Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion from 29th January 2023
Captured on the 29th of January, 2023, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, a high-resolution image and time lapse sequence features the chromosphere activity, revealing a gigantic prominence in motion. It’s possible to see a lot of interesting changes on its shape. The size of this giant is stretching around the sun’s limb for thousands of kilometres being several times larger than our planet Earth. As comparison, it has a width beyond the largest system rings of planet Saturn. We can also notice a lot of fine spicules surrounding the solar disc and a fast eruptive prominence coming out from a sunspot, while the chromosphere itself is showing a slower motion. Conditions were good, so I’ve manage to make a time lapse of about 248 images. The final result is a 4K high resolution solar movie comprising around 1h20 minutes of photos.
PT: Captada a 29 de Janeiro de 2023, na região Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, uma imagem de alta resolução e sequência time lapse mostra a actividade da cromosfera, revelando uma gigantesca proeminência em movimento. É possível ver muitas mudanças interessantes em sua forma. O tamanho deste gigante se estende ao redor do limbo solar por milhares de quilómetros. Como comparação, a sua largura poderia ir para além do maior sistema de anéis de Saturno. Também podemos notar muitas espículas finas ao redor do disco solar e uma rápida proeminência eruptiva saindo de uma pequena mancha solar, enquanto a própria cromosfera mostra um movimento mais lento. As condições eram boas, por isso foi possível registar um time lapse de cerca de 248 imagens. O resultado final é um filme solar de alta resolução 4K com cerca de 1h20 minutos de fotos.
Above are a still shot presented in portrait version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image. Below is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 248 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 1h20 minutes.
PT: Acima está uma foto apresentada em uma versão retrato com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem. Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 248 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 1h20 minutos de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Prominence filter| Player One Apollo-M Max |Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in average seeing conditions from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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Earth Shadow – The Beauty of a Total Lunar Eclipse in Motion
A video time lapse in 4K shows what is the deepest feeling of experiencing the incredible moment when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, giving the natural satellite a blood-red hue during a total lunar eclipse. The stars around the moon are again visible as the light of the moon drops drastically, giving rise to a unique moment of seeing the mesmerising presence of the Milky Way but at the same time, the shinning moon reflecting a low reddish light for being immersed inside the Umbra of the Earth shadow. The movie also intend to reveal the emotional feeling and ambience which surround us during this celestial event, when we are under the real darkness of a pristine starry sky like Mértola, in Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal. All the images were captured during the Total Lunar Eclipse of 16th May, 2022. For being near the closest point to our planet Earth, this Moon was also called a “Super Blood Moon”. According to timeanddate.com next Lunar Eclipse it will happen in 2023, on 5-6 May and will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse visible in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Antarctica. Close to the end of the year, on 28-29 October 2023, it wil be visible a Partial Lunar Eclipse, seen from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, Much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica.
PT: O vídeo time lapse em 4K mostra qual é a sensação mais profunda de experimentar o momento incrível em que a lua passa pela sombra da Terra, dando ao satélite natural um tom vermelho-sangue durante um eclipse lunar total. As estrelas ao redor da lua são novamente visíveis à medida que a luz da lua cai drasticamente, dando origem a um momento único, o de poder apreciar a presença hipnotizante da Via Láctea, e ao mesmo tempo, a lua brilhando e refletindo uma luz avermelhada por estar imersa na Umbra da sombra da Terra. O filme também pretende revelar de alugma forma o forte sentimento e emoção que se experiencia no ambiente que nos rodeia durante este evento celestial, quando estamos sob a verdadeira escuridão de um céu pristino estrelado, como o de Mértola, no território Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Todas as imagens foram captadas durante o Eclipse Lunar Total de 16 de maio de 2022. Por estar perto do ponto mais próximo do nosso planeta Terra, a lua também foi apelidada de “Super Luar de Sangue”. De acordo com timeanddate.com o próximo Eclipse Lunar acontecerá em 2023, de 5 para 6 de maio e será um Eclipse Lunar Penumbral visível na Europa, Ásia, Austrália, África, Pacífico, Atlântico, Oceano Índico e Antártica. Perto do final do ano, de 28 para 29 de Outubro de 2023, será visível um Eclipse Lunar Parcial, visto da Europa, Ásia, Austrália, África, América do Norte, grande parte da América do Sul, Pacífico, Atlântico, Oceano Índico, Ártico , Antártida.
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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.
One Month of ZTF – The Green Comet in Motion Revealed in a 4k Time Lapse Video
A long video time lapse sequence comprising 5 nights of images spread over the course of January month 2023 (Jan. 3, 18, 22, 24 and 31) shows in a 4K resolution the motion of the so called “Green Comet” c/2022 E3 (ZTF) while travelling across the night sky over Dark Sky® Alqueva official observatory, in Cumeada village, Portugal. The video reveals key moments of its incredible activity starting to feature a wonderful greenish coma from glowing carbon gas and a white dust tail, until the main Disconnection Event happened on January 18, revealing a piece of the plasma tail being uprooted from the comet’s head, and then carried away by the solar wind. But ZTF didn’t stop to surprise, and also start to reveal a rare anti-tail which gradually changed the angle position while our planet Earth was crossing the orbital plane of the Comet. Meanwhile the main Ion tail was split in two blueish ion tails visible on Jan. 24. On January 31, the Comet was close to reach the maximum approach to Earth, and the anti-tail was largely scattered in the white dust revealing a dispersion and a low angle before start to vanish in the days ahead. The comet was photographed late in the night in all the sessions, starting at a distance of 146.1 million Km on Jan. 3, until being very close to our planet on Jan. 31 at a distance of only 43.1 million Km. The long distance traveller was moving fast against the background starry sky and the video also shows a few rapid greenish meteors crossing the field of view, as well as the moment when ZTF was crossing close to a few galaxies. I did a huge effort to create this movie, capturing and processing almost 1TB of data in a total of 10h comprised in 521 final images, to try to show the path of this wonderful visitor in the mesmerising moments of rare beauty provided to us by ZTF before it starts to fade way in a long journey of 50,000 years immersed in the deepest cold and darkness of the Solar System.
PT: Uma longa sequência de vídeo time lapse compreendendo 5 noites de imagens espalhadas ao longo do mês de Janeiro de 2023 (3, 18, 22, 24 e 31 de Janeiro) mostra em resolução 4K o movimento do chamado “Cometa Verde” c/2022 E3 (ZTF) enquanto viajou pelos céus do Observatório Oficial Dark Sky® Alqueva, na vila da Cumeada, Reguengos, Portugal. O vídeo revela os principais momentos de sua incrível passagem e actividade, começando por apresentar um maravilhoso coma esverdeado proveniente do brilho do gás carbono, e uma cauda de poeira branca, até que o principal evento de desconexão aconteceu em 18 de janeiro, revelando um pedaço da cauda de plasma a ser arrancado da cabeça do cometa e depois levado para fora pelo vento solar. Mas o ZTF não parou de surpreender, tendo começado a revelar uma rara anti-cauda que gradualmente mudou o ângulo da sua posição enquanto nosso planeta Terra cruzava o plano orbital do cometa. Enquanto isso, a cauda principal de iões dividiu-se em duas caudas de iões azuladas visíveis a 24 de Janeiro. Em 31 de Janeiro, o cometa estava perto de atingir a máxima aproximação à Terra, e a anticauda apresentou uma grande dispersão na poeira branca revelando um ângulo baixo, antes de começar a desaparecer nos dias seguintes. O cometa foi fotografado no final da noite em todas as sessões, partindo de uma distância de 146,1 milhões de Km no dia 3 de Janeiro, até estar bem próximo do nosso planeta Terra no dia 31 de Janeiro com uma distância de apenas 43,1 milhões de Km. O viajante de longa distância movia-se rapidamente contra o céu estrelado de fundo e o vídeo também mostra alguns meteoros esverdeados rápidos cruzando o campo de visão, bem como o momento em que o ZTF passou “perto” de algumas galáxias. Fiz um esforço enorme para criar este filme, captando e processando quase 1TB de dados num total de 10h compostas por 521 imagens finais, para tentar mostrar o percurso deste maravilhoso visitante através dos momentos hipnotizantes de rara beleza que nos proporciona o ZTF, antes de começar a desaparecer em uma longa jornada de 50.000 anos, onde irá imergir no mais profunda escuridão gélida do Sistema Solar.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Despite the last still shots of the video which were taken with a Takahashi FSQ106 and a Nikon D850 modified, all the time lapse sequences were captured with: Canon fixed prime lens 300mm at f/3,5 + Canon 6D modified | ISO2500 – sub Exp. of 70 seconds in a total of 521 images. Mount EQ6 Pro – Auto-guiding off. Processing on PixInsight 1.8.9-1, photoshop CC 2023 and Premiere Pro 2023. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
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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.
Disconnection of the Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF in Motion Revealed in a 4k Time Lapse Video
A video time lapse sequence comprising around 3h30 minutes of images shows in a 4K resolution the moment when the Disconnection Event happened in the Comet c/2022 E3 (ZTF) during the night of 19th January 2023, revealing a piece of the plasma tail being uprooted from the comet’s head, and then carried away by the solar wind. The movie also features the wonderful greenish coma from glowing carbon gas and rare anti-tail. The comet was photographed late in the night at a distance of 79 million Km from Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory in Portugal, during the last three hours and half before starts the astronomical twilight. This long distance traveller not seen in 50,000 years, was moving fast against the background starry sky while a few rapid greenish meteors were crossing the field of view too. That night, ZTF was located between constellations of Hercules, Corona Borealis and Bootes, showing a faint visual magnitude of +6.6. Although on 1st February the Comet it will be in the closest point to our planet and eventually until then could reach a naked eye magnitude, but this kind of objects are pretty unpredictable and we never know what surprise is waiting for us. More still images from this scene, click here.
PT: Uma sequência de vídeo time lapse que compreende 3h30 minutos de imagens em resolução 4K, mostra o momento em que o Evento de Desconexão aconteceu no Cometa c/2022 E3 (ZTF) durante a noite de 19 de Janeiro de 2023, revelando um pedaço da cauda de plasma a ser arrancado da cabeça do cometa e depois levado para fora pelo vento solar. O filme também mostra o maravilhoso coma esverdeado proveniente do brilho do gás carbono e uma rara anti-cauda. O cometa foi fotografado no final da noite a uma distância de 79 milhões de Km do Observatório Oficial do Dark Sky® Alqueva em Portugal, durante as últimas três horas e meia da noite até ao início do crepúsculo astronómico. Este viajante de longa distância que não se avistava há cerca de 50.000 anos, move-se muito rapidamente contra o fundo do céu estrelado enquanto alguns meteoros rápidos esverdeados também cruzavam o campo de visão. Naquela noite o ZTF estava localizado entre as constelações de Hercules, Coroa Boreal e Boieiro, mostrando uma fraca magnitude visual de +6,6. Embora a 1 de Fevereiro o cometa esteja no ponto mais próximo do nosso planeta e eventualmente até então possa atingir uma magnitude visível a olho nu, este tipo de objectos é bastante imprevisível e nunca sabemos que surpresa nos reserva. Para ver mais fotografias desta noite, clique aqui.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Despite the last still shot of the video which was taken with other equipment, all the time lapse sequences were captured with: Canon fixed prime lens 300mm at f/3,5 + Canon 6D modified | ISO2500 – sub Exp. of 70 seconds in a total of 183 images. Mount EQ6 Pro – Auto-guiding off. Processing on PixInsight 1.8.9-1, photoshop CC 2023 and Premiere Pro 2023. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
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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.
Partial Solar Eclipse with an Airplane Crossing in Front of the Sun’s Disc
I travelled to Antalya, in Turkey, to have a better weather and a larger percentage of the Partial Solar Eclipse visible, and bring with me my portable ED80 equipped with a Daystar Chromosphere filter. I was in the coastline and not farway from the airport, but didn´t imagine to have a lucky moment of capturing a nice plane crossing the only piece of the Sun which was not eclipsed by the Moon silhouette. Captured half an our before its ending, when was 11h38m UT (+3h Antalya) the image shows a single run of a few seconds in slow motion, revealing the waves of heat produced by the plane jets, causing turbulence in the atmosphere and distorting the moon’s limb. Another interesting phenomenon is visible, the contrails left behind from the aircraft, which in this case appeared as dark clouds for being against the bright disc of the sun. According to a BBC article: “Three things are needed for them to form: water vapour, cool air and particles on which the water vapour can condense. Water vapour is produced by planes as the hydrogen in its fuel reacts with oxygen in the air. In cold conditions (typically below around -40C (-40F)) it can condense, typically on the soot particles also emitted from aircraft engines, to a fog of droplets, which then freeze to form ice particles. The process broadly resembles frozen breath on a cold winter’s day. Not all aircraft produce contrails – they are estimated to occur in about 18% of flights. The air needs to be cool enough for the water to freeze, which is why they usually only appear above certain altitudes – typically 20,000ft (6km). In clear, cloudless air, contrails disappear quickly, as the dry ambient air makes the ice particles sublimate (pass from a solid to a gas). But if the atmosphere is humid, the ice particles cannot sublimate and contrails can linger for far longer.”
PT: Viajei até Antalya, na Turquia, à procura de melhor clima e de uma maior percentagem de visibilidade do Eclipse Solar Parcial, tendo trazido comigo um ED80 portátil, equipado com um filtro Daystar Chromosphere. O local escolhido foi junto à costa do Mediterrâneo e não muito longe do aeroporto, ainda assim, não imaginara ter a sorte de captar um avião de passageiros cruzando o único pedaço do Sol que não foi eclipsado pela silhueta da Lua. Captado meio hora antes de seu término, quando eram 11h38m UT (+3h Antalya) a imagem mostra um vídeo (sem stacking) de alguns segundos em câmera lenta, revelando as ondas de calor produzidas pelos jatos do avião, causando turbulência na atmosfera e distorcendo o limbo lunar. Outro fenómeno interessante visível são os rastros – contrails – deixados para trás pela aeronave, que neste caso apareceram como nuvens escuras por estarem em contraste contra o disco brilhante do sol. De acordo com um artigo da BBC, “Três coisas são necessárias para que eles se formem: vapor de água, ar frio e partículas nas quais o vapor de água se possa condensar. O vapor de água é produzido por aviões quando o hidrogénio em seu combustível reage com o oxigénio no ar. Em condições frias (normalmente abaixo de -40C (-40F)) ele pode condensar, normalmente nas partículas de fuligem também emitidas pelos motores das aeronaves, em uma névoa de gotículas, que então congelam para formar partículas de gelo. O processo é similar ao que ocorre com a nossa respiração num dia frio de inverno. Nem todas as aeronaves produzem rastos – estima-se que ocorram em cerca de 18% dos voos. O ar precisa estar frio o suficiente para que a água congele, e é por isso que eles geralmente só aparecem acima de certas altitudes – normalmente 20.000 pés (6 km). Num céu límpido e sem nuvens, os rastos desaparecem rapidamente, pois o ar num ambiente seco faz com que as partículas de gelo sublimem (passando de um sólido para um gás). Mas se a atmosfera estiver húmida, as partículas de gelo não podem sublimar e os rastos podem permanecer por muito mais tempo.”
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
William Optics 80ED | Star Adventure portable mount | Daystar Quark Ha Chromosphere filter| Player One Apollo-M Max | Single run without stacking captured from Antalya, Turkey.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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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.
Dark Sky Party Alqueva 2022 – The Stargazing Experience of a Lifetime
I was challenged to capture the entire event of Dark Sky® Party Alaqueva 2022 in real-time video (and not in photographic time-lapse) for the first time. Until two years ago there were no video cameras on the market capable of recording with enough quality and in real time, in a night environment, the true magic of the starry sky, comparable to the visual experience that we can live in the event. With the support of @sony Madrid (@sonyalpha A7sIII) and many hours of dedication to prepare, test, film and edit, as I filmed everything in 4K footage with Slog3 which means that every individual clip is pure and flat but with the largest dynamic range possible. But it demands much more work on color correction, color grading and noise reduction….few hours of rendering too. But I arrived at the result which I’m pretty happy and glad to share with everyone today. I would say that a new world of possibilities has just opened in my mind. Mainly was filmed at ISO 160,000 yes, unbelievable!
