareness on our need to better characterize the full atmospheric circulation if we hope to represent climate processes accurately in the models we appeal to for insight on climate change.”
The resulted image was also published in a Poster from Dr. Martin Setvák and Dr. Steven D. Miller entitled:
The TWAN ( The World at Night ) have now one of the best collection of hight quality images in the world with many different views of Airglow and Gravity Waves phenomenon captured by TWAN photographers spread around the globe, that could be a great scientific tool to help scientists understanding better this atmospheric phenomenon, as seen from different places on Earth and comparing them to the satellite images from Space.
Professional astronomer and TWAN photographer Yuri Beletsky, in an interesting answer to a question made by our colleague Anthony Ayiomamitis about how does airglow could impact the professional work done by astronomers in places with professional telescopes in sites like ESO – European Southern Observatory, saying that: “It really depends on many factors (imaging vs spectroscopy, field of view, overlapping with interesting spectroscopic lines, etc..). Therefore the answer is – it does affect the observations, but it does not necessarily affect particular scientific case you are trying to solve using those observations.”
* “Drop a stone into a pool of water. The spreading ripples are gravity waves. The waves occur between any stable layers of fluids of different density. When the fluid boundary is disturbed, buoyancy forces try to restore the equilibrium. The fluid returns to its original shape, overshoots and oscillations then set in which propagate as waves. Gravity or buoyancy is the restoring force hence the term – gravity waves.”
Airglow photographs and compiled text with story by © Miguel Claro – The article was written based in the collected information and collaboration of each specialist and intervenient in different fields of working that has analyzed this images from Pico, and that have been specifically mentioned along the article, now published at (www.miguelclaro.com) with his knowledge and review.
BUY THIS PRINT | COMPRAR ESTA IMPRESSÃO
Buy a Fine Art Print or Wall Decor of this Image – Make your order Now!
You can choose the best style of print do you preffer to decorate in a fashion way your walls. Metal Prints with durable and vivid colors, Acrylic, Canvas or the highest quality Gallery Print – a 6 colour UV direct printing on acrylic glass (2mm) including light colours and reinforced by an aluminium dibond plate (3mm). Those type of Prints can highlight the final work in an artistic way, showing the photograph as a piece of art. I work with two high quality specialized Labs in US and in Europe, using Kodak Professional Endura Premier Metallic papers and Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II Professional. You can select the image above or freely navigate to more than 800 photographs available in my gallery – each one with their own story and magic – and choose the photograph you would love to have in your home or office.
How to Order – Simple and easy, just “copy and paste” the link of this page or the image you choosed and fill it in the form below, with the size you want and any detail you wish to include on the message, like your country, name and postal address. Free Shipping included to all prints (except frames). For US and Europe the delivery is 4-8 working days, while to Portugal and Spain is normally 2-6 working days. After submitting the order through the form, I will contact you for the payment method (Paypal available or bank transfer) and with other questions related to your print(s) or requests. Once payment is confirmed, your order is shipped within 24h. In case you wish, I can send you separtely with no additional cost, a postcard autographed and numbered of the same image you have just bought, as a seal and proof of art work authenticity from the author. Let me know what is your wish.
Zodiacal Light and Milky Way above Dark Sky Alqueva
EN: Only possible to observe in a really dark and special sky, like it is the Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, the tenuous presence of the Zodiacal Light forming almost a “V” with the opposite direction of Milky Way. The zodiacal light is a faint light beam that extends along the ecliptic plane, where they are the constellations of the Zodiac. It is caused by the scattering of sunlight in cosmic dust particles that can be found scattered all over the Solar System | Naveterra homestead, Sky of Alandroal
PT: Só possível de observar num céu bem escuro e especial como o da Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva, a ténue presença da Luz Zodiacal forma quase um “V” em oposição à Via Láctea. A luz zodiacal é um feixe de luz fraca que se estende ao longo do plano da eclíptica, onde estão as constelações do Zodíaco. É causada pela dispersão da luz solar nas partículas de poeira cósmica que se podem encontrar espalhadas um pouco por todo o Sistema Solar | Herdade Naveterra, Céu do Alandroal
Ursa Major & Ursa Minor above the Ruins of Roman City Ammaia
EN: The northern constellations Ursa Major (Big Dipper) and Ursa Minor – in a diffuse vision by a passing cloud – as seen from inside the remaining ruins of the Southern Gate Tower of the Roman City of Ammaia.
The Gradual consolidation of Roman power led to the establishment of a substantial Roman town in the 1st century. Ammaia occupied up to 25 hectares, and with a population exceeding modern-day Marvão (5000-6000 inhabitants) Ammaia occupied the site of the present-day parish of São Salvador da Aramenha. The town flourished between the 1st century BCE and the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century CE. Roman Ammaia saw the development of improved irrigation and terracing across the Marvão mountain. Chestnut cultivation – Replacing the place dominance of oak is likely to have been introduced at this time. Much of the terracing and ancient watercourses on the mountain Marvão date from this era.
Limited excavations at Ammaia in the past two decades covering a mere 3,000 m2 (32.292 sq ft) of the town’s area – have revealed the success, provincial expanding town that included running water, a forum, baths, the bridge over the river Sever (near today’s ‘Old Bridge’), and monumental gates (one gate was removed to Castelo de Vide in the 18th century, yet sadly dynamited in 1890). The Alentejo region, meanwhile, was criss-crossed with efficient Roman roads, providing links to the wider Empire. Fine wares found at the site Ammaia suggest que Ammaia nobility had access to luxury glassware and jewelery, while archeology has Revealed that marble for the forum was imported from across the Empire. The high quality, for example, of the ‘Mosaic of the Muses’ from a Roman villa in nearby Monforte (4th century BCE) points to the abundant riches to be made to an Alentejo landowner in the Roman era. Sadly, many artifacts from Ammaia in particular the series of marble sculptures were removed during the 19th and 20th centuries, notably by the Anglo-Portuguese Robinson family. These items are now in collections such as those of the British Museum..
Many of the excavations were concentrated over the obvious ruins or where there was evidence of subterranean structures associated with a Roman presence. Discoveries include parts of a Roman city wall with towers and a gate on the south side, with residenctial buildings; a road; a monumental paved square; remains of a house in the location Quinta do Deão; parts of a public bath building; and a centrally-located forum with well-preserved temple podium, walls of a porticus and cryptoporticus. The town plan follows a regular rectangular layout organized along two main perpendicular street axes, linking the central forum to its main gates. A city wall surrounds a ro