Astronomy

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Western horizon as seen from Adelaide this Friday at 5:45 pm ACST on 24 May, when Venus and Mercury are closest. Similar views will be seen from the rest of the southern hemisphere at the equivalent local time. Click on any image to embiggenWestern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 5:45 pm ACST on Sunday 26 May, when all 3 planets are within a circle 3° across.Eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide at 5:45 am ACST on 20 April 2026, when Mercury, Saturn and Marsare within a circle less than 2° across.Western horizon as seen from Adelaide at 6:23 pm ACST on 8 September 2040, showing all 5 bright planets and the crescent Moon..The weather seems to be fining up, so there is a good chance we will see the main part of the planet dance under clear skies.This Friday evening (24 May) Mercury and Venus are closest, then on Sunday evening and Monday evening (26 and 27 May respectively), Mercury Venus and Jupiter are are within a circle 3° across (that's the distance covered by three out-stretched fingers).For more details, viewing hints and an animation, see my Planet Dance post. The line-up is the best until 2026, when Mercury, Saturn and Mars are within a circle less than 2° across. Then in 2040, all 5 of the bright planest are close together in the evening twilight, with lots of close approachs of pairs of planets, a real planet dance to look forward to.

This week is the culmination of a spectacular celestial alignment, creating a rare and beautiful triangle of three planets on Sunday 26th. The planets will be low in the west after sunset, and as the glare of the sunset fades, the three bright dots of light will emerge from that glare, and if you have a good western view, you'll see them for a short window of time before they set.The Triangle of PlanetsJupiter has been dominating the night sky for months, but each successive night has brought it closer to the time when it slips 'behind' the Sun, from our vantage point, and is shielded from our view. This happens to all of the outer planets throughout the course of a year or two. But by cosmic coincidence, Mercury and Venus are rapidly rising into the sunset sky, as their orbits bring them out of the glare from being 'behind' the Sun, and they quickly pop up into the evening sky. This week, they appear to move higher and higher in the sky just as Jupiter is 'falling' and they cross over in a lovely pattern.To see this spectacle, head out any evening and look west. The configuration will be changing noticeably each night, and for me, that is the real fun here -- to not only see a rare and unusual alignment on Sunday, but to watch the set up in the days before and after. Here are a number of good links with additional information:Sky & Telescope MagazineThe Always-Engaging Tony Flanders on SkyWeekNASA Science CastEnjoy the show, and may you have clear skies!Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope

<p><a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap130522.html"><img src="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_130522.jpg" align="left" alt="What's that in the sky?" border="0" /></a> What's that in the sky?</p><br clear="all"/>

Has this question ever crossed your mind? I wonder if I should shoot this in black & white? We think every photographer has been faced with this decision. And many folks today, in this digital world, would just tell themselves, “I can always convert it later”. But the truth is that sometimes it will help you in your visualization of the final photograph to image it in black and white right on the spot. Perhaps, you might want to filter the image, either optically or electronically: a red filter to darken the sky, a green filter to light foliage, a yellow to lighten a person’s skin. Another important point to consider is tonal value. The tonal value of your subject might influence how you frame it. What do we mean by tonal value? If your subject has the predominate colors green and blue, and they have the same reflective value, they will image at almost the same tonal value in black and white. So, how do you learn to see in tones? Back in the old days, (film), this was a trick we used to use. Find yourself a dark piece of glass. Sunglasses work fine. But they should be the very dark variety with no color tint. Close one eye and peer through the glasses with the open eye. The glasses effectively remove all color. you are now seeing the scene in tonal value (levels of light to dark). So What Screams Black and White? Let’s examine some photographic situations and discuss why black and white is an excellent choice. black and white by Gianni Dominici, on Flickr When your situation has unpleasing color balance This photographic opportunity is extremely interesting. But, it’s a factory setting. The natural color balance in this type of situation generally isn’t ideal. You’re probably looking at fluorescent or sodium vapor lighting. Both of which create unnatural color shifts in your image. True, you could color balance. But if you’re using a flash fill it’s going to throw the color temperature on your flash off. It could be done, with gels and tinkering, but it becomes complicated. What makes this scene perfect for black and white is the action. By eliminating color, it forces your eye to the repeating pattern of the hands, and this is where the true interest of the photograph lies. Then, you take in the rest of the image as a secondary part of the composition. The choice of black and white imaging takes this ordinary situation and turns it into a graphic element. My Dad in Shanghai :: iPhone by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr When there just isn’t a whole lot of color to start with Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where there just isn’t a lot of color around: a foggy day, an overcast day, a scene that is all  white, a scene that is all black, a scene that is all one color, a scene that has excessive contrast. The image above is a perfect example of black and white creating a strong visual statement, whereas a color version would have distracted from the man. The stark contrast of black and white draws you to the man in the foreground. His face becomes the focal point. The buildings, (despite their unusual shapes), are secondary points of interest. If this had been in color, the shapes of the buildings, combined with their color values, would have competed with the man; resulting in an image without a strong focal point. Black & White Flower Pattern by VinothChandar, on Flickr When you want to emphasize a repeating pattern When you eliminate color, the elements of composition tend to focus more strongly on pattern, shape, and tone. If you find yourself intrigued by a subject that has the element of a repeating pattern, consider switching to black and white; especially if the color of the subject has little to do with what you are trying to say. Thomas, Homeless (Black & White) by Franco Folini, on Flickr Emphasizing facial features Nothing does an interesting face more justice than a finely crafted black and white image. The very nature of the medium emph