PT: Fui desafiado a captar todo o evento da Dark Sky® Party Alaqueva 2022 em vídeo em tempo real (e não em time-lapse fotográfico) pela primeira vez. Até há cerca de dois anos atrás não havia no mercado câmaras de vídeo capazes de gravar com qualidade suficiente e em tempo real, em ambiente nocturno, a verdadeira magia do céu estrelado, comparável à experiência visual que podemos viver no evento. Com o apoio da @sony Madrid (@sonyalpha A7sIII) e muitas horas de dedicação para preparar, testar, filmar e editar, já que filmei tudo em 4K e com Slog3, o que significa que cada clipe individual é puro e flat, mas com a maior gama dinâmica possível. Exige no entanto muito mais trabalho na correção de cores, grading e redução de ruído…muitas horas de renderização também. No entanto cheguei ao resultado que partilho aqui hoje com todos vós e que me deixa entusiasmado, pois diria que um novo mundo de possibilidades acaba de se abrir na minha mente. Foi praticamente tudo filmado com ISO 160.000 sim, inacreditável!
Solar Flare M9 from AR3088 in Motion – Still Photos and Time Lapse
Captured on 29th August, 2022, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, a high-resolution image and time lapse sequence features the chromosphere activity on this day when Active Region AR13088 close to the sun’s western limb, released a powerful but short Solar Flare M8.6-class. Conditions were a bit unstable, but I’ve manage to make a short time lapse of about 329 images. The final result is a 4K high resolution solar movie comprising around 2 hours of photos.
PT: Captada a 29 de Agosto de 2022, na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, a imagem de alta resolução e sequência time lapse revelam a actividade da cromosfera neste dia em que a Região Activa AR13088 perto do limbo solar ocidental, libertou um poderoso mas curto Flare de classe M8.6. As condições estavam um pouco instáveis, mas consegui fazer um ltime lapse de cerca de 329 imagens. O resultado final é um filme solar 4K de alta resolução com cerca de 2 horas de imagens.
Below are two still shots presented in landscape and portrait version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image. Region from AR13088 which produced the Flare M8.6
PT: Abaixo estão duas fotos apresentadas em uma versão retrato e paisagem com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem. Região da mancha AR13088 que produziu o Flare M8.6.
Below is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 329 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 2 hours.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 329 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 2h de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter| Player One Apollo-M Max |Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in average seeing conditions from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Solar Time Lapse of a Great Prominence Releasing a CME into Space on 10Th July 2022
On 10th July, 2022, the Sun has featured a gigantic solar prominence over the chromosphere, throwing a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. Luckily I was checking the sun activity at the end of the day, as normally I don’t photograph the sun so late, specially for being low and close to the horizon. As soon as I realised that a huge prominence was visible and growing so fast and drastically, I quickly start shooting. Seeing forecast was amazing around 0,71″ arc. but the sun was lower than ideal and the atmosphere had a fine layer of dust coming from Africa. The temperature was very high, around 38º at 18h00. So I made a huge effort of gathering as much images as possible. The sequence was captured between UT17h37 and UT18h30 and shows spectacular motion of the CME. The gradual change in contrast in the solar disc, is related with the sun getting lower and crossing the dust layer which scattered the light even more. The final result is a 4K high resolution solar movie (at the end of this page) comprising around 1hour of images, captured from the Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal. Here is the animations from NASA SDO and LASCO-c2 (Cactus CME detection) from this same day, showing the same giant as seen from the probe in Space. It is impressive the motion of the prominence in the time lapse, which seems to end up swirling like a tornado
PT: Em 10 de Julho de 2022, o Sol apresentou uma proeminência solar gigantesca sobre a cromosfera, lançando uma ejeção de massa coronal (CME) no espaço. Por sorte, fui verificar a atividade solar no final do dia, visto que normalmente não fotografo o sol tão tarde, principalmente por estar baixo e próximo ao horizonte. Assim que percebi que uma enorme proeminência estava visível e crescia drasticamente, comecei prontamente a fotografar. A previsão do seeing (estabilidade atmosférica) era incrível, cerca de 0,71″ segundos de arco, mas o sol estava mais baixo do que seria ideal e a atmosfera tinha uma fina camada de poeira vinda de África. A temperatura estava muito alta neste dia, em torno dos 38º às 18h00. Assim, fiz um esforço para captar o máximo de imagens possível. A sequência foi captada entre as UT17h37 e UT18h30 e mostra o movimento espetacular da CME. A mudança gradual no contraste no disco solar, está relacionada com o facto do sol se ir aproximando do horizonte e atravessando uma camada de poeira fina que dispersou ainda mais a luz . O resultado final é um filme solar 4K de alta resolução (ver final desta página) com cerca de 1 hora de imagens, captadas na região de Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Aqui poderá ver uma animação da NASA SDO e LASCO-c2 (Cactus CME detection) deste mesmo dia, mostrando a mesma proeminência e CME vista da sonda que se encontra no espaço. É impressionante o movimento da proeminência no final do time lapse, que parece acabar girando como um tornado.
Above are some still shots captured at different times during the sequence and presented in color and monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image.
PT: Acima estão algumas fotos captadas em diferentes tempos durante a sequência, mostrando a evolução da proeminência. As imagens estão apresentadas em uma versão a cores e monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem.
Above is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 200 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 1 hour.
PT: Acima é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 200 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 1h de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter| Player One Apollo-M Max |Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in average to good seeing conditions from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Solar Time Lapse of a Large Prominence Releasing a CME
On 22th February, 2022, the Sun has featured a gigantic solar prominence over the chromosphere, throwing a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. This was my most stressful and lucky capture. As soon as I realised that the prominence was growing so fast and drastically, I had to quickly decide what to do. So I decided to interrupt the first sequence and rotate the camera framing again for the new composition, to be able to keep capturing this growing giant ejection. It’s the highest “flame” I saw and record until now. So tall comparing the Sun’s disc that we could fit probably dozens of planet Earths inside. Seeing was good, not perfect, but nice enough for a time lapse. So I made a huge effort of gathering as much images as possible. The sequence was captured between UT11h58 and UT14h16. The final result is a 4K high resolution solar movie comprising around 2hours and 15 minutes, captured from the Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal. Here is the animations from NASA SDO and LASCO-c2 (Cactus CME detection) from this same day, showing the same giant as seen from the probe in Space.
PT: Em 22 de fevereiro de 2022, o Sol apresentou uma proeminência gigantesca visível sobre a cromosfera, lançando uma ejeção de massa coronal (CME) no espaço. Assim que me apercebi que a proeminência estava a crescer de forma tão rápida e drástica, tive que decidir rapidamente o que fazer. Então decidi interromper a primeira sequência e girar a câmara para redefinir o novo enquaramento, e poder assim continuar a captar o crescimento dessa ejeção gigante. Esta foi a “chama” mais alta que vi e gravei até agora. Tão alta que caberiam provavelmente dezenas de planetas Terra na sua extensão. A estabilidade da atmosfera não estava perfeita, mas suficiente para permitir registar um time lapse. Então fiz um esforço para reunir o máximo de imagens possível. A sequência foi captada entre UT11h58 e UT14h16. O resultado final é um filme solar 4K de alta resolução com cerca de 2 horas e 15 minutos, captado na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Aqui poderá ver uma animação da NASA SDO e LASCO-c2 (detecção de Cactus CME) deste mesmo dia, mostrando a mesma proeminência e CME vista da sonda que se encontra no espaço.
Above are some still shots presented in color and monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image.
PT: Acima estão algumas fotos apresentadas em uma versão a cores e monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem.
Above is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 335 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 2 hours.
PT: Acima é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 335 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 2h de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter| QUY5III174M |Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in average to good seeing conditions from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Infinity Zoom – Fly Through my Deep Space Images Into the Heart of Rho Ophiuchi & Blue Horsehead
Infinity Zoom, is a serie of short 4K videos where we will fly through my deep space images, starting with a wide view somewhere in one of the darkest landscape places I’ve had opportunity to visit and photograph through my journey in the world with astrophotography, up to a close intimate view where we dive deep into the core of some wonderful deep sky objects captured with a telescopic view from my observatory located in Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal. To watch with sound on.
In this second episode of Infinity Zoom, we departure from Atacama Desert, and dive deep into the core of Blue Horsehead Nebula. During the short voyage of about 400 light-years to reach the Blue Horsehead we will fly close to Rho Ophiuchi colorful cloud complex, lying almost at the same distant, both are located in same naked-eye region of the sky, towards the constellation of the Ophiuchus. The Cloud Complex, is one of the most colourful nebulas in space and the closest star-forming regions to the Solar System. These interstellar clouds of gas and dust contain both red emission nebulas and blue reflection nebulas. The dark brown regions are caused by dust grains, born in young stellar atmospheres, which effectively block light emitted behind them. Our final deep dive reveals the wonderful nebula IC4592, better known by it’s well distinguished shape of a Blue Horse Head. The blue reflection nebula is made up of very fine interstellar dust particles that reflects the visible light of energetic nearby stars, as Nu Scorpii, the bright blueish star which marks the eye of the Horse. Immersed in the brownish dust, is visible a second reflection nebula named IC 4601 surrounding two stars. The animation has been created using my real images, a total of 4 photographs captured at different focal distances from a wide angle landscape lens up to a telescopic view, for the final approach.
PT: Infinity Zoom, é uma série de pequenos videos em 4K onde vamos voar pelas minhas imagens do espaço profundo, começando com uma visão ampla a partir de uma das paisagens escuras que tive a oportunidade de visitar e fotografar ao longo das minhas viagens pelo mundo com a astrofotografia, até uma visão mais íntima onde mergulharemos profundamente no coração de alguns objectos de céu profundo fascinantes, captados com um telescópio a partir do meu observatório localizado na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Para ver com o som ligado.
Neste segundo episódio do Infinity Zoom, partimos do Deserto do Atacama e mergulhamos profundamente no núcleo da Nebulosa Cabeça do Cavalo Azul. Durante a curta viagem de 400 anos-luz para chegar à Cabeça do Cavalo Azul, voaremos perto do complexo de nuvens coloridas Rho Ophiuchi, quase à mesma distância, ambos estão localizados na mesma região do céu a olho nu, em direção à constelação do Ophiuchus. Este é talvez o complexo nebuloso mais coloridos do espaço e uma das regiões de formações de estrelas mais próximas ao sistema solar. Estas nuvens inter-estelares de gás e poeiras contêm nebulosas de emissão (vermelhas) e nebulosas de reflexão (azul). As regiões a castanho escuro são causadas por grãos de poeira, nascidos em atmosferas estelares jovens, que efetivamente bloqueiam a luz emitida por detrás delas. O nosso mergulho profundo final revela a incrível nebulosa IC4592, mais conhecida pela sua forma distinta de uma Cabeça de Cavalo Azul. A nebulosa de reflexão azul é composta por partículas de poeira interestelar muito finas que refletem a luz visível de estrelas energéticas próximas, como Nu Scorpii, a estrela azul brilhante que marca o olho do Cavalo. Imerso na poeira acastanhada, é visível uma segunda nebulosa de reflexão chamada IC 4601 em torno de duas estrelas. A animação foi criada usando imagens reais da minha autoria, num total de 4 fotografias captadas com diferentes distâncias focais desde uma lente grande angular de paisagem até uma visão telescópica, para a aproximação final.
List of individual images used in the animation | Lista das imagens individuais usadas na animação:
The Greatness of Solitude with a Mesmerising View of the Milky Way above Atacama Desert | Rho Ophiuchi – A Colourful Cloud in Space | Blue Horsehead Nebula and Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex in a Colorful Deepsky Scene | A Blue Horse Head is Shining in Space Surrounded by Faint Dust
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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.
Infinity Zoom – Fly Through my Deep Space Images Into the Heart of Lagoon
Infinity Zoom, is a serie of short 4K videos where we will fly through my deep space images, starting with a wide view somewhere in one of the darkest landscape places I’ve had opportunity to visit and photograph through my journey in the world with astrophotography, up to a close intimate view where we dive deep into the core of some wonderful deep sky objects captured with a telescopic view from my observatory located in Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal. To watch with sound on.
In this first episode of Infinity Zoom, we departure from a Lake on Earth, and dive deep into the core of a Lagoon in space. During the short voyage of 5,200 light-years to reach Lagoon Nebula, we will fly close to Trifid Nebula and NGC 6559, lying almost at the same distant, both are located in same naked-eye region of the sky, towards the constellation of the Archer, Sagittarius. Inside the nebula, the energetic processes of star formation creates a huge chaos and a beautiful combination of colors. The red-glowing gas is resulting from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen. Hot young stars are forming in this stellar nursery. The dark dust filaments inside the nebula, were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars and in the debris from supernovae explosions. Small dark knots, and globules that are condensing protostellar clouds are a sign that the process of star formation is still happening. The animation has been created using my real images, a total of 5 photographs captured at different focal distances from a wide angle landscape lens up to a telescopic view, for the final approach.
PT: Infinity Zoom, é uma série de pequenos videos em 4K onde vamos voar pelas minhas imagens do espaço profundo, começando com uma visão ampla a partir de uma das paisagens escuras que tive a oportunidade de visitar e fotografar ao longo das minhas viagens pelo mundo com a astrofotografia, até uma visão mais íntima onde mergulharemos profundamente no coração de alguns objectos de céu profundo fascinantes, captados com um telescópio a partir do meu observatório localizado na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Para ver com o som ligado.
Neste primeiro episódio do Infinity Zoom, partimos de um lago na Terra e mergulharemos profundamente no núcleo de uma lagoa no espaço. Durante a curta viagem de 5.200 anos-luz para chegar à Nebulosa da Lagoa, voaremos perto da Nebulosa Trífida e da NGC 6559, situadas quase à mesma distância, ambas localizadas na mesma região do céu, em direção à constelação da Arqueiro, Sagitário. Dentro da nebulosa, os processos energéticos de formação de estrelas criam um enorme caos e uma combinação de cores ímpar. O gás vermelho-brilhante é resultante da luz estelar de alta energia que atinge o hidrogénio inter-estelar. Estrelas jovens e quentes formam-se assim neste berço estelar. Os filamentos de poeira escura dentro da nebulosa, foram criados nas atmosferas de estrelas gigantes e na sequência de explosões de supernovas. Os pequenos nódulos escuros que se espalham pela nebulosa estão condensando as nuvens proto-estelares, sendo um sinal de que o processo de formação estelar continua a ocorrer. A animação foi criada usando imagens reais da minha autoria, num total de 5 fotografias captadas com diferentes distâncias focais desde uma lente grande angular de paisagem até uma visão telescópica, para a aproximação final.
List of individual images used in the animation | Lista das imagens individuais usadas na animação:
Wonders of Deep Sky Around the Galactic Center Shining above Alqueva Lake | The Starry Dusty Field from the Core of Our Milky Way Galaxy |The Crowded Starfield Around Lagoon, Trifid and NGC 6559 | The Wonderful Lagoon of Deep Space | The Colorful Region of NGC 6559 in Sagittarius.
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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.
Giants of the Solar System – Solar Prominence with Planetary Scale
How big is big ? On 6th and 7th February, 2022, the Sun has featured a gigantic solar prominence over the limbs chromosphere. This Giant was visible for two days and then erupted, throwing a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. According to my measurements in pixels, the size of this prominence – special in the second day – was about 10x the size our planet Earth, in height, but stretching around the sun’s limb for thousands of kilometres. As comparison, a width beyond the largest system rings of Saturn. So I used my planetary images of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars to give a scale in the movie as well as in the final poster with the still images. Both Solar and planetary photos were captured in the Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal.
