Astronomy

Asteroid 1998 QE2, 24 May, 5x120 second exposures stacked in ImageJ and MAX Z-project applied. R filter, iTelescope T9,Animated GIF from the 5 framesI may be wrong in my assessment of the ability of iTelescopes to track Asteroid 1998 QE2 with automated tracking, it might be just a tad too fast at closest approach on May 31. Will try a couple of approaches over the next few days and see if I can catch its rotation period (if the Moonlight isn't too much of an issue, but closer to maximum approach I can use shorter exposures).

After images are added to the database they are cataloged to provide metadata. Note that the number of records returned by the link will be less than the number of newly cataloged photographs if some of those cataloged photographs have no digital image available.

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.

<p><a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap130523.html"><img src="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_130523.jpg" align="left" alt="Beautiful barred spiral" border="0" /></a> Beautiful barred spiral</p><br clear="all"/>

Light Stalking is one of the biggest photography resources in the world and is seen by nearly a million photographers each month.  Chock full of frequently published articles and great photography uploaded by the Light Stalking community, it’s easy to see they we are so popular.  With so much to sift through, it can be easy to miss some of the important, helpful and inspiring content we have to offer.  So, we have decided to sum it up for you every week.  Here is what you missed on Light Stalking this week. Photo of the Week Congratulations to roni chastain for this ghostly photo of the week, ‘Ghosting Effect’!  You can comment on this photo here. The Most Popular Stories from the Last 7 Days •95 Amazing Photography Links – It’s been a great week in the world of photography, as usual, and Toad Hollow Photography has done a great job of bringing the best of it to you.  Each week, he scours the internet for the best tutorials, collections, photos and photography blogs and compiles it all into one place.  Tutorials featured this week include a video tutorial on how to fix skin tone in Photoshop, posing tips for facial expressions and props such as hats, getting the perfect photo of a cup of coffee and camera settings for HDR photography.  Special features included this week include a photo collection of the body in nature, silhouettes in a giant moonrise, photos from a Camaro car show, starting a photography business in our bad economy and more!  Also, be sure to check out the image collections, great photography and photography blogs. •5 Tips to Male Your Photos More Compelling – We all want our photos to be as eye catching as possible, but sometimes it can be hard to know just how to begin improving them.  This article features a solid set of 5 composition tips that can be adapted to any skill level and style of photography.  The best advice of all is to simply slow down and really think about what you see before taking the photo, since getting the shot right in-camera is always ideal. •How to Jumpstart Your Photography With Self Assignments – Looking for spontaneous opportunities to practice the craft of photography is great.  However, these impromptu photography sessions may not always be the most educational.  A self assignment is exactly as it sounds.  Whatever your skill level in photography, you can benefit from assigning specific photographic tasks to yourself.  This article is broken down into three sections each aimed at different levels of photographers.  So, if you are a hobbyist, serious amateur or pro photographer you will find something helpful.  Finally, learning the technicalities of photography is always going to help you further your ability, but be careful not to burn yourself out.  Enjoy yourself in the process.  Isn’t fun ultimately why we became photographers in the first place? •How to Get Great Photo Effects With Camera Shutter Speed – Shutter speed is one of the three pillars of exposure in photography, along with aperture and ISO.  Thoroughly understanding it is vital to becoming an accomplished photographer.  The basic theory and application of shutter speed is discussed in this article.  How shutters work, what different shutter speeds do to an image and using shutter speed in panning are introduced.  However, as with all practical knowledge, it doesn’t do you any good unless you use it.  Practice.  Practice.  Practice. What You Missed in the Light Stalking Community Submit your photo to this week’s photography challenge – Details! Details can be large or small, but they are what make whatever you are shooting special in some way.  Perhaps they are abstract or perhaps they are realistic.  Whatever this subject means to you, we hope you share your photos of details with us in the forum. We have had some great responses to our last few photography challenges on the forum.  Last week’s photography challenge was Light!  This is about as open ended as you can get when it comes to

After images are added to the database they are cataloged to provide metadata. Note that the number of records returned by the link will be less than the number of newly cataloged photographs if some of those cataloged photographs have no digital image available.

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.

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"/>