Timelapse Lunar Eclipse Over Downtown Kansas City by Tom Martinez

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkVItkDL4s4?rel=0]

Published by Tom Martinez, Historian of the Astronomical Solemnity of Kansas City, on Apr 7, 2015

The total phase was not seen from KC since totality occurred after moonset. Crystal clear skies allowed for a nice view of the last sliver of moon, however. Music is “Alive” by Jahzzar, http://betterwithmusic.com.

Tom J Martinez PhotoBlog: Comet Lovejoy near the Plieades

http://tomjmartinez.blogspot.com/2015/01/comet-lovejoy-near-plieades.html?m=1

Awesome photo taken by astrophotographer Tom Martinez over the weekend.

I observed the comet several times with binoculars.

Come down to Powell Observatory this Friday night to see the comet and other astronomical wonders.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Hubble’s high-definition panoramic view of the Andromeda Galaxy | Astronomy.com

Mega coolness!

Andromeda Galaxy Hubble Closeup
NASA/ESA/J. Dalcanton/B.F. Williams/L.C. Johnson (University of Washington)/The PHAT team/R. Gendler

Never before have astronomers been able to see individual stars inside an external spiral galaxy over such a large contiguous area.

Hubble’s high-definition panoramic view of the Andromeda Galaxy | Astronomy.com.

Autumn Evening Colors, Pink Sunrises and Royal Blue Days

Last night after grabbing a quick dinner and running some errands, my husband and I made a quick trip through Mount Muncie Cemetery just before sunset.  I took several snapshots with my smartphone, and liked this one the best:

Fall colors at Muncie CemeteryThis morning, after commuting in the pre-dawn darkness and parking almost underground, I emerged to find this pink sunrise greeting me on this fabulous Friday morning:

20141017_072039And in honor of the World Series bound Royals (first game is here in Kansas City next Tuesday evening) enjoy this snapshot from one of my many lunch walks around the Country Club Plaza, where all the fountains are overflowing with Royal blue:

20141015_120842Have a great weekend everyone!

Summer Sunrise

Summer officially arrived yesterday, but today it dawned for the first time.  I woke up way way early for a Sunday (sometime during the four o’clock hour) and spied a hazy crescent moon from my bedroom window, but no bright shining Venus.

Late in the five o’clock hour, I went outside, taking Apollo with me, to see if Venus peaked through the clouds.  No, nothing but the moon.

20140622_052059
First Summer Sunrise 2014

Some of my flowers are doing well, like my day lilies and the moss roses, potted or in flower beds:

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Potted Moss Roses (four plants, various colors)
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Flower bed with moss roses, day lilies and cone flowers.

The cone flowers I planted last year and not doing very well. The one I planted at the north end of this flower bed only produced three or four leaves. The other one (shown above) is flowering, but also looks pekid. I’m just not much of a gardener. My one true success is the day lilies, which I planted six years ago on Memorial Day.

Back Porchlight Squatter

Back porch light squatterA robin built a nest on top of our back porch light.  It’s been there a week or so, but for the last couple of days, she hasn’t left the nest when we slide open the patio door.  She stayed put while I took a couple of photos of her with my smartphone.

According to the Wikipedia article on the American Robin, it only takes a couple of weeks for the eggs to hatch.  If she leaves the nest, I’ll try to take a photo of them as well.

 

Tom J Martinez PhotoBlog: Blood Moon and Great Blue Heron

http://tomjmartinez.blogspot.com/2014/04/blood-moon-and-great-blue-heron_25.html?m=1

Fellow ASKC member and astrophotography Tom Martinez relates his recent adventures with the Blood Moon and Blue Heron.

Posted from WordPress for Android via my Samsung smartphone. Please excuse any misspellings. Ciao, Jon

Watch a staggeringly beautiful time-lapse video of Yosemite National Park

http://io9.com/5878091/this-time-lapse-video-of-yosemite-is-staggeringly-beautiful

I’ve been to Yosemite twice. I loved it. It would be the only reason I would ever move to California.

[vimeo 35396305 w=500 h=281]

Yosemite HD from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.

This stunning time lapse combines several of my favorite photography subjects into four breath taking minutes: sunrises, sunsets, moon rise, Milky Way with meteors, nature, landscapes, etc.

And if four minutes wasn’t enough, try the five minute sequel from Project Yosemite:

[vimeo 87701971 w=500 h=281]

Yosemite HD II from Project Yosemite on Vimeo.