All the images captured in this sesssion are available in my gallery here. As this kind of images are involving a tremendous amount of work (several hours, days) and data to process. Here are some curiosities: I have captured 692 Raw videos of 900 frames each. A total of 622,800 frames with 3TB of space. Around 22% were used, with 138,400 still images being processed. Below is possible to watch the 4K high resolution video time lapse sequence compiling 692 shots processed (wide and Close-up), each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 692 captações processadas (wide e close-up), cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 5h de imagens.
PT: Quão grande é grande? Nos dias 6 e 7 de fevereiro de 2022, o Sol apresentou uma proeminência solar gigantesca visível ao redor a cromosfera. Este gigante, ficou visível por dois dias e depois entrou em erupção, lançando uma ejeção de massa coronal (CME) no espaço. De acordo com minhas medições em pixels, o tamanho dessa proeminência – especialmente no segundo dia – era em altura cerca de 10x o diâmetro do nosso planeta Terra, mas a sua extensão ao redor do limbo solar atingia milhares de quilómetros. Como comparação, a sua largura poderia ir para além do maior sistema de anéis de Saturno. Nesse sentido, usei imagens planetárias obtidas por mim, de Júpiter, Saturno e Marte para dar uma escala no filme, bem como no poster final com as imagens estáticas. As imagens solares e planetárias foram captuadas na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal.
Todas as imagens captadas nesta sessão estão disponíveis na minha galeria aqui. Como este tipo de imagens envolve uma quantidade enorme de trabalho (várias horas e dias) e muitos GBs para processar. Aqui estão algumas curiosidades: Captei 692 vídeos Raw de 900 frames cada. Um total de 622.800 frames ocupando um total de 3 TB de espaço. Cerca de 22% foram utilizados, totalizando 138.400 imagens estáticas processadas.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Large Solar Mammoth Shape Prominence in Motion – Photos and Time Lapse
Captured on 25th January, 2022, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, a high-resolution image features the chromosphere activity on this day, showing a massive solar prominence around the Solar limb. During the sequence of images, the prominence changed in appearance until it presented an incredible shape that resembled the silhouette of a Mammoth, a large mammal extinct for over 5,000 years and belonging to the genus Mammuthus (see image with caption). As the weather conditions were not perfect, but stable enough, I made a time lapse sequence that reveals this formation in motion, comprising a wider and close-up view (with 2x barlow). The final result is a 4K high resolution solar movie comprising around 2,5 hours of images.
PT: Captada a 25 de Janeiro de 2022, na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, a imagem de alta resolução revela a actividade da cromosfera neste dia, mostrando uma proeminência solar maciça ao redor do limbo Solar. Durante a sequência de imagens a proeminência foi mudando de aparência até apresentar uma forma incrível e que muita se asemelhava à silhueta de um Mamute, um mamífero de grande porte extinto há mais de 5 mil anos e pertencente ao gênero Mammuthus (ver a imagem com legenda). Como as condições climatéricas não eram perfeitas, mas suficientemente estáveis, fiz uma sequência time lapse e que permite ver esta formação em movimento, compreendendo fotos de visão mais ampla e close-up (com barlow 2x). O resultado final é um filme solar de alta resolução 4K com cerca de 2,5 horas de imagens.
Above is the original image vs the labeled image to help identify the Mammoth shape. Below are some still shots presented in a portrait, landscape, or monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image.
PT: Acima está a imagem original versus a imagem legendada para ajudar a identificar a forma do Mamute. Em baixo estão algumas fotos apresentadas em uma versão retrato e paisagem, bem como em uma versão monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem.
Below is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 345 shots processed (wide and Close-up), each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 2,5 hours.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 345 captações processadas (wide e close-up), cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 2,5h de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Prominence filter| QUY5III174M | TV Powermate 2x used only in close-up shots |Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in good seeing conditions (average of 1,60″ arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Burning Like the Wing of an Angel – Solar Timelapse and Photos
Captured on 13th January, 2022, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, a high-resolution image featured as a coronagraph, shows a large but very very faint solar prominence dancing around the sun’s limb. It was barely visible with the chromosphere filter, but I realised that it was vertical, enormous and beautiful, a burning shape resembling the wing of an angel. So, I decide to switch to the Quark filter dedicated to Prominences and get the most of it, with an overexposed disc to help reveal all the details on its structure. By my calculations and in comparison with the pixel measurements on the image, it must be around 96.000 km in height, which means around 7,5x the size of our planet Earth. As the weather conditions were stable enough, I did a time lapse sequence compiling 223 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 2 hours.
PT: Captada a 13 de Janeiro de 2022, na região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, a imagem de alta resolução apresentada como “coronógrafo”, mostra uma proeminência solar grande, mas muito fraca, dançando ao redor do limbo solar. Era praticamente imperceptível com o filtro de cromosfera, mas conseguia-se vislumbrar a sua grandeza, imponência e verticalidade, com a forma ardente de uma asa de anjo em chamas. Assim, decidi mudar para o filtro Quark dedicado às Proeminências no sentido de tirar o máximo proveito dele, com um disco sobre-exposto para ajudar a revelar todos os detalhes da sua estrutura. Pelos meus cálculos e em comparação com as medições dos pixeis na imagem, a proeminência deverá ter cerca de 96.000 km de altura, o que significa cerca de 7,5x o tamanho do nosso planeta Terra, com 12.742 km de diâmetro. Como as condições climáticas estavam estáveis o suficiente, fiz uma sequência time lapse compilando 223 fotos processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme de alta resolução em 4K que compilar cerca de 2 horas.
Below and above are some still shots presented in a portrait, landscape, or monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image.
PT: Em baixo e acima estão algumas fotos apresentadas em uma versão retrato e paisagem, bem como em uma versão monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem.
Below is possible to watch the video time lapse sequence compiling 223 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 200 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising around 2 hours.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 223 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 200 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que condensa cerca de 2h de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Prominence filter| QUY5III174M | Focuser Sesto Senso 2 | Stack of 200 frames for each single image, captured in good seeing conditions (average of 1,60″ arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Cold Full Moon Rising Behind a Lonely Tree – Photo and Time Lapse
The still image shows a sequence of the full moon rising behind a wonderful lonely tree over a hill in Dark Sky® Alqueva region. Last December full moon, was also known as the cold moon, although, in some places like Alqueva, Portugal, even in December the weather can be provide nice and confortable temperatures. A time lapse footage of this same scene can be seen below. To watch with sound on.
PT: A imagem estática revela uma sequência da lua cheia surgindo atrás de uma árvore bela e solitária sobre uma colina na região de Dark Sky® Alqueva. A lua cheia de Dezembro, é também conhecida como a “lua fria”, embora em alguns locais como o Alqueva, Portugal, mesmo em Dezembro o tempo permita desfrutar de uma agradável e confortável temperatura. Em baixo é possível ver uma sequência vídeo time lapse. Para assistir com som ligado.
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 Cloud of Fire Floating Above the Chromosphere and AR12887 Releasing a C1.1 Flare – Time Lapse and Photos
Captured on October 27th, 2021, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, with a telescope equipped with a Daystar Quark filter at the wavelength of Hydrogen-Alpha, the high-resolution image features some solar prominence around the sun’s limb near the Active Region AR12891, as well as a cloud of fire which seems to float above the limb for a long time. To help reveal all the solar dynamics and activity in motion, I made a time lapse video sequence taken between UT 11h55 and UT 14h13 (Universal Time). It’s possible to see a lot of interesting changes in the shape of prominence structures, as well as, fine spicules surrounding the solar disc and some slower motion in the chromosphere of the sun (surface).The images also captured minor and fast eruptive prominences appearing around the limb’s disc. The video zoomed to a crop close-up into some sequences to highlights the spectacularity and details in the solar activity ending with a close-up of AR12887, an Active Region which has been releasing during a few days several flares from C-1 to X-1 class. I was fortunate to capture one of these minor flares, a C1.1 class registered at UT13h35 which last for 13 minutes. It can be seen as a sudden “burning white” area appearing around the AR12887 sunspot.
PT: Captada a 27 de Outubro de 2021, a partir da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, com um telescópio equipado com um filtro Daystar Quark no comprimento de onda do Hidrogénio Alfa, a imagem de alta resolução apresenta algumas proeminências ao redor do limbo do sol, perto da região activa AR12891, bem como uma nuvem de fogo que parece flutuar sobre o limbo por um longo periodo de tempo. Para ajudar a revelar toda a dinâmica solar e atividade em movimento, fiz uma sequência de vídeo time lapse captada entre UT 11h55 e UT 14h13 (Tempo Universal). É possível ver muitas mudanças interessantes na forma das estruturas de proeminência, bem como, finas espículas ao redor do disco solar e algum movimento mais lento na cromosfera do sol (superfície). As imagens também captaram proeminências eruptivas menores e rápidas aparecendo ao redor do disco. O vídeo faz um zoom-in nalguns trechos, para permitir em close-up destacar a espetacularidade da actividade solar, terminando com um close-up da AR12887, uma região activa que tem lançado durante alguns dias vários flares de entre classe C-1 a X -1. Tive a sorte de captar um desses flares menores, de classe C1.1 registado às UT13h35, que durou aproximadamente 13 minutos. Pode ser visto como uma área branca que repentinamente queima – te tanta luz – aparecendo ao redor da mancha solar AR12887.
Below and above are some still shots presented in a portrait, landscape, or monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image. Below is possible to see the white region related with the flare C1.1 class released around the sunspot AR12887.
PT: Em baixo e acima estão algumas fotos apresentadas em uma versão retrato e paisagem, bem como em uma versão monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem. Em baixo é possível ver a região a branco relacionada com a libertação de um flare de classe C1.1 na mancha solar AR12887
Below is possible to watch the video time lapse compiling 358 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 250 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 4K high resolution time lapse movie comprising 2h18 of images.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 135 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 250 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 4K que compila 2h18 de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter| QUY5III174M | ZWO EAF | Stack of 250 frames for each single image, captured in good seeing conditions (average of 1,60 ” arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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.
Large Prominence and Chromosphere in Motion – Solar Session from 19th Sept 2021 With Photos and Time Lapse
Captured on September 19th, 2021, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, with a telescope equipped with a Daystar Quark filter at the wavelength of Hydrogen-Alpha, the high-resolution image features a wonderful solar prominence visible in great detail around the sun’s limb. Due to a good atmospheric conditions and stability, it was possible to record a nice time lapse video sequence taken between UT 11h32 and UT 12h51 (Universal Time) to help reveal all the solar dynamics and activity in motion. It’s possible to see a lot of interesting changes in the shape of prominence structures, as well as, fine spicules surrounding the solar disc and some slower motion in the chromosphere of the sun (surface). The images also captured minor and fast eruptive prominences appearing around the limb’s disc. The video zoomed to a crop close-up into some sequences to highlights the spectacularity and details in the solar activity. I edited the time lapse with music to be more immersive while enjoying, but you can switch of the sound, to be less distractive and notice better what is going on.
PT: Captada a 19 de Setembro de 2021, a partir da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, com um telescópio equipado com um filtro solar Daystar Quark – no comprimento de onda do Hidrogénio Alfa, a imagem de alta resolução apresenta uma incrível promeminência solar visível em grande detalhe ao redor do limbo do sol. Devido a boas condições atmosféricas e de estabilidade, foi possível registar uma sequência time lapse captada entre UT 11h32 e UT 12h51 (Tempo Universal) para ajudar a revelar toda a dinâmica solar e actividade em movimento. É possível ver muitas mudanças interessantes na forma e estrutura das proeminência, bem como espículas finais e aguçadas que aparecem ao redor do disco solar, assim como algum movimento mais lento na cromosfera do sol (superfície). As imagens também captaram proeminências eruptivas menores e rápidas aparecendo ao redor do limbo. O vídeo faz um zoom-in nalguns trechos, para permitir em close-up destacar a espetacularidade da actividade solar. Eu editei o timelapse com música para ser mais envolvente enquanto o leitor desfruta, mas pode desligar o som, para ser menos distrativo e permitir assim apreciar melhor os detalhes.
Below and above are some still shots presented in a portrait, landscape, or monochromatic version, intended to help conduct the reader attention to the most interesting parts of the image. All the images have been captured at different times, over the course of 1h20m.
PT: Em baixo e acima estão algumas fotos apresentadas em uma versão retrato e paisagem, bem como em uma versão monocromática, com o objetivo intencional de ajudar a conduzir a atenção do leitor para as partes mais interessantes da imagem. Todas as imagens foram captadas em minutos diferentes, no decorrer de 1h20m.
Below is possible to watch the video time lapse compiling 135 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 250 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 3K high resolution time lapse movie comprising 1h20 of images.
PT: Em baixo é possível ver o vídeo time lapse compilando 135 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 250 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 3K que compila 1h20 de imagens.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Daystar Quark Chromosphere filter| ASI174MM | ZWO EAF | Stack of 250 frames for each single image, captured in good seeing conditions (average of 1,22 ” arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, 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.
Solar Granulation and Sunspot AR12882 in Motion – Time Lapse and Photos
Captured on October 7, 2021, from my backyard near Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, I made a try on pushing hard my 120ED telescope to the limits of its resolution. Equipped with a Lunt Solar Wedge, a Baader green continuum filter and a crazy combination of two Televue Powermate barlows of 4x plus 2,5x in a relatively good atmospheric stability day, it was possible to record a time lapse video sequence taken between UT12h24 and UT 13h32 (Universal Time) which comprising 167 sequences stacked and processed individually. The final result helps to reveal the convection cells in motion around the medium size (but larger enough to maybe fit a planet Earth inside) Sunspot AR2882. A close-up view also reveals the dark hole from Umbra, surrounded by bright fibrils alternated with dark filaments which forms the Penumbra region. Solar photosphere is boiling and bubbling each minute, and these granulation cells are changing so fast, that only in 3 to 4 minutes we can see the diference in size and shape. Unfortunately I was not able to resolve even more up to the point of clearly distinguish the polygonal shape and intergranular zones, but I think that probably this is the limit of the limit of a 120mm telescope.
PT: Captada a 7 de Outubro de 2021, a partir do meu terraço perto da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, fiz uma tentativa de puxar até ao limite da sua resolução teórica, o meu telescópio 120ED. Equipado com um Lunt Solar Wedge, um filtro contínuo verde Baader e uma combinação excêntrica de dois barlows Televue Powermate de 4x mais 2,5x em um dia de estabilidade atmosférica relativamente boa, foi possível gravar uma sequência de vídeo time lapse feita entre UT12h24 e UT13h32 (Tempo Universal) que compreende 167 sequências empilhadas e processadas individualmente. O resultado final ajuda a revelar as células de convecção em movimento ao redor do mancha solar de tamanho médio AR2882 (mas grande o suficiente para talvez abarcar um planeta Terra inteiro lá dentro). Uma visão de perto também revela a região escura da Umbra, rodeada por fibrilas brilhantes alternadas com filamentos escuros que formam a região da Penumbra. A fotosfera solar está fervendo e borbulhando a cada minuto, e essa granulação sofre alterações tão rapidamente que em apenas 3 a 4 minutos podemos ver a diferença de tamanho e forma. Infelizmente não consegui resolver ainda mais a ponto de distinguir claramente a forma poligonal e as zonas intergranulares, mas acho que provavelmente esse é o limite do limite de um telescópio de 120mm.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
SW Esprit 120ED Professional | EQ-6 Pro mount | Lunt Solar Wedge | Baader Green Continum filter| ASI174MM | TV 4x + TV2,5x | ZWO EAF | Stack of 150 frames for each single image, captured in good seeing conditions from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Important Note | Nota Importante: Never look and point a telescope or any other optical equipment directly to the sun without a proper and specialized safty filters! It can blind you forever. PT: Nota Importante – Nunca aponte um telescópio ou qualquer equipamento óptico directamente para o sol e observe através dele sem filtros especializados e seguros. Causará cegueira irreversível!