A look at the landscape in front of Curiosity on May 21, 2013. Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech Here’s what it looked like from the front of the Mars Science Laboratory we know as Curiosity on Sol 281 May 21, 2013). The rover took a little break thanks to Mars moving behind the Sun in its orbit making communication impossible at times and ill-advised at others. Now that Mars has moved from behind the Sun and is in the clear, it’s back to work. A few days before the top image was taken Curiosity drilled into the target called “Cumberland“. The Cumberland-drill was the second hole, the first being the target called “John Klein”. The John Klein drill sample is still sitting inside Curiosity and is about to be analyzed. The “Cumberland lode” The two drill samples will be compared and since they are close to each other (9 feet / 2.75 meters) and have a similar appearance it is quite likely they will share some common results. The differences if any in the samples will be interesting; either way it’s a good check out for the sampler. The tailings from the drill sort of resembles clay, then again it could a multitude of things so we’ll just have to wait and see.

<p><a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap130521.html"><img src="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_130521.jpg" align="left" alt="How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created?" border="0" /></a> How was the unusual Red Rectangle nebula created?</p><br clear="all"/>

Do you want your photographs to be more eye catching, but don’t know where to begin? For starters, you can try a few of these simple composition tips to get you started on the path to compelling photographs. They are appropriate for all skill levels of photographers and can be adapted to just about any style of photography, too. Shoot What You Love - One of the easiest, least technical ways to create fascinating photos is to simply shoot what you love. Perhaps you love to go birding, or enjoy a good game of football, maybe you love people watch in bustling locations. Find what it is you love to do in your spare time and start photographing it. Since you love doing it, chances are you all ready look at it differently than others, which only means you are naturally inclined to photograph it in a different way. Forever In Dog Years by Tiffany Mueller, on Flickr Pay Attention To The Background - Many times the background of photograph is more of an afterthought, if it was ever a thought at all. If you are not shooting in a studio which generally offers us the convenience of hand selecting our backdrops, make sure you are looking past your subject to see whats behind it. Avoid shooting a subject against a similarly colored background so the subject doesn’t become “lost” by blending in too much. Try to avoid any distractions that will take away from the story you are trying to tell with your image. If you can’t move to a new location, consider using a more shallow depth of field to help blur out the background and eliminate any eyes wandering to what are essentially unimportant details in the image. Old Men Swimming by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr Symmetry - Try incorporating symmetry into your images to give the photo a natural balance that is easy for the eye to take in. Alternatively, creatively interrupting the symmetry is a great way to add intrest and create a clear focal point which the eye is automatically drawn to. When you are out shooting, look for interesting patterns and lines in both man made and natural elements. They are all over, think brick walls, perfectly placed windows on a building, rows of crops, telephone and electricity poles. Symmetry is all around us, we just have to be willing to look for it at times. Under A Blood Red Sky by Ian Sane, on Flickr Perspective - If you have an interesting subject all your images are coming out uninteresting, it won’t hurt to switch up your perspective. Move around your subject and photograph it from multiple points of view. Sometimes a simple change such as taking a single step to the side can turn a snapshot into a portfolio worthy image. Don’t be afraid to kneel down, stand on a chair, stretch you camera hand far to the side, just work the scene until your subject magically pops from the setting. wishbone spiral by paul bica, on Flickr Avoid The Middle - As a rule, placing your subject in the middle of a photograph isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing composition. Instead, try adjusting your framing so that the subject is off to one side. The rule of thirds is a fundamental part of photography and is one of the more adamantly followed rules in art. Of course, that is not to say the rule of thirds should adhered to for every composition; however, if you have taken multiple shots of your subject and they all happen to have the subject dead center in the frame, try recomposing by sticking your subject to either the right or left 1/3 of the frame. Still Life by ?ick Harris, on Flickr One last piece of advice: slow down. If you feel like photographs are just missing the target, despite correct exposure and other technicalities, by all means, don’t rush yourself. Take your time to fully evaluate the setting and the subject. Do all of your “cropping” in camera, by moving in closer to your subject, if possible. Take every little element of the photograph, right down to the most minute detail, into conside

Images are added to the database prior to being cataloged for metadata. This makes them available for viewing while the catalog process is in work.