Pan-Starrs

I think my love of starry nights came from the same place my love of storms came from.  Summer Vacations.  On one summer vacation around midsummer many years ago, the park attendant mentioning a meteor shower that night.

It was probably one of the annual shows but I remember seeing the Milky Way (something that I now have to travel almost an hour away from Wichita to see), and a few shooting stars.  My father went back into the 5th wheel camper to get coffee and I looked up and saw an explosion of shooting stars emanating from a central point in the sky.  Since then, I've been drawn to go out and look up.

I started astrophotography last year with a new lens and a lack of storms in the area. I'm still amazed at what I can pick up with the camera and how bad light pollution is in the area.

Pan Starrs is a recently discovered comet that appeared in the month of March.  Most accounts is that it's barely visible in the nights sky with binoculars.  This March has been overcast and when it's been clear, there were clouds on the horizon preventing us from seeing it.  There were two nights I went out, and luckily, I found it with the camera on March 18th. Per Earthsky.org the comet is getting closer and may be slightly brighter at month's end.  Keep looking west at sundown for about an hour after and you may need binoculars to see it.

 

NASA likes me, they really like me!

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GPM/news/gpm-let-it-snow-photo-contest-winners.html

Looks like I made it in NASA's GPM "Let it Snow" photo contest.  Out of 1000 entries my "Snowflakes" picture placed in the top 10.

The End of the World as We Know It.

It's been a slow weather season around Oz but rain and a little thunder is expected this weekend.  Until then, something in the night sky that used to bring the downfall of kings and nations . . .



Source SPACE.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

More zoo

One can only take so many shots of snow before eventual snow blindness sets in.  With the younglings in full cabin fever mode, we headed out to a largely quiet Sedgwick County Zoo.  Certain animals seemed happy to see us.

Snow day IV: A New Hope

Went to bed last night knowing we were getting snow, just unaware that at one point it became thundersnow and the front stalled out overhead.  We received somewhere in the 6-7" range depending on where you live. Luckily, only about four inches stuck to the driveway this morning.  Roads are a little slick but should clear up since the sun is out.

Lollipop 

Infrared shot IR950. Not sure why the band is there. 

Similar shot without infrared

Snow blown through the lattice 

Snow

Last week gave us the #2 snowstorm in Wichita history.  The record was 15" in 1962, last Wednesday into Friday storm dumped 14.2".  That was Q, then Randy, his irritating cousin, showed up yesterday.  This prompted the Wichita area to go into Snowmageddon  mode.  No fistfights, but rows of empty grocery shelves.  Those that bet on Zombies for the end of the world lost out, you can't shoot snowflakes.

Luckily, with the Weather Channel in town, Randy turned out to be a little bit of a bore.  Projections of upwards to 15 to 18" have turned into maybe 4" to 7" by morning.  Wichita schools are on their fourth day of being closed.

Infrared taken a couple days before Q

Spotted my first cardinals of the near spring

Macro of snow on seat cushion. 

Meet Luthur the Weather Dog.  Yes, he's a pup and wondering what this white stuff is.

2012

2013 is starting off on a quiet note.  The weather has been dry except for a couple too brief snow storms in the last few weeks.

There are only a couple months until storm season.  Hopefully this one won't be dry river beds and burning sky.  For now, I just try to remember the gentle sound of thunder.



















Taken March 29, 2012.