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 Delightfull Moment under the Moonlilght with Jupiter
Enjoying a moonlight scene while rising above Atlantic Ocean, on a quiet night in a beach from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.Only the sound of waves and the light of the moon with its “casual neighbor” Jupiter seen at the left side, could reach our senses in this peaceful place. But the best, was experiencing it in the company of my soulmate! What else do we need? And how about you dear reader, did you already know which special person would you choose to share a delightful moment like this..?
PT: Desfrutando de um cenário ao luar enquanto a Lua quase cheia se elevava acima do Oceano Atlântico, numa noite bem tranquila numa praia de Punta Cana, na República Dominicana. Apenas o som das ondas e a luz da lua com o seu “vizinho casual” Júpiter – à esquerda -poderia tocar os nossos sentidos envoltos na magia deste lugar pacífico. Mas o melhor, foi vivenciar esta experiência na companhia da minha alma gémea! E o leitor, já escolheu a pessoa especial com quem partilharia um momento delicioso como este…?
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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.
Moonrise Crossing an Inversion Layer Showing the Rare Lunar Red Flash
The image and video time lapse shows the full moonrise of last June 24, 2021, vividly orange in color above a hill made by rocky wastes from an extraction of marble, in Borba. In the foreground, blurred greenish hues belongs to a vineyard which is out of focus in the frame for being not faraway from my 600mm telephoto lens. Above the horizon, a sequence of shots shows the moon rising while seems to immerse into a layer of strong temperature inversion, where warm air is above colder air, creating the right conditions to show a rare phenomenon known as lunar “red flash”. On the second moon of the still photo sequence, is visible a red flash below the disc, appearing detach from the main body itself. Expert Les Cowley explains on his Atmospheric Optics website, “when crossing the layers, light rays bend so that they are reflected up and down. This phenomenon is the result of mirages and color separation. We usually see a green flash when the Sun or Moon dips down into the inversion.The near horizon moon has an upper green rim (green because much blue light is scattered away) and a lower red rim. A mirage is needed to magnify these into a green or red flash. The “Etruscan Vase” or “Omega mirage” is formed by refraction across the temperature/density gradients of warm air beneath cooler.” .
PT: A imagem e vídeo time lapse, revelam o nascer da lua cheia no passado dia 24 de Junho de 2021, com uma cor vívida laranja, acima de uma colina formada por resíduos rochosos de uma extração de mármore, em Borba. No primeiro plano, os tons esverdeados pertencem a uma vinha que está desfocado no enquadramento por não estar muito longe da minha teleobjetiva de 600 mm. Acima do horizonte, uma sequência de fotos mostra a lua nascendo enquanto parece imergir de uma camada com uma forte inversão de temperatura, onde o ar quente está acima do ar mais frio, criando as condições certas para mostrar um fenómeno raro, conhecido como “flash vermelho” lunar. Na segunda lua da sequência fotográfica estática, é visível um pequeno “flash” vermelho alongado logo abaixo do limbo, que se parece desprender do próprio disco lunar. O especialista britânico Les Cowley explica no seu site Atmospheric Optics, “ao cruzar as camadas, os raios de luz curvam-se de modo que são refletidos para cima e para baixo. Este fenómeno é o resultado de miragens e separação de cores. Normalmente vemos um flash verde quando o Sol ou a Lua mergulha na inversão. A lua próxima do horizonte, tem uma borda verde superior (verde porque muita da luz azul é espalhada) e uma borda vermelha inferior. Uma miragem é no entanto necessária para ampliar actuante como uma lente gigante, tornando assim visível o flash verde ou vermelho. O “Etruscan Vase” ou “Miragem Omega” é formado pela refração através dos gradientes de temperatura – densidade do ar quente abaixo do mais frio. “.
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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 Rising Over Alqueva Lake with a Bright Meteor Visible – Photo and Time Lapse
The still image and time lapse sequence shows the Arch of Milky Way rising above Alqueva Lake, in Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Portugal. While the dusty core was moving to the south until reach the meredian, a bright and fast meteor was crossing the sky above it, being visible in the upper right corner. In the foreground, the calm water of Alqueva lake works as a perfect mirror, reflecting the brightest colorful stars of the spring sky. Below is possible to enjoy the video with sound on.
PT: A imagem e sequência time lapse mostram a arco da Via Láctea erguendo-se acima do Lago Alqueva, no território Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Enquanto o núcleo empoeirado da nossa galáxia se movia para o sul em direcção ao merediano celeste, um meteoro brilhante e rápido, cruzou o céu acima deste, sendo visível no canto superior direito da imagem. Em primeiro plano, as águas calmas do Alqueva funcionam como um espelho perfeito, reflectindo as estrelas coloridas mais brilhantes do céu primaveril. Em baixo, é possível desfrutar do vídeo, com som ligado.
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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.
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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.
Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion – Photo & Time Lapse
Captured on March 17, 2021, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, with a Solar Ha telescope – at the wavelength of Hydrogen-Alpha, the high-resolution footage features a gigantic solar prominence visible in great detail around the sun´s limb due to an exceptional seeing conditions. The time lapse sequence of close-up captures were taken between UT 12h02 and UT 14h57 (Universal Time) to help reveal very interesting changes in shape, intensity and detail, with spicules and supergranulation in motion on the sun´s surface. The video also highlights in slow motion a spectacular fast eruptive prominence visible in the upper right edge.
PT: Captada a 17 de Março de 2021, a partir da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, com um telescópio Solar Ha – no comprimento de onda do Hidrogénio Alfa, a imagem de alta resolução apresenta uma gigantesca promeminência solar visível em grande detalhe ao redor do limbo do sol, graças a condições de seeing excepcionais (excelente estabilidade atmosférica). A sequência de captações em close-up foi feita entre UT 12h02 e UT 14h57 (Tempo Universal), para assim permitir revelar mudanças muito interessantes na forma, intensidade e detalhe, com espículas e supergranulação em movimento na superfície solar, bem como espículas e pequenas proeminências aparecendo ao redor do limbo. O vídeo também destaca em slow motion uma espetacular e rápida proeminência eruptiva visível no extremo superior direito.
Above – from left to right – is possible to appreciate a singular portrait of a still shot taken at UT 12h45, and the BW and Color version of a stacked image comprising a sequence of 2h55 minutes of solar motion with dragged prominences. To help reveal the prominence flames in motion, I made a time lapse compiling 162 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 250 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 2K high resolution time lapse movie comprising 2h55 of images. Due to vimeo algorithms it may shows a little compression, which is not visible in the .mov master file.
PT: Acima – da esquerda para a direita, é possível apreciar uma versão singular estática em modo retrato, captada às 12h45 (UT) e uma imagem a preto e branco e a cores, de um stack em sequência que compreende 2h55 minutos de movimento solar com o arrastamento das protuberâncias. Para ajudar a revelar as chamas da proeminência em movimento, fiz um time lapse compilando 162 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 250 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 2K que compila 2h55 de imagens. Devido aos algoritmos do vimeo, o video poderá mostrar alguma compressão, que não é visível no ficheiro master original .mov. Não se esqueça de colocar o som ligado.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
LUNT LS100T Ha | AZ-HEQ5GT | ASI174MC | ZWO AD | Powermate 4x | Stack of 250 frames for each single image, captured in very good seeing conditions (average of 1″ arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
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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.
Large Solar Prominence and a Swirling Eruptive Flame in Motion – Photo & Time Lapse
Captured on Jan 17, 2021, from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, with a Solar Ha telescope – at the wavelength of Hydrogen-Alpha, the high-resolution image features a gigantic solar prominence visible in great detail around the sun´s limb due to an exceptional seeing conditions (very good atmospheric stability). The time lapse sequence of close-up captures were taken between UT 12h56 and UT 14h24 (Universal Time) to help reveal very interesting changes in shape, intensity and detail, with spicules and supergranulation in motion on the sun´s surface, as well as spicules and minor eruptive prominences appearing around the limb´s disc. The video also highlights in slow motion a spectacular fast swirling eruptive prominence visible in the upper right edge, while not faraway, a nice plume of fire was flown up and vanished as a smoke ring.
PT: Captada a 17 de Janeiro de 2021, a partir da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, com um telescópio Solar Ha – no comprimento de onda do Hidrogénio Alfa, a imagem de alta resolução apresenta uma gigantesca promeminência solar visível em grande detalhe ao redor do limbo do sol, graças a condições de seeing excepcionais (excelente estabilidade atmosférica). A sequência de captações em close-up foi feita entre UT 12h56 e UT 14h24 (Tempo Universal), para assim permitir revelar mudanças muito interessantes na forma, intensidade e detalhe, com espículas e supergranulação em movimento na superfície solar, bem como espículas e pequenas proeminências eruptivas aparecendo ao redor do limbo. O vídeo também destaca em slow motion uma espetacular proeminência eruptiva em forma de espiral e que faz um redemoinho rápido visível no extremo superior direito, não muito distante, é ainda possível ver uma pluma de fogo erguer-se e desvanecer como um “anel de fumo”.
Above – from left to right – is possible to appreciate a singular portrait of a still shot taken at UT 13h07, and the BW and Color version of a stacked image comprising a sequence of 1h30 minutes of solar motion with dragged prominences. To help reveal the prominence flames in motion, I made a time lapse compiling 105 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 250 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 2K high resolution time lapse movie comprising 1h30 of images. Due to vimeo algorithms it may shows a little compression, which is not visible in the .mov master file..
PT: Acima – da esquerda para a direita, é possível apreciar uma versão singular estática em modo retrato, captada às 13h07 (UT) e uma imagem a preto e branco e a cores, de um stack em sequência que compreende 1h30 minutos de movimento solar com o arrastamento das protuberâncias. Para ajudar a revelar as chamas da proeminência em movimento, fiz um time lapse compilando 105 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 250 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 2K que compila 1h30 de imagens. Devido aos algoritmos do vimeo, o video poderá mostrar alguma compressão, que não é visível no ficheiro master original .mov. Não se esqueça de colocar o som ligado.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
LUNT LS100T Ha | AZ-HEQ5GT | ASI174MC | ZWO AD | Powermate 4x | Stack of 250 frames for each single image, captured in very good seeing conditions (average of 1″ arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
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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.
ISS Crossing a Moon Full of Craters – Photo and Video
The image and video sequence shows the ISS – International Space Station – crossing the crescent moon disc over Borba region, in Alentejo, Portugal, on 18th January 2021 at UT 19h14m41s. In the background, a detailed moon features a surface 30% directly illuminated by the sun and spread by contrasted craters. Carrying on board 7 astronauts from the Expedition 64, the large artificial satellite orbiting our planet with a width of 108.5 meters seems although very small when compared with the moon´s disc with an angular size of 31.2′. Indeed, the moon was 42.3 times larger than the ISS during this particular passage. Although, larger structures and the main solar panels are well possible to distinguish in the image. The angular size of the ISS was 43.10″ arc seconds at a distance of 644 km and a speed of 7,38km/s, it has just crossed the moon in a blink of an eye during 1.10s. International Space Station (ISS) completes an entire orbit around Earth each 90 minutes, but these events are not happening so often. To see more images of this event and an all sky fish-eye scene with ISS crossing the entire sky, Click here.
PT: A imagem e sequencia video revelam a ISS – Estação Espacial Internacional – cruzando o disco da lua crescente sobre a região de Borba, no Alentejo, Portugal, no dia 18 de janeiro de 2021 às 19h14m41s UT. Em pano de fundo, uma lua detalhada apresenta uma superfície 30% iluminada directamente pelo sol e repleta de crateras contrastantes. Transportando a bordo 7 astronautas da Expedição 64, o maior satélite artificial a orbitar o nosso planeta Terra, tem uma largura de 108,5 metros, embora pareça muito pequeno quando comparado com disco lunar com um tamanho angular de 31,2′ (minutos de arco). Na verdade, a lua encontrava-se 42,3 vezes maior do que a ISS durante esta passagem em particular. Porém, as maiores estruturas e os painéis solares principais são bem possíveis de distinguir na imagem. Com o tamanho angular de 43,10″ (segundos de arco), a ISS passou a uma distância de 644 km e uma velocidade de 7,38 km/s, cruzando a lua num piscar de olhos, durante cerca de 1,10 segundos. A Estação Espacial Internacional (ISS) completa uma órbita inteira ao redor da Terra a cada 90 minutos, mas eventos como este não acontecem com tanta frequência. Para ver mais imagens desta noite e uma fotografia fish-eye all sky da ISS a cruzar o céu inteiro, clique aqui.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
GSO8″ | AZ-HEQ5GT | ASI178MC | The still image is a stack of 200 frames for the moon, plus a stack of 3 frames for the ISS, to increase quality and help reveal more details in the structure. The video sequence is a result of 11 best frames featuring the ISS.
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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.
High Resolution Image and Video Shows a Gigantic Solar Prominence in Motion
Captured on May 25, 2020, from my backyard near Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal, with a Solar Ha telescope – at the wavelength of Hydrogen-Alpha, the high-resolution image features a gigantic solar prominence visible in great detail around the sun´s limb due to an exceptional seeing conditions (very good atmospheric stability). The sequence of close-up captures were taken between UT 13h41 and UT 16h00 (Universal Time) when the seeing was more stable to help reveal very interesting changes in shape, intensity and detail, with minor eruptive prominences appearing around the limb. The full disc image, captured around noon, also shows the large prominence visible at the right northern edge of the Sun. As in average the solar disc has a diameter of 1,391,000 km, we can determine that the large prominence could reach around 83,000 km high, which means 6,5 times larger than our planet Earth with a diameter of 12,742 km. To see a comparison with NASA images taken by SDO – Solar Dynamics Observatory, at approximately the same time and date, take a look here.
PT: Captada em 25 de maio de 2020, a partir do meu terraço perto da região do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal, com um telescópio Solar Ha – no comprimento de onda do Hidrogénio Alfa, a imagem de alta resolução apresenta uma gigantesca promeminência solar visível em grande detalhe ao redor do limbo do sol, graças a condições de seeing excepcionais (excelente estabilidade atmosférica). A sequência de captações em close-up foi feita entre UT 13h41 e UT 16h00 (Tempo Universal), nos momentos de maior estabilidade astmosférica, para assim permitir revelar mudanças muito interessantes na forma, intensidade e detalhe da grande protuberância, assim como das pequenas proeminências eruptivas que aparecem e desaparecem rapidamente ao redor do limbo. A imagem completa do disco, captada por volta do meio-dia, também mostra a grande proeminência visível no contorno direito norte do sol. Como em média o disco solar tem um diâmetro de cerca de 1.391.000 km, podemos determinar que esta proeminência é de facto gigante podendo atingir cerca de 83.000 km de altura, o que significa 6,5 vezes maior que o nosso próprio planeta Terra com um diâmetro de 12.742 km. Para ver uma comparação com as imagens da NASA obtidas pelo SDO – Solar Dynamics Observatory, aproximadamente à mesma data e hora, clique aqui.
To help reveal the prominence flames in motion, I made a time lapse compiling 27 shots processed, each one as result of a stack of the best 250 frames from each raw video. The final result is a 2K high resolution time lapse movie from the images captured between UT 13h41 and UT 16h00. Due to vimeo algorithms it may shows a little compression, which is not visible in the .mov master file. Don´t forget to put to sound on.
PT: Para ajudar a revelar as chamas da proeminência em movimento, fiz um time lapse compilando 27 captações processadas, cada uma como resultado de um stack dos melhores 250 frames de cada vídeo raw. O resultado final é um filme time lapse de alta resolução de 2K a partir das imagens captadas entre UT 13h41 e UT 16h00. Devido aos algoritmos do vimeo, o video poderá mostrar alguma compressão, que não é visível no ficheiro master original .mov. Não se esqueça de colocar o som ligado.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
LUNT LS100T Ha | AZ-HEQ5GT | ASI178MC | Stack of 250 frames for each single image, captured in very good seeing conditions (average of 1″ arcs) from Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal.
Dark Sky® Alqueva – A Stargazing Experience of a Lifetime – Video
Video timelapse about Dark Sky® Alqueva stargazing experience while enjoy being and working under the stars, released for the ceremony of WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2020. Dark Sky® Alqueva was awarded as: Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award 2020 and Europe’s Leading Tourism Development Project 2020 plus World’s Leading Tourism Project 2020.
PT: Vídeo time lapse sobre a experiência de observação no Dark Sky® Alqueva e a magia de estar sob um céu estrelado ímpar, lançado para a cerimónia dos WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2020 onde o Dark Sky® Alqueva foi premiado como: Europe’s Responsible Tourism Award 2020 e Europe’s Leading Tourism Development Project 2020 e World’s Leading Tourism Project 2020.
Astrophotography Workshop Under the Moonlight in Dark Sky® Alqueva Mértola
Captured during one of my workshops in Mértola, @darkskyalqueva, this short time lapse sequence shows the Milky Way rising while the moon is yet illuminating the background sky before setting in the opposite direction. To know more about my workshops, click here.
PT: Captada durante um dos meus workshops no território do Dark Sky® Alqueva, em Mértola, esta curta sequência de lapso de tempo mostra a Via Láctea nascendo enquanto a lua ainda está iluminando o céu de fundo antes de se pôr na direção oposta do céu. Para saber mais acerca do meus workshops, clique aqui.
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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 Moon Rising While Crossing the Clouds above a Peaceful Lagoon in a Time Lapse Video
A short time lapse sequence shows the moon rising above a peaceful lagoon from the rural hotel Naveterra, in Alandroal, located in the northern part of @darkskyalqueva Reserve. An interesting game of light and shadows can be enjoyed while the moon is getting high in the sky and crosses a layer of clouds.
PT: Uma breve sequência de lapso de tempo mostra a lua nascendo sobre uma lagoa tranquila do hotel rural Naveterra, no Alandroal, localizado na parte norte da Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva. Um interessante jogo de luzes e sombras pode ser apreciado enquanto sobe mais alto no céu e atravessa uma camada de nuvens.
1h Rotation of Planet Mars
Captured on 29th October 2020 from Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory, when Mars was still close, the final image compiless thousands of frames and a time lapse sequence of about 60 minutes. The left image with the South Polar Cap facing down, shows many interesting albedo features like Chryse Planitia in the top and below the blueish cloud system visible above the North Pole. In center, is an extensive land mass called Margaritifer Terra and on the right, the plateau of Meridiani Planum with the large crater Schiaparelli (close to the orange large area). The left terminator is also spread with blueish clouds and haze. The right image features the South Polar Cap at the top.
PT: Captada dia 29 de Outubro de 2020 a partir do Observatório Dark Sky® Alqueva, na Cumeada, enquanto Marte ainda se encontrava relativamente próximo, a imagem final compila milhares de frames e uma sequência time lapse de cerca de 60 minutos. A imagem à esquerda, com a Calote Polar Sul voltada para baixo, revela muitas características de albedo interessantes como Chryse Planitia, no topo, e logo abaixo de um sistema azulado de nuvens que circundam a região polar norte. No centro, está uma extensa massa de terra chamada Margaritifer Terra e à direita, o planalto de Meridiani Planum com a grande cratera Schiaparelli (próximo à região desértica alaranjada). No terminador esquerdo, é possível ver alguma neblina azul. A imagem à diretia, mostra a Calota Polar Sul no topo.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Camera ASI174MC | Celestron C14| ZWO ADC | Barlow 4x Televue Powermate. Processing on AutoStakkert, Registax 6, WinJupos, and Photoshop CC2021. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
A Bright Perseids Meteor Crossing the Heart of Milky Way Galaxy
Captured from @montimerso Skyscape Country House, in Dark Sky® Alqueva, the image features a bright meteor from Perseids meteor shower which crossed the heart of Milky Way galaxy. Seen in a greenish-orange color, shortly shined above the observatory dome from the rural hotel. Below is a timelapse sequence of the entire scene.
PT: Captada a partir do @montimerso Skyscape Country House, nos céus do Dark Sky® Alqueva, a imagem revela um meteoro brilhante pertencente à chuva de meteoros das Perseidas que cruzou assim o coração da Via Láctea. Visível numa cor laranja-esverdeada, brilhou repentinamente acima da cúpula do observatório que se encontra disponível para os clientes deste hotel rural. Abaixo é possível ver uma sequência timelapse.
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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.
Comet Neowise in Motion above Pampilhosa da Serra – Photo and Time Lapse
The image shows Comet Neowise C/2020 F3 with his long tail visible durinig nautical twilight while it was setting above Pampilhosa da Serra mountain range, territory of Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, central region of Portugal. The comet has become so bright that can be seen easily with unaided eye from a dark sky location. Below is a time lapse sequence comprising in 10 seconds, 1h30 minutes of its movement along with the stars.
PT: A imagem revela o cometa Neowise C/2020 F3 com a sua longa cauda visível durante o crepúsculo náutico enquanto este se deitava acima das montanhas da Pampilhosa da Serra, em território do Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, centro de Portugal. O cometa ficou tão brilhante que pode ser visto facilmente a olho nu, a partir de uma zona com céu relativamente escuro. Em baixo é possível ver uma sequência time lapse que revela em 10 segundos, cerca de 1h30 minutos do seu movimento juntamente com as estrelas.
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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.
Comet Neowise Featuring a Bluish Ion Tail as Seen above Dark Sky® Alqueva Lake
The image shows Comet Neowise C/2020 F3 with his blueish ion tail made by ionized gas – gas energized by ultraviolet light from the Sun and pushed outward by the solar wind – faintly visible at the left side of the comet while it was rising. The image is a stack of 4 single shots to help reveal the faint ion tail captured during predawn of yesterday 12th July above Alqueva lake, in Monte Juntos, territory of Dark Sky® Alqueva, in Alentejo, Portugal. The comet has become so bright that can be seen with unaided eye, although, it starts to be visible from now on after the sunset and during the nautical twilight. Is always preferable to enjoy the view with a pair of binoculars or a telephoto lens. Below is a time lapse sequence taken in the same night but with a different setup.
PT: A imagem revela o cometa Neowise C/2020 F3 com a sua cauda de íons azulada composta por gás ionizado – gás este energizado pela luz ultravioleta do Sol e empurrado para fora pelo vento solar – subtilmente visível no lado esquerdo do cometa enquanto este se elevava no horizonte Nordeste. A imagem é resultado de um stack de 4 disparos únicos para ajudar a revelar a ténue cauda de íons captada durante a madrugada de 12 de julho, acima do lago Alqueva, em Monte Juntos, território do Dark Sky® Alqueva, no Alentejo, Portugal. O cometa ficou tão brilhante que pode ser visto a olho nu, embora comece a ser visível a partir de agora após o pôr do sol e durante o crepúsculo naútico. É sempre preferível apreciar a vista com um par de binóculos ou lentes telefoto. Em baixo é possível ver outro um time lapse captado na mesma noite, mas com outro setup.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Nikon D850 modified | 70mm f/2.8| ISO2500 – Exp. 8 seconds | Vixen Polarie Portable Mount |Stack of 4 images. Captured from fields of Dark Sky® Alqueva
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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.
Comet Neowise above Alqueva Fields of Cork Trees – Photo & Time Lapse
This single image shows Comet Neowise C/2020 F3 rising during predawn of 10th July above the golden fields of Dark Sky® Alqueva, in Alentejo, with the hilltop village of Monsaraz visible in the background. The interplanetary traveller is shinning in the left side of this morning twilight landscape with a bright long tail visible. The comet has become so bright that can be seen with unaided eye, although, is always preferable to enjoy the view with a pair of binoculars or a telephoto lens. Below is a time lapse sequence showing the the motion of the comet in the background sky during one hour.
PT: A imagem captada num disparo único revela o cometa Neowise C/2020 F3, durante a madrugada de 10 de julho enquanto se elevava acima dos campos dourados do Dark Sky® Alqueva, no Alentejo, com a vila de Monsaraz visível no topo da colina em pano de fundo. Este viajante interplanetário brilha assim intensamente no lado esquerdo deste retrato crepuscular, exibindo uma longa cauda difusa mas bem visível. O cometa ficou tão brilhante nos últimos dias, que pode agora ser visto a olho nu, embora seja sempre preferível recorrer a um par de binóculos ou a tele-objectivas para registar este espectáculo celeste incrível. Abaixo é possível ver uma sequência time lapse com o movimento do comet contra o céu de fundo, durante aproximadamente uma hora.
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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.
Little Owls Breeding Against a Golden Supermoon
Captured during the full moon of March – called the Worm Moon – was indeed the first supermoon of the year 2020. Despite this interesting moment, which normally happens when the full moon coincides with its perigee, the single image reveals an out of focus moonrise in the background sky, while in the foreground two little Owls are visible in the branches of a naked tree during the twilight. The little Owl (Athene noctua) is a small nocturnal bird which inhabiting the temperate and warmer regions of Europe, being one of the nocturnal bird species more common to watch in Mértola, Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal. This Owls becomes more vocal at night as the breeding season approaches in late spring, and a pair may call in duet. During an assignment to photograph nocturnal birds in this territory and accompanied by a specialist guide Helder Cardoso (from Birds & Nature Tours), I had the unique and mesmerising chance to capture the real moment when they start to mate with the male on top of the female, while the wings were in motion and against a golden moonrise. In some other shots, we also can enjoy one little Owl flying while the other was standing in the top of the tree. The little Owl is also associated with the Greek goddess Athena and the Roman goddess Minerva, representing wisdom and knowledge. A little Owl with an olive branch appears on a Greek tetradrachm coin from 500 BC. I also did a short real time vídeo (not a timelapse) with the moon slowing moving in the background sky, while the silhouette of two Owls are visible in the branches.
PT: Captada durante a lua cheia de março – apelidada de Worm Moon – foi a primeira superlua do ano 2020. Apesar desse momento interessante, que normalmente acontece quando a lua cheia coincide com o perigeu, a imagem resultante de um disparo único, revela o nascer de uma lua desfocada em pano de fundo, enquanto as atenções recaem no primeiro plano onde dois mochos-galegos são visíveis nos galhos de uma árvore despida, durante o crepúsculo náutico. O mocho-galego (Athene noctua) é a ave de rapina nocturna mais fácil de observar e que habita as regiões temperadas e quentes da Europa, sendo uma das espécies de aves noturnas mais comuns em Mértola, no território do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. Este pequenos mochos tornam-se mais vocais à noite, à medida que a estação de reprodução se aproxima, no final da primavera, e um par pode vocalizar em dueto. Em missão fotográfica num trabalho para captar as aves noturnas mais comuns deste território e acompanhado pelo guia especializado Helder Cardoso (Birds & Nature Tours), tive a chance única e fascinante de registar o momento real em que eles começaram a acasalar com o macho por cima da fêmea, enquanto as asas estavam em movimento e contra um nascer de uma Lua Cheia dourada. Ficaram ainda registados outros momentos distintos desta noite, com um mocho-galego em pleno voo enquanto a sua cara metade esperava pacientemente no topo da árvore. O mocho também está associada à deusa grega Atena e à deusa romana Minerva, representando sabedoria e conhecimento. Uma pequeno mocho com um ramo de oliveira está representado numa moeda grega de Tetradrachm (500 aC). Por fim, é ainda possível ver um pequeno vídeo em tempo real (não um timelapse) com a lua se movendo lentamente em pano de fundo, enquanto a silhueta de dois mochos-galegos é visível nos galhos de uma árvore.
Above is a short video and below a close-up view
From a Foggy Twilight into a Starry Night over Picos de Europa
A time lapse scene captured in June 2015 during an expedition to Picos de Europa National Park, in Northern Spain, reveals a short video sequence starting with a foggy twilight and a cloudy night after a thunderstorm, finishing with a starry view with the Milky Way above the mountain range. On the ground is visible a lonely chalet located in the middle of the high mountains. Without electricity, only a few lights are powered by a gasoline generator being switched off after midnight. The movie intends to shows the effect of light pollution even with a few lights, revealing the range of the light glow while scattered with the fog, showing how a pristine sky like that can fade out in a question of seconds, if we will not taking care properly..
PT: Este time lapse captado em Junho de 2015 durante uma expedição ao Parque Nacional Picos de Europa, no norte da Espanha, revela uma sequência vídeo que se inicia com um crepúsculo em torno do nevoeiro e transitando para uma noite de neblina após uma curta tempestade de relâmpagos, terminando assim com uma vista estrelada da Via Láctea acima desta cordilheira espanhola. Na paisagem ímpar, é visível um chalet solitário localizado no meio das montanhas altas e rochosas. Sem eletricidade, apenas algumas luzes são alimentadas por um gerador de gasolina que é todas as noites desligado após a meia-noite. O filme pretende mostrar o efeito da poluição luminosa – que mesmo com pouca iluminação exterior – revela o alcance do glow luminoso reflectido enquanto este se dispersa pelo nevoeiro, mostrando como um céu pristino como este, se pode desvanecer em questão de segundos se não tomarmos as devidas precauções para o proteger.
Aurora Display Above Seljalandsfoss Cliffs – Photo and Timelapse
The image shows an aurora display of different color hues above Seljalandsfoss cliffs, in Iceland, filled with small frozen waterfalls scattered along the edge of the cliff. The imagem was captured during a surprisingly active night at the end of October 2019. A short time lapse sequence is also showing these very fast auroras dancing above this quiet place, while the Ursa Major constellation is setting in the background sky.
PT: A imagem revela uma cortina de auroras boreais de diferentes intensidades e cores, que brilham acima do penhasco rochoso e repleto de pequenas cascatas geladas, em Seljalandsfoss, na Islândia. A imagem foi captada durante uma noite surpreendentemente activa no final de Outubro de 2019. Em baixo, um pequeno vídeo time lapse, revela o movimento rápido destas auroras dançando acima deste lugar pacífico equanto a Ursa Maior se deita em pano de fundo.
Hurricane Leslie Arriving in Alqueva´s Starry Night – Photo and Time Lapse
Back in 13th October 2018, this winter scene features the stormy night of Leslie hurricane, captured just few minutes before starting the worst winds and strong rain we had in a long time. Leslie was the strongest cyclone we had in Portugal after 1842. While in the background sky we can appreciate a starry view, in the foreground is visible a small and peaceful lagoon from the rural hotel Naveterra, in Alandroal, located in the northern part of Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve. Below is visible a short video time lapse sequence, while the Milky Way is setting behind the moving clouds.
Corona Venus – Not a Virus, but a Beautiful Show Visible in Front of Pleiades Star Cluster
The image shows a Venus Corona visible while the planet was transiting the Pleiades star cluster M45 as seen from Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory on April 3, 2020. A Corona, is produced by the diffraction of light from either the Sun, the Moon or some bright planets by individual small water droplets and sometimes tiny ice crystals of a cloud. Pleiades is an open star cluster containing middle-aged, hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The cluster contains 1,000 stars, of which more than a dozen can be seen with the unaided eye. The celestial entity has several meanings in different cultures and traditions.
The blue nebulosity that surrounds the cluster is a reflection nebula – visible in the last image below, captured without the moon glow. The cluster is dominated by hot blue and extremely luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years, and are located 391 light-years away according to measurements made by the Hipparcos satellite. The named members of the Pleiades and their magnitudes are: Pleione – 5.2 | Atlas – 3.8 | Alcyone – 3.0 | Merope – 4.3 | Electra – 3.8 | Celaeno – 5.4 | Taygeta – 4.4 | Maia – 4.0 | Sterope – 5.9.
The last deep sky image – below – is a composite of frames captured on April 3, 2020 while Venus was in conjunction with Pleiades with the presence of the Moon, plus data collected in 2016 with the same equipment, to help revealing a deeper view of all the faint dust surrounding the cluster.
PT: A imagem revela o Planeta Vénus envolto numa Corona, enquanto este transitava sobre o enxame de estrelas Pleiades, ou Sete Irmãs (Messier 45 ou M45) no dia 3 de Abril de 2020. A Corona é produzida pela difração da luz do Sol, da Lua ou de alguns planetas brilhantes, por pequenas gotículas de água, ou por vezes, por minúsculos cristais de gelo presentes nas nuvens da atmofesra. As Pleiades são um aglomerado de estrelas aberto contendo estrelas de meia-idade, tipo B quentes, localizadas na constelação do Touro. Está entre os aglomerados de estrelas mais próximos da Terra e é o aglomerado mais óbvio a olho nu no céu noturno. Este cluster, contém cerca de 1000 estrelas das quais mais de uma dúzia podem ser vistas a o olho nu para um observador experiente e com boa acuidade visual. Este objecto celeste tem vários significados em diferentes culturas e tradições.
A nebulosidade azul que circunda o cluster – visível na imagem de baixo sem a presença da Lua – é uma nebulosa de reflexão. O cluster é dominado por estrelas azuis quentes e extremamente luminosas que se formaram nos últimos 100 milhões de anos e estão localizadas a 391 anos-luz de distância da Terra de acordo com as medições feitas pelo satélite Hipparcos. As principais estrelas das Plêiades e suas magnitudes aparentes são: Pleione – 5.2 | Atlas – 3,8 | Alcyone – 3.0 | Merope – 4.3 | Electra – 3.8 | Celaeno – 5.4 | Taygeta – 4.4 | Maia – 4.0 | Sterope – 5,9
A imagem de céu profundo- disponível no fim da página – é o resultado de um composto de exposições captadas em 3 de abril de 2020, enquanto Vénus se encontrava em conjunção com as Pleiades na presença da Lua crescente, e imagens captadas em 2016 sem a presença da Lua e com o mesmo equipamento, para permitir assim revelar uma visão mais profunda de toda a poeira envolvente ao redor deste aglomerado.
Above is a time lapse short sequence showing the formation of the Corona, around Venus. Below a deep sky view with the presence of moon glow. For more details, visit the original post of the deep field.
Technical details regarding the image above | Detalhes Técnicos em relação à imagem acima
Taka FSQ-106ED + Extender-Q 1.6x – EM200 auto-guided | Nikon D810A | ISO2500 – Exp. 300 seconds x 15 lights + ISO3200 – Exp. 210 seconds x 10 lights + ISO2500 – Exp. 270 seconds x 13 lights plus 4 additional shots captured on April 3, 2020| Total integration of 38 + 4 Lights: 2h48 minutes. Processing on PixInsight 1.8 and CS6 + CC 2020. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
Two Photographers Enjoying an Aurora Display from a Small Wood Bridge of Seljalandsfoss
The image shows two photographers enjoying a greenigh aurora display from a small wood bridge in Seljalandsfoss, in Iceland, captured during a surprisingly active night at the end of October 2019. A short time lapse sequence is also showing these very fast auroras dancing above this quiet place.
PT: A imagem revela dois fotógrafos desfrutando de uma cortina de auroras boreais de diferentes intensidades e cores, que brilham acima de uma pequena ponte de madeira de Seljalandsfoss, na Islândia, captadas durante uma noite surpreendentemente activa no final de Outubro de 2019. Em baixo, um pequeno vídeo time lapse, revela o movimento rápido destas auroras dançando acima deste lugar pacífico.
The Path of a Winter Earthshine – Photo and Time Lapse
A still composition shows an Earthshine time lapse sequence with the path of a Crescent Moon captured at the end of nautical twilight, after an unusual – hot for the season – crystal clear day not so expected during the winter time, perhaps related with global warming and climate changes, when the Moon was setting behind a hill full of trees from the fluvial beach of Amieira, in Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Portugal. The intensity of Earthshines could vary throughout the year, as they are connected with the Albedo of Earth, the incident light that is reflected to space by the surface of our planet and reaches the Moon. This impressive phenomenon known as Earthshine, was described and drawn for the first time, by the talented Leonardo Da Vinci about 500 years ago on his book Codex Leicester. Below is available a short time lapse footage of this sequence. At the end of the video, a cumulative trailed sequence shows the path of the moon moving in reverse mode.
PT: Uma composição estática revela uma sequência de lapso de tempo de um Earthshine lunar com o rasto de uma Lua Crescente visível no final do Crepúsculo Náutico, após um dia incomum – quente e cristalino para a estação do ano – pouco expectável durante o inverno, talvez relacionado com o aquecimento global e mudanças climáticas, quando a Lua se punha por detrás de uma colina cheia de árvores da praia fluvial de Amieira, no território do Dark Sky® Alqueva, Portugal. A intensidade dos Earthshines pode variar ao longo do ano, pois está relacionada com o Albedo da Terra, a luz incidente que é refletida para o espaço pela superfície do nosso planeta e chega assim à superfície da Lua. Este impressionante fenómeno conhecido como Earthshine, foi descrito e desenhado pela primeira vez pelo talentoso Leonardo Da Vinci há cerca de 500 anos atrás, no seu livro Codex Leicester. Em baixo está disponível um vídeo time lapse durante o pôr-da-lua. No final deste, uma sequência cumulativa revela o rasto da lua em modo reverso.
Aurora Green Stripes and Dark Bands on a Full Dome Time Lapse Sequence
A full dome time lapse scene captured with a circular fisheye lens during a surprisingly active night at the end of October, features a northern lights show all over the sky with the formation of very fast auroras above Seljalandsfoss cliffs. High in the sky – at the end of the short 10 secs sequence available below – beautiful large green stripes intercalated by dark bands are visible crossing the sky overhead, where also can be seen in the background, the faint path of our winter Milky Way in slow motion.
PT: Esta imagem All sky captada com uma lente olho de peixe circular durante uma noite surpreendentemente ativa no final de outubro, revela as interacções das particulas carregadas provenientes do sol, com o nosso campo magnético terrestre, resultando assim no aparecimento das tão esperadas “luzes do norte”. Nessa noite, a dança estendiam-se a toda a esfera celeste com auroras muito rápidas visíveis acima dos penhascos de Seljalandsfoss. No alto do céu – no final desta curta sequência de 10 segundos – grandes faixas esverdeadas e intercaladas por bandas escuras eram visíveis cruzando o céu acima, já em pano de fundo, o ténue caminho da Via Láctea de inverno era prefeitamente perceptível mum lento e mágico movimento rotacional.
Green Aurora Display Over Kirkjufellsfoss Waterfalls in Iceland
The image features a green aurora display above Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls, captured on my trip to Iceland during a surprisingly active night at the end of October. Even being in what is known as a Solar Minimum, sometimes our Star can surprise us. According to Spaceweather.com, “a large hole in the sun’s atmosphere has opened and facing Earth, spewing solar wind in our direction. First contact with the gaseous material would start on October 24th” and would last for the upcoming 3 or 4 days. The solar wind stream has sparked beautiful greenish auroras that could be seen over Iceland during that period, fortunately, thanks to a clear sky forecast and some aurora chasing done it by car, I could manage to show them on a still single photo as well as on a short time lapse sequence captured from Kirkjufellsfoss waterfalls.
PT: A imagem revela uma aurora verde intensa brilhando acima da cascata de Kirkjufellsfoss, captada numa viagem recente à Islândia durante uma noite surpreendentemente activa no final de Outubro. Mesmo estando no que é conhecido como “Mínimo Solar”, às vezes a nossa Estrela pode surpreender-nos. Segundo o Spaceweather.com, formou-se um grande buraco na atmosfera do sol que apontava na direcção da Terra, lançando o vento solar na nossa direção. O primeiro contacto com o material gasoso começaria em 24 de Outubro e duraria nos próximos 3 a 4 dias. A corrente de vento solar proporcionou assim belas auroras esverdeadas brilhantes que podiam ser vistas sobre a Islândia durante esse período, felizmente, graças a uma previsão de céu limpo e algumas viagens de carro pelo país à procura do melhor momento, foi possível registá-las numa foto single e em uma curta sequência time lapse capada na queda de água de Kirkjufellsfoss.
Counting Satellites Before You Fall Asleep – Time Lapse
A short time lapse sequence, shows a big window where we can enjoy the wonders of the night time while lying down in the bed. Before you fall asleep, instead of counting sheeps, you can try to count the dozens of satellites that are crossing our night skies each minute. Looking carefully to each square of the image, and you will notice them like thiny pixels flying fast! Give yourself a try.
PT: Uma sequência curta de time lapse, mostra uma grande janela onde podemos apreciar as maravilhas da noite enquanto estamos deitados na cama. Antes de adormecer, em vez de contar carneiros, pode tentar contar as dezenas de satélites que cruzam o céu noturno a cada minuto. Olhando atentamente para cada quadrado de vidro da imagem, é possívell reconhecer os satélites como que pequenos pixels voando rápido! Experimente encontrá-los você mesmo.
My Milky Starry View from San Pedro de Atacama
A single image features the core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, full of bright emission nebulae visible in red/violet hues. Located high in the sky at this time of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, was framed above my hotel´s “hut” with a lovely view, between the branches of some trees from a small village in Atacama Desert, called San Pedro de Atacama, in Chile. For those like me that are based in the Northern Hemisphere, a sky like that seems to be inverted, although, the bright light of Jupiter in the top center, helped to recognize the Dark River, dark absorption nebulas that extends from the central band of Milky Way, connecting the Pipe Nebula to the colourful region near bright star Antares, Rho Ophiuchi in Scorpius constellation.
PT: A imagem revela o núcleo da nossa galáxia, a Via Láctea, cheia de nebulosas de emissão brilhantes visíveis em tons de vermelho / violeta. Localizada bem alto no céu nesta época do ano, no Hemisfério Sul, é visível logo acima da “cabana” do meu hotel, com uma vista incrível por entre os galhos de algumas árvores de uma pequena vila no deserto de Atacama, chamada San Pedro de Atacama, no Chile. Para aqueles que como eu, habitam no Hemisfério Norte, um céu assim parece invertido, embora a luz brilhante de Júpiter no centro superior, tenha ajudado a reconhecer o Dark River, as nebulosas escuras de absorção que se estendem da faixa central de Via Láctea, conectando a Pipe Nebula à região colorida perto da brilhante estrela Antares, conhecida como Rho Ophiuchi, na constelação do Escorpião.
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Drone Footage of the Total Solar Eclipse 2019 from Chile
One of the most beautiful things about viewing and photographing a total solar eclipse, is the light from the inner corona which reveals fine structures and curved lines by the strong magnetic fields, as well as the faint white light that extends far out into space, known as the Sun´s outer corona. On 2nd July, 2019, thousands of people located in some parts of Chile and Argentina had the incredible opportunity to witness the unique and unforgettable moment when the Moon itself completely blocks the sun´s disc showing also some prominences visible around the limb and a phenomenon known as the Moon Earthshine, even not being visible with our naked eyes during an eclipse due to the huge difference of light, is the reflected light from our planet Earth that illuminates with a faint light, the moon´s dark disc and it can be revealed during a photographic long exposure. The final video is the result of a drone footage captured during totality and mixed with some still shots taken with different exposures over the course of 2 minutes and combined together to reveal a dramatic high dynamic range. The sequence was captured in Lambert, 30km northeast of La Serena, Chile, using a Nikon D850 with a 600mm telephoto lens for still photos, with a Star Adventure portable mount and a drone Mavik Pro I for the aerial footage.
Photos and Final Editing by Miguel Claro & Drone Footage by Apolónia Rodrigues | Drone Footage Edited by Martin Heck | Licensed Music Inspiring to Epic by Nikitsan
PT: Uma das coisas mais bonitas sobre ver e fotografar um eclipse solar total, é a luz da coroa interna que revela finas estruturas e linhas curvas pelos fortes campos magnéticos, bem como a fraca luz branca que se estende até o espaço, conhecida como a coroa externa do Sol. A 2 de Julho de 2019, milhares de pessoas localizadas em algumas partes do Chile e da Argentina, tiveram a incrível oportunidade de testemunhar o momento único e inesquecível em que a própria Lua bloqueia completamente o disco solar, revelando também algumas proeminências visíveis ao redor do limbo e um fenómeno conhecido como Moon Earthshine, que mesmo não sendo visível a olho nu durante um eclipse devido à enorme diferença de luz, é a luz refletida do nosso prórpio planeta Terra que ilumina com uma luz ténue, o disco escurecido da lua, que se torna assim visível durante uma longa exposição fotográfica. O vídeo final é o resultado de uma filmagem de drone captada durante a totalidade e misturada com algumas fotos tiradas com diferentes exposições ao longo de 2 minutos e combinadas com o intuito de revelar uma dramática gama dinâmica. A sequência foi captada em Lambert, 30 km a nordeste de La Serena, no Chile, usando uma Nikon D850 com uma lente de 600 mm e uma montagem portátil Star Adventure, para as imagens close-up e um drone Mavik Pro I.
Northern Lights Over Iceland Revealed in a Photo and Time Lapse Video
Being March the best time to spot the northern lights over the Arctic Circle, during Springtime cracks are opening the Earth’s magnetic field and Solar Wind can penetrate more easily, firing the show in a phenomenon known as the “Russell-McPherron effect. On March 27 and March 28, a network of holes in the sun’s atmosphere was facing Earth, “spewing a filamentary stream of solar wind in our direction” according to Spaceweather. With a K-index expected to reach Kp= 3 on the first night and Kp=4 on the second one, the approaching stream was not so potent as a CME, although, it was powerful enough the spread bright auroras visible from Vesturhopsvatn, in Northern 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 aurora above a mountain range from Iceland. In the background sky is visible a bright star called Vega, from Lyra constellation, and in the top center, the constellation of Corona Borealis.
When the Solar Wind charged with energetic particles strikes the ionosphere, photons of oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere release the aurora light, due to a process of ionisation. While oxygen is mainly responsible for pure green, greenish yellow light can result from excited oxygen, although, oxygen can also produce red aurorae. Nitrogen is responsible to produce purple blue aurorae at high altitudes while excited nitrogen molecules in low altitudes, can produce pink and red hues. Below we can enjoy a short time lapse sequence of a few seconds, with sound on.
PT: Sendo março a melhor época do ano para apreciar as auroras boreais sobre o Círculo Polar Ártico, durante a primavera abrem-se fendas no campo magnético da Terra e o Vento Solar consegue penetrar mais facilmente, proporcionando um fenómeno conhecido como “efeito Russell-McPherron”. A 27 e 28 de Março, uma “rede de buracos” na atmosfera do Sol estava direcionado para a Terra, “lançando uma corrente filamentar de vento solar na nossa direção”, de acordo com Spaceweather deste dia. Com um índice K esperado que poderia alcançar Kp = 3 na primeira noite e Kp = 4 na segunda noite, o fluxo que se aproximava não era tão potente quanto uma CME, no entanto seria suficientemente poderoso para espalhar auroras brilhantes que se tornaram visíveis em Vesturhopsvatn, no norte da Islândia. As auroras podem ser vistas em uma maravilhosa variedade de cores combinadas de diferentes maneiras, tendo em conta a altitude e o tipo de gás envolvido no processo, assumindo formas belas e fantasmagóricas que podem durar vários minutos, reaparecendo diversas vezes ao longo de uma noite. No céu de fundo, à esquerda, é visível a estrela Vega da constelação de Lyra, e no centro superior da imagem é visível a constelação Corona Borealis.
Quando o vento solar carregado de partículas energéticas atinge a Ionosfera, os fotões de oxigénio e nitrogénio na atmosfera superior, liberam a luz da aurora, devido a um processo de ionização. Embora o oxigénio seja o principal responsável pelo verde puro, a luz amarela esverdeada pode resultar do oxigénio excitado, contudo, este pode ainda produzir auroras vermelhas. O nitrogénio é responsável por produzir auroras azuis púrpuras em altas altitudes, enquanto moléculas de nitrogénio excitadas em baixas altitudes, podem produzir tons rosa e vermelho. Acima, é possível apreciar uma pequena sequência time lapse de alguns segundos, acompanhada de som.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Single shot captured with a Canon 6D | 24mm at f/2 | ISO2500 | Exp. 25 secs. The time lapse is a result of a sequence of shots with the same settings.
A Super Worm Moon Rising Over Evoramonte Tower in Spring Equinox
The image features the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere with a beautiful Super “Worm Moon” – as it is named according to folklore – rising behind the Tower/Palace of Evoramonte. Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear larger and brighter than usual. In Evoramonte was signed on 26th May of 1834, a Peace Treaty known as “Convention of Evoramonte” or “Concession of Evoramonte” which ended the only Portuguese civil war in almost 900 years of History. Due to this important historical heritage, Evoramonte is also the birthplace of the European Network of Places of Peace (www.placesofpeace.eu). At the highest point of the village of Evoramonte rises the Tower/Palace of Evoramonte commonly considered as the “ex-libris” of the village. The Tower/ Palace of Evoramonte was built by the Dukes of Bragança D. Teodósio and D. Jaime as a symbol of its power reflected in the tie of Manueline reminiscences that is the symbolic mark of the heraldry of the House of Bragança.
The image is a result of two combined exposures to help reveal all the details in the Moon´s disk as well as in the foreground. Below is a time lapse sequence of the event.
PT: A imagem marca o início da primavera no Hemisfério Norte com o nascer de uma Super Lua – “Worm Moon” como é chamada de acordo com o folclore – que se ergue por detrás da Torre Paço de Evoramonte.As popularmente designadas Super Luas acontecem, quando uma lua cheia coincide aproximadamente com o perigeu da lua, o ponto em sua órbita que está mais próximo da Terra. Isso faz com que a lua pareça maior e mais brilhante que o normal. Em Evoramonte foi assinado em 26 de maio de 1834, um Tratado de Paz conhecido como “Convenção de Evoramonte” ou “Concessão de Evoramonte”, que encerrou a única guerra civil portuguesa em quase 900 anos de história. Devido a este importante património histórico, Evoramonte é também o berço da Rede Europeia de Sítios de Paz (www.placesofpeace.eu). No ponto mais alto da aldeia de Evoramonte ergue-se a Torre/Palácio de Evoramonte, considerada como o “ex-libris” da vila. A Torre de Evoramonte foi construída pelos Duques de Bragança D. Teodósio e D. Jaime como um símbolo do seu poder reflectido nos laços das reminiscências manuelinas que é a marca simbólica da heráldica da Casa de Bragança.
Captada em Evoramonte, Estremoz, com uma teleobjectiva de 600mm e a cerca de 1,5km de distância da Torre, a imagem é o resultado de duas exposições fotográficas combinadas para permitir revelar todos os detalhes no disco da Lua, bem como na Torre em primeiro plano. Em baixo, está uma sequência time lapse durante o nascimento da lua.
Comet 21p/Giacobini-Zinner Approaching Open Cluster M37
A rich starfield in Auriga constellation shows a close-up view of a bright tail and greenish coma from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner only separated by approximately 1º from the colourful and brightest open cluster in Auriga, M37 (at right), with an apparent magnitude of 6.2, lies at a distance of 4,511 light years from our Solar System. On 10th September 2018, the comet Giacobini-Zinner was near its perihelion and closest approach to Earth in 72 years, being only at a distance of 58 million km from our planet, was shining like a 7th magnitude star, remaining too faint to our naked-eyes though. This periodic comet is the known parent body of the upcoming Draconid meteor shower, a bursty display that typically peaks on Oct. 8th. Draconid outbursts do tend to occur in years near the comet’s close approach to the sun. However, leading forecasters do not expect an outburst this year despite the comet’s flyby. The image was captured from Cumeada Observatory official headquarters of Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Portugal.
PT: Um rico campo estelar na constelação de Auriga mostra uma visão de perto da cauda brilhante e coma esverdeado do Cometa 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, separado apenas por aproximadamente 1º do mais brilhante e colorido enxame aberto da Auriga, M37 (visível à direita), com uma aparente magnitude de 6,2, encontra-se a uma distância de 4.511 anos-luz do nosso Sistema Solar. Em 10 de setembro de 2018, o cometa Giacobini-Zinner encontrava-se perto de seu periélio, fazendo a sua máxima aproximação à Terra em 72 anos, ficando apenas a uma distância de 58 milhões de km de nosso planeta, brilhava como uma estrela de 7ª magnitude. Este cometa periódico é o corpo parente conhecido da próxima chuva de meteoros Dracónidas, uma chuva de meteoros que normalmente tem o seu pico no dia 8 de Outubro. As “Explosões de Dracónidas” tendem a ocorrer em anos que coincidem com a proximidade do cometa ao sol. No entanto, os cientistas não esperam uma explosão este ano, apesar da passagem do cometa por perto da Terra. A imagem e o Time Lapse, foram ambos captados no Observatório da Cumeada, sede oficial da Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva.
Below, a short Time Lapse sequence of 3h captured on 14th September, shows the motion of the comet against the starry sky of Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Portugal.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Taka FSQ-106ED – EM200 auto-guided | Nikon D810a | ISO1600 – Exp. 160 seconds x 25 lights | Total integration of 25 Lights: 66 minutes. Processing on PixInsight 1.8 and Photoshop CC. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
A Shy Meteor from Perseids over Punta Cana Beach
For many people enjoying the night sky is an holiday experience, although, the artificial lights coming from the neighbor cities can disturb this experience. So a beach could be a good option, specially by the time of Perseids Meteor Shower, increasing your chance of catching a falling star, like the one timidly visible behind the left side of this coconut tree from Bávaro Beach, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Centred in the background sky of the image, is also visible a small cluster of stars known as Pleiades. Below is available a short time-lapse sequence with moving clouds.
PT: Para muitas pessoas, apreciar o céu noturno é uma experiência de férias, embora as luzes artificiais provenientes das cidades vizinhas possam perturbar essa experiência. Assim, uma praia pode ser uma boa opção, especialmente na época da Chuva de Meteoros Perseidas, aumentando as suas hipóteses de ver e captar uma estrela cadente, como a que timidamente se tornou visível atrás do lado esquerdo deste coqueiro da praia de Bávaro, em Punta Cana, República Dominicana. Aproximadamente ao centro da imagem e em pano de fundo, é possível distinguir um enxame de estrelas conhecido, as Pleiades, também popularmente designadas por Sete Irmãs. Abaixo é possível ver uma sequência time-lapse com o movimento das nuvens.
Milky Way Rising Over Noudar Park
The image and short time lapse clip shows the Milky Way rising over Noudar Park, in Alqueva Dark Sky® Reserve, Portugal.
PT: A Na imagem acima é possível ver o nascer da Via Láctea por detrás da paisagem do Parque de Natureza de Noudar.
Visible Corona during the Partial Phase of the Total Lunar Eclipse
Sequence of the partial ending phase of the longest Total Lunar Eclipse of the Century, where during a few seconds some iridescent clouds and a short Lunar Corona around the eclipsed disk of the moon showed up, due to a short presence of passing clouds. While the partial phase is moving forward, we can also see the intense light of the sun catching and hiding the well known Tycho Crater.
PT: Sequência da fase final parcial do mais longo Eclipse Lunar Total do Século, onde durante alguns segundos apareceram algumas nuvens iridescentes formando uma Corona Lunar ao redor do disco eclipsado da lua. Estas formações ocorrem devido à presença de uma camada fina de nuvens que contém normalmente micro cristais de gelo que refractam a luz de Lua. Enquanto a fase parcial avança na sequência Time Lapse, também podemos ver a intensa luz solar que vai ocultando por sobre exposição a conhecida cratera Tycho.
Cumeada Observatory and the Winter Sky
After astronomical twilight ends, a retractable roof observatory shows an open window to the Universe, with the Winter Sky shinning bright against a variety of different telescopes, advanced optical equipment for visual and astrophotography purposes, available in Cumeada Observatory, the headquarter of Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve – the First Starlight Tourism Destination in the World – located in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal. The recovered building is an old primary school rehabilitated by the Municipality of Reguengos, to receive the official Observatory of Dark Sky® Alqueva
PT: Após o final do crepúsculo astronómico, um observatório de tecto retráctil mostra uma janela aberta para o Universo, com o Céu de Inverno brilhando contra uma variedade de telescópios diferentes, equipamentos ópticos avançados para fins visuais e astrofotográficos, disponíveis no Observatório da Cumeada, sede oficial da Reserva Dark Sky® Alqueva – o Primeiro Destino Turístico do Mundo Starlight – localizado em Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal. O edifício recuperado é uma antiga escola primária reabilitada pelo município de Reguengos, para receber o Observatório oficial de Dark Sky® Alqueva.
Oficial Observatory of Dark Sky Alqueva Working in a Winter Night from Miguel Claro on Vimeo.
The Path of Light from a Super Blue Moon
The path of light from a Super Blue Moon is rising behind a windmill from Sesimbra, in Portugal. The second Full Moon of the month is well known as the “Blue Moon”. Supermoons happen when a full moon approximately coincides with the moon’s perigee, or a point in its orbit at which it is closest to Earth. This makes the moon appear up to 8 percent larger and 16 percent brighter than usual. The Super Moon from January 2018 was very unusual because it also happened a Total Lunar Eclipse, although, it was not visible from Portugal. Below is a Time Lapse sequence captured during Moonrise.
PT: O rasto de luz de uma Super “Blue Moon” ergue-se por detrás de um moinho de vento de Sesimbra, em Portugal. A segunda Lua cheia do mês é conhecida como a “Lua Azul” ou “Blue Moon”. As popularmente designadas Super Luas acontecem, quando uma lua cheia coincide aproximadamente com o perigeu da lua, o ponto em sua órbita que está mais próximo da Terra. Isso faz com que a lua apareça até 8% maior e 16% mais brilhante do que o normal. A Super Lua de janeiro de 2018 foi muito incomum porque também permitiu a ocorrência de um Eclipse Lunar Total, embora não fosse visível de Portugal. Abaixo está uma sequência Time Lapse captada durante o nascer da lua.
Solar Radiography – Sun´s Corona Shinning bright during a Total Solar Eclipse
One of the most beautiful things about viewing the solar corona during a total solar eclipse is the light from the corona itself with the fine structures and lines coming from magnetic fields. On August 21, 2017, I and millions of people across the United States had the opportunity to witness the unique and unforgettable moment when the Moon itself completely blocks the sun´s disc. The image above was captured in Stanley Lake, Idaho, a beautiful scenario with an amazing atmosphere of happiness vs stress, for being controlling all the equipment.
A corona (Latin, ‘crown’) is an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars. The Sun’s corona extends millions of kilometres into space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph. The word “corona” is a Latin word meaning “crown”, from the Ancient Greek κορώνη (korōnè, “garland, wreath”).
The maximum temperature inside of our star is about 16 million degrees (Celsius). The photosphere – the visible surface of the Sun – has a temperature of about 6000 degrees C. However, the temperature increases very steeply from 6000 degrees to a few million degrees in the corona, in the region 500 kilometers above the photosphere.
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.
The Precession of Earth – New Photo Technique showing a Vega Polar Startrail.
Featured as NASA´s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).
Since the very first moment I read and learned about the Precession of Earth that I was fascinated with the possibility of having a different star than Polaris, pointing to north, although in that time, few years ago, I didn’t had the right technology and even the chance to could show in a real image how it would be…how would be the sky of my land if I had another star in the place of the well known, Polaris ?
After a long time of burning my mind with some new ideias, I figured out how I could do it, developing what I think is, a totally new astrophotographic technique never applied before, and where I can show in real time the sky rotating around another star, simulating the shifting of Earth Axis even being inside our Earth.
In astronomy, axial precession is a gravity-induced, slow, and continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body’s rotational axis. In particular, it refers to the gradual shift in the orientation of Earth’s axis of rotation, which, similar to a wobbling top, traces out a pair of cones joined at their apices in a cycle of approximately 26,000 years.
A consequence of the precession is a changing pole star. Currently, Polaris is extremely well suited to mark the position, as Polaris is a moderately bright star located about 0,7º degrees from the pole. But with the crescent light pollution is Increasingly difficult to distinguish the few bright stars in the middle of cities, so near the year 14 000, the brilliant Vega in the constellation Lyra, is touted as the best north star. Although, it never comes closer than 5° to the celestial pole.
When Polaris becomes the north star again around 27,800, due to its proper motion it then will be farther away from the pole than it is now, while in 23,600 BC it came closer to the pole.
What I did to create the both startrails and time lapse images, was to use 2 mountings Vixen Polarie, one to pointing to the actual Polaris Axis and making all the stars staying fixed, but using another Polarie attached to the first one, I could simulate again the Earth Axis Rotation using the sideral motion inverted (I mean, like if I was in the south pole, near the batteries you can switch the button to (N) north or (S) south motion).
But I had special carefully with some things. I have waited until Vega star reach the same altitude I had in my observing latitude, in my case 38º, to have the same distance to the horizon that I have when looking to Polaris.
Very Important: The second condition to give the right movement, was to align carefully the star Vega near the center of the image (my new Earth Axis – now a Vixen Polarie Axis), to create the axis rotation simulating the 5º separation of the celestial north in +14000 (year). I also used the Live View magnifier with the grid option to have a more precise result.
*Important Note: Precession changes the direction of the Earth axis from Polaris to Vega on the celestial sphere, but the positions where the axis crosses the surface of Earth will not change by precession. So the north on the Earth from the observation point will not change, and the latitude of the observation point will not change too. Although, I choose the option that includes “apparently” almost the same landscape field view and where fits both Polaris (at left) and Vega (center), because if I had putting the Polaris in the same central framing position, as I did with Vega ( remembering that is the only possible way – as a condition – to simulating the Earth Axis rotation using the Vixen Polarie sideral motion, and show nowadays, the motion of the stars around Vega in a real Time Lapse movie sequence), I would loose the same landscape field of view with the Castle Tower, and this was also important to give people the notion that the image was really made in the same place. Vega is about 51º away from Polaris, so it means a big change in the field of view towards another position in the sky and consequently, in the landscape, in this case towards left, to Azimuth 0º – North, where stand the Polaris star.
As this technique induces movement, the landscape will move a bit from the first frame to the last one, but in the final startrail “still image”, I made a mask merging the landscape with the first frame again to have a more pleasant result.
All the images were taken from inside the Mourão Castle, in the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, the First Starlight Tourism Destination in the world, in Alentejo, Portugal.
Technical info:
Polaris Startrail starts in 19/04/2015 at 23h48 and Vega startrail starts in 20/04/2015 at 1:07
Canon EOS 6D – Canon EF 8-15 f/ 4L Fishseye USM at 8mm (All Sky). Exp. 30 sec. ISO 2500
Dark Sky Alqueva Time Lapse – The First Starlight Tourism Destination in the World
This time lapse sequence shows the beauty of the night sky as a world heritage of the human kind, making the perfect connection with Earth elements from the vantage point of Alqueva region, in Alentejo Portugal. A place that was created to preserve the darkness of the sky that only our ancestors had access few hundred years ago. The “Dark Sky® Alqueva” (darkskyalqueva.com) reserve, was created also thinking in the two thirds of the worlds population that never had the opportunity to observe with their naked eyes, the stunning views of our own Galaxy…the impressive presence of the Milky Way against a starry sky of about 4500 stars, suspended in each half of our celestial sphere!
Alqueva is the first site in the world to receive the “Starlight Tourism Destination” certification. This certification, awarded by the Starlight Foundation is supported by UNESCO, UNWTO and IAC. Starlight destinations are visitable places characterized by excellent quality for the contemplation of starry skies, and the practice of tourist activities based on this resource.
The region of the Great Lake Alqueva in Alentejo, Portugal is a wonderful place to see the stars, constellations and distant galaxies such as the Milky Way. The unique characteristics of the night sky with a very low rate of light pollution, in the municipalities of Alandroal, Reguengos, Monsaraz, Mourão, Barrancos, Portel and Moura ensure the ideal conditions for an excellent observation of the dark sky. In Alqueva the sky has good atmospheric conditions for stargazing most of the year. Such skies are disappearing in Europe, where most of the population has no longer the privilege to observe an unpolluted sky.
Its low level latitude (38degN), minimal light pollution and impressively clear skies provide the astronomy beginner and the expert with unparalleled opportunities to explore the magic and mystery of the night sky.
For the beginner the clarity of the night sky (average of 286 clear nights a year) makes it easier to recognize all the constellations, identify the stars and even spot some deep sky objects with the naked eye. Telescopes and binoculars are also available at key locations to enhance the visual experience and expert guides are on hand to provide information and advice.
For the more experienced observer and expert deep sky objects (galaxies, nebulas and star clusters) are visible down to 52 deg south declination. The low light pollution and clarity of the sky provides a unique opportunity to observe the dimmest deep sky objects and to see the moon and planets in sharp focus. Astrophotography too can be pursued successfully and dramatically here.
Credit: Time Lapse Images and Editing by @ Miguel Claro – The official astrophotographer of the great Dark Sky Alqueva reserve. Music: Ultimate Chillstep #9 ‘Into The Wild’
Sponsors:
Dark Sky Alqueva | darkskyalqueva.com | facebook.com/Alqueva | Vixen Europe – vixen-astronomie.de | LR Time Lapse – lrtimelapse.com
A Short Journey from the Heavens of Dark Sky Alqueva up to the Comet Lovejoy
In the movie sequence below, resulting in the final still picture above, we can dip into a short journey that starts in the land of Juromenha, in Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Alentejo, with a stargazer trying to find with their own eyes and binoculars the glowing green head of Comet Lovejoy. After a few seconds we will zoom in, entering in a real time lapse sequence capturing the slowly movement of the comet and their ion blue tail, made by ionized gas – gas energized by ultraviolet light from the Sun and pushed outward by the solar wind – while it is crossing some stars of Taurus constellation. Finally, we will zoom out in a final still photograph that shows the strong and huge green head of diatomic carbon (C2) – gas fluorescing in sunlight that produces the coma’s green color – as well as a wide view of the entire fainter bluish tail, with more then 5 million kilometers at the comet’s estimated distance of 75 million kilometers from Earth.
Captured in the land of Hotel Naveterra, the sky of Juromenha, Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, Portugal in 11/01/2015 at 20h52m – Canon EOS 6D; ISO 2000, Exp: 56s. at f/2.8 with a Canon telephoto lens serie L at 200mm + Travel mount Vixen Polarie. Sum of 7 pictures combined in Maxim DL 5 with a total time integration of 6,5 minutes. To find the first still landscape picture, click here: Stargazing the Comet Lovejoy!
PT: Passagem em 2015 do Cometa Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) na constelação do Touro, a uma distância estimada de 75 milhões de quilómetros da Terra, exibiu uma cauda de mais de 5 milhões de quilómetros | Céu do Alandroal, Hotel Rural Nave Terra.
Note: We advise to watch it in HD Mode, to do so, simply click here on Vimeo with the “HD” button turned blue.
Earth Hour 2014 in Lisbon
Earth Hour 2014 in Lisbon – by Miguel Claro from Miguel Claro on Vimeo.
For the first time Lisbon was participating of the international event, shutting down the lights, as a symbolic act, of some of the main monuments, buildings and structures, as the great statue Christ the King and the 25 April bidge across the Tagus River, as we can see in the time lapse sequence captured in the south edge of Lisbon, from Almada. Heart Hour is a worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet, and is organised by WWF. Engaging a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues, Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement.
Captured with 2 Canon cameras (50D and 60Da) and 2 Great Vixen Polarie travel mounts.
The Moonset over the Ocean
Picture of the Moonset facing to the Atlantic Ocean, captured from Fonte-de-telha pine forest, in Portugal. Below is a Short time lapse movie of the scene. Taken in 13/02/2013 between 21h34 and 21h59. The motion during the sequence was made with the use of Vixen Polarie travel mount, following the Crescent Moon. Canon 60Da ISO500 f/4; Exp:10 sec. 35mm.
The MAGIC Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope full of Stars
In the foreground we can see the great MAGIC I telescope (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes) with it´s gigantic structure in front of a colorful startrail background, also mirrored on its impressive brilliant surface of 236 m2.
MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes situated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, at about 2200 m above sea level. MAGIC detects particle showers released by gamma rays, using the Cherenkov radiation, i.e., faint light radiated by the charged particles in the showers. With a diameter of 17 meters and 236 m2 reflective surface, it was the largest in the world before the construction of H.E.S.S. II. MAGIC is not only huge, but also pioneers a number of technical developments that had never been applied to Cherenkov telescopes before. The mirror is extremely light and can be moved to any position in the sky in less than thirty seconds. It is made up of 270 individual mirror panels that can be independently focussed using an active mirror control system equipped with lasers.
The cosmos and its evolution are studied using all radiation, in particular electromagnetic waves. The observable spectrum extends from radio waves to infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma-rays and finally very high energy gamma rays (starting at energies of 10 GeV). Observations at visible wavelengths (.5 to 1 micrometer) have a history of centuries, gamma astronomy by satellites (keV to few GeV) and ground-based telescopes (above 300 GeV) are end-of-20th century newcomers. The MAGIC telescope can detect very high energy gamma rays in a range of energies where no other telescope in the world can operate, so it opens up a brand new window into the universe.
Below we can see a time lapse with the MAGIC in motion and a sky full of stars reflected in its impressive mirrored surface.
Below we can see the MAGIC with a sky full of “steady” stars (without trail), and lighted by the Milky Way presence in the background.
Canon 60Da – ISO2500; 24mm at f/2; Exp. 15 secs. Sum of 53 images taken in 01/10/2013 at 00:22.
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The Sparrow, the Moon and the Awning
At first sight and due to this particular “comet” shape, we could imagine that the long “white to orange” tail in the left center of the image, would be from the century´s comet, the ISON. At least, all of us have already heard that the most optimistic predictions, seems to pointing to a comet with a brightness as strong as the Moon. Well, either or not, it will be a great sky show indeed, providing good opportunities for images like that.
In the left top corner – clearly visible in the still single shot picture – we could find in the arms of this dead tree, a sleepy sparrow, the perfect model for a night long exposure shot. Below right, the great trail with a “comet shape” isn´t from the ISON yet, but actually the path of the moon against a starry sky. As it goes down, the brightness drops below and the color of the moon stays more yellow and near the horizon, can even reach a red tone. At right, the strange white shape, is from a awning of the Monte Falperras rural hotel, in Mourão, one of the great places to rest in the Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve, in Portugal. This startrail image composed by 195 images from 30 seconds each, was capturing in 15th July 2013 at 23h11, during the moonset, as we could appreciate in this 13 seconds Time Lapse sequence.
Still image: Canon 50D – ISO640; 10mm f/4 Exp 30 secs. In 15/07/2013 at 23:11 AM
Below is the short time lapse sequence:
Cloudy Moonlit
Image of a Starry cloudy moonlit above the Pedrogão´s Albufeira, in Moura, a region of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve. Canon 60Da – ISO640, f/2.8; Exp. 6s ; 24mm. 27/04/2013 23h21 AM
Below is a Short time lapse sequence, of a cloud formation under the moonlit and above the Pedrogão´s Albufeira, in Moura, a region of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve.
Lisbon Moonset
Short sequence of the moon while the Earthshine effect is visible on its surface, the moon is passing behind the 25 April Bridge, until it sets behind the Lisbon city, after the passing of a huge cargo boat moving across Tagus river.
The Lighttrails of the Knights Templar
The castle of Almourol is one of the more emblematic and cenographic medieval military monuments of the reconquest, and the best representation of the influence of the Knights Templar in Portugal. Located on a small islet in the middle of the Tagus River, in Vila Nova da Barquinha, in the centre region of the country. The castle was conquered in 1129 and it was part of the defensive line controlled by the Knights Templar, and a stronghold used during the Portuguese reconquest.
In the scene, at right, is visible the strong path of planet Venus, also reflected in the calm water of the river.
Canon 50D – ISO500 f/4.5 10mm Exp.20″ in 30-04-2012. Sum of 161 images taken between 21h31 and 22h59, in a total time integration of about 54 minutes.
Canon 50D – ISO500 f/4.5 10mm Exp.20″ in 30-04-2012 at 21h45
Diana´s Temple Moon – Évora
The Roman Temple of Évora (Portuguese: Templo romano de Évora), also referred to as the Temple of Diana (Diana, was the ancient Roman goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity) is an ancient temple in the Portuguese city of Évora.Specialists believe that the temple as been constructed around the first century A.D. in homage to Augustus who was venerated as a god during and after his rule. The temple is part of the historical centre of the city, which was included in the classification by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.It represents one of the most significant landmarks relating to the Roman and Lusitania civilizations of Évora, in Portuguese territory. In the sky we could see the path of the Moon and above it, the bright trail of planet Mars.
Canon 50D – ISO125 f/10 15mm Exp.20″ in 08-03-2012. Sum of 307 images taken between 21h47 and 23h39, in a total time integration of about 102 minutes.
The Moon Lapse
In this Moon lapse video image, we could see the Crescent Moon in the Sagittarius constellation, while it was setting behind the horizon. The Moon shows a strong Earthshine effect, for being just 9% directly iluminated by the Sun. As we watch the moonset, we notice that by the influence of the the Moon gravity, the tide goes down. The time lapse was taken in Costa da Caparica beach, facing the Atlantic Ocean. Sequence of 319 images, each one of 10 seconds. 27/11/2011
Canon 50D- ISO640 f/3.5 Exp. 10″ 50mm between 18h41 and 19h39.
The way of the Milky Way
Imagem da Via Láctea vista nos céus do Alentejo, em Vila Boim, Elvas. A imagem foi obtida na região sul do céu. Ao centro da imagem é possível ver a Via láctea e simultaneamente o rasto das estrelas que a compõem, descrevendo assim o movimento da esfera celeste ao longo da noite. Para obter este resultado foi feita uma soma de 398 imagens entre as 00h40 e as 04h25 de 30-06-2011. Cada imagem de 30 segundos, totalizando uma integração de 3h19 minutos. Na imagem é possível ver diversas constelações como: Lyra, Aquila, Scutum, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Aquarius, Capricornus.
Canon 50D -ISO3200 10mm F/4 Exp.30s por imagem.
Arrábida – The Vernal Equinox
Imagem do rasto das estrelas no Portinho da Arrábida, obtidas com a maior lua cheia dos últimos 18 anos, no perigeu. No céu são visíveis, as estrelas Sírius, por detrás do pico rochoso, Orion, Procyon, Capella, Castor e Pollux. Imagem obtida em 20-03-2011 entre as 23h05 e as 10h02. Soma de 254 imagens cada uma de 20 segundos, totalizando uma integração de 84 minutos.
This night time lapse photography was made during the Vernal Equinox, March 20, 2011. While the Pleiades, Orion and Sirius star, were getting down behind the Arrábida moutain range, in Portugal, the biggest Moon of the last 18 years was moving in the sky, iluminating all the scene and making a slow motion movement in the rock shadows on the sand. The Moon was also drawing the water from the Atlantic Ocean, due to gravity is noticeable the incoming tide at the end of the video, that was made between 21h30 and 01h00. This is a movie trailer from the “Arrábida Nightscape Project”, by Miguel Claro and Emanuel Magessi Lopes. A special thanks to local assitant, Paulo Lourenço.
Canon 50D -ISO640 10mm F/4.5 Exp.20s por imagem.
The Night, Sky lights and Motion
In this Time Lapse Photography taken during the night at 15-03-11 between 22h32 and 01h31, in Fonte-de-Telha, Portugal, in a small pine forest near the Atlantic Ocean, we could apreciate the motion of many stars from Pleiades and Perseus Constellation, as well as, Castor and Pollux, Procyon and even Regulus. The bright light of the Moon is well visible in the end of the movie. It is also impressive the the dynamic motion in diferent layers of clouds in formation.
Canon 50D -ISO640 10mm F/4 Exp.20s Total:359imgs
Star Motion in the Park of the Peace
Imagem do rasto das estrelas na região sudoeste do céu, obtida no Parque da Paz, um refúgio da natureza localizado no meio da cidade de Almada. Imagem obtida em 27-02-2011 entre as 22h22 e as 00h29. Soma de 234 imagens cada uma de 30 segundos, totalizando uma integração de 117 minutos.
São visíveis várias estrelas e respectivas constelações: Logo à esquerda o rasto mais brilhante é da estrela Sírius, seguindo-se logo à direita os rastos da estrelas de Orion, que atravessam o primeiro conjunto rochoso vertical. Logo acima de Orion é ainda visivel o rasto de Procyon e mais à frente em baixo, destaco o rasto das conhecidas Pleiades. Finalmente no canto superior direito, a estrela Capella, com uma tonalidade alaranjada e inconfundível. O rasto rectilíneo inferior que atravessa a imagem, é de alguns aviões que ali passaram.
Canon 50D -ISO500 10mm F/5.6 Exp.30s por imagem.
Crescent Moon and Earthshine
Imagem da Lua em fase Crescente, com apenas 3% do disco iluminado e onde é visível um forte Earthshine lunar, tornando visível a parte da Lua que nesta fase não se encontra directamente exposta aos raios solares, mas que se torna visível devido à luz reflectida na sua superfície, pelo próprio planeta Terra, que ilumina assim a parte escura da Lua, claramente visível, nesta imagem obtida no Feijó, Almada, em 04-02-2011 às 18h50.
Imagem above: Canon 50D -ISO400 300mm F/5.6 Exp. 2.5″ às 18:50
Image above: Canon 50D -ISO800 300mm F/5.6 Exp. 2″ às 18:58
Arrábida´s Mountain Startrail
Imagem do movimento das estrelas registado ao longo da noite com a lua cheia a iluminar o céu a Sudeste, no dia 26 de Abril de 2010, entre as 22h04 e as 23h08. Para o resultado final foi feita uma soma manual de 108 imagens no CS3 cada uma de 30 segundos, totalizando uma integração de 54 minutos, com uma Canon 50D a uma abertura F-5.6 a ISO 500, com uma Lente Sigma HSM EX a 10mm. Imagem obtida no Portinho da Arrábida, na Serra da Arrábida, Setúbal.
São visíveis várias estrelas assinaladas na legenda da imagem o no video motion, destacando de entre várias, as mais brilhantes como: Sirius, Betelgeuse, Castor, Pollux, Alphard, Alhena, Menkalinan, Alnath…etc.
Sky lights of Lisbon
Imagem do movimento da Lua registado ao longo da noite no dia 17 de Fevereiro de 2010, entre as 20h29 e as 21h30. Para o resultado final foi feita uma soma manual de 111 imagens no CS3 cada uma de 30 segundos, totalizando uma integração de 60 minutos, com uma Canon 50D a uma abertura F-5 a ISO 125, com uma Lente Sigma HSM EX a 15mm. Imagem obtida em Almada, junto ao Rio Tejo.
São visíveis vários rastos de aviões que se movimentam em direcção ao aeroporto de Lisboa, assim como o rasto da Lua Crescente e de algumas estrelas da constelação de Andromeda, Pegasus e Carneiro. Junto ao horizonte lisboeta é ainda visível o rasto luminoso de um navio que se movimenta em direcção ao Oceano Atlântico.
Image published in National Geographic, click here.
