Light Pollution – Circadianreflections Blog

Whatever Weds. Aurora’s Amethyst Sky

January 21, 2026January 21, 2026Posted in Low Light Photography, Night Sky, Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged Amethyst, Aurora Borealis, Fence, Light Pollution, Nevada, Nikon, paddock, Stars, Trees, Whatever Wednesday44 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Monday I got an alert from my Aurora App that said it might possible to see the Aurora as low as Northern Nevada. There was a pretty large CME -solar flare on January 19th that I read about in Spaceweather and it mentioned the Aurora Borealis could be really good and perhaps wide spread. I was on a hike when my app pinged me Monday afternoon saying that it was looking good where I live to see some of the Aurora. When I got home I charged up my batteries, switched lenses, and got my gear ready. In the evening close to the peak KP index reading per my app I put on my thermals, coat, toe warmers, then gathered my hand heating pouch, tripod, gear bag, red headlamp, and walked out into the 35 degrees F night air. I headed down the street to photograph the sky over my neighbors ranch.

The stars were bright, and clear, and the air cold, and brisk. It was just me and a horse in the stall kicking and making that sound they make when the blow raspberries through their nose, and lips. I suspect it heard me and saw my red headlamp. Then it got really quiet.

The horse and I settled in for a bit. I set up my tripod, and camera then got my focus dialed in and made a few tests shots. Then I made this shot when it was supposed to be “peak KP index (6.67)” for my area.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//:circadianreflections.com
It was very light pinky purple with maybe a little green.

There’s light pollution from Carson City to the north.

Way out on the top of hills in the distance is a bright white light. That’s an ATV of some kind making its way to the top of the Pinenut Mountains. I wondered if they were going to a great view and maybe a darker sky?

I read the Aurora’s were spectacular in parts of Europe and some of the images I’ve seen are fantastic.

This Aurora wasn’t as strong as the one that we saw here in October 2024 see my post here , but anytime I get a ping saying maybe I’ll see an Aurora in No. Nevada I’ll be out with my camera.

Happy Mid Week Everyone!

more to come…

Whatever Weds. A Summer Night Under the Stars

August 7, 2024August 6, 2024Posted in Astro-Photography, Night Photography, Night Sky, Night Sky Imaging, Photography, Starry Night, Whatever WednesdayTagged Army Fort Ruins, High Desert, Light Modifiers, light painting, Light Pollution, Light Shaping, Low Light Photography, Milky Way, Nikon, Ruins, Sagebrush, Thousands of Stars37 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

©Deborah M. Zajac | http//circadianreflections.com Image

US Army fort ruins from the 1860’s.

Nikon D850| Nikkor 20mmf/1.8g| Single frame

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.~ Marcus Aurelius

July 26, 2023July 18, 2023Posted in Astro-Imaging, Milky Way, PhotographyTagged After Dark, Clouds, Galactic Center, Light Pollution, Low Light Photography, Marcus Aurelius Quotes; Nevada, Milky Way, Night sky, Nikon, Rocks, Sagebrush, Stars39 Comments

PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Nikon D810|Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G| PS CC 24.5.0

more to come…

Wordless Weds. The Star Stop

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021Posted in After Dark Imaging, Astro-Photography, Low Light Photography, Nikon, Star Trails, Washoe County, NVTagged Astrophotography, Gazebo, Iridium Flare, light painting, Light Pollution, Nikon, North Star, Polaris, Rocks, Sage Brush, Slide Mountain, Star Trails, Stars, trail, Washoe County40 Comments

Composite image:

Sky- Nikon D300s| 17mm| f90 secs| f/5.6| ISO 400 52 frames stacked in Photoshop

Foreground-Nikon D810|15 secs.|20mm| f/2.2| ISO 2000

I lit up the gazebo with 14 little tea lights. All the elements were blended in Photoshop CC 22.4.2

more to come…

Wordless Weds. Perseids and the Milky Way

August 12, 2020August 11, 2020Posted in Astro-Imaging, Astro-Photography, Milky Way, Nikon, Perseid Meteor Shower, Photography, Wide Field Astro-photographyTagged bridge, Clouds, Jupiter, Light Pollution, Milky Way, Nikon, Nikon Legacy glass, Perseids 2020, Pond, Saturn, Trees, windy46 Comments

The last bridge to the stars perhaps?

Persied Meteors and the Milky Way — Copyright ©2020 Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nikon D810| Nikkor 18mm f/3.5 Ais| PS CC 21.2.1| Single Frame

more to come…

Whatever Weds. The Milky Way

April 29, 2020April 29, 2020Posted in Milky Way, Night Sky Imaging, Nikon, Photography, Stars and Planets, Whatever WednesdayTagged Carson Valley, Jupiter, Light Pollution, Milky Way, Pinenut Mountains, Planets, Saturn, Stars, telephone poles, what to do in the wee hours of the morning, Whatever Wednesday48 Comments

I woke up really early last week and the sky was cloudless so I thought I’d go out back and photograph the Milky Way. The light-pollution is worse than I remember! This was at 3:49 A M!

Jupiter and Saturn are still shining brightly over the Pinenut Mountains. Mars has marched so far East it’s out of the frame.

Milky Way from my Patio_DMZ8560

What do you do when you wake up in the wee hours of the mornin?

Nikon D810|Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G| SunDisk Digital Film| PS CC 21.1.1

more to come…

Whatever Weds. Night View

April 17, 2019April 18, 2019Posted in After Dark, Milky Way, Nevada, Nikon, Photography, Whatever WednesdayTagged After Dark Photography, Light Pollution, Milky Way, Nikon, Pinenut Mountains, Stars40 Comments

I’m still packing. I probably will be taping up the last box and running it to the moving truck as they’re pulling down the door and revving up the engine to take off for my new home!

We’ve been taking stuff over that we think we’ll need before the movers arrive, and spending the night when we can. I’ve been waiting for Milky Way season to be back in our Hemisphere. What is she talking about the Milky Way is always there, you’re probably thinking. It is, but the Galactic Center is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere April through mid-September. I’ve been anxiously waiting to see how it will look from my new backyard/patio since I have a southern unobstructed view.

I set my alarm for the wee hours of the morning to find out. Lookie there! I was doing my happy dance.

Milky Way from the Porch

There’s a lot more light pollution than I thought there would be, and the Moon while really low was 40 minutes from setting adding more light to the sky. The street lamps added our house and the neighbor’s shadows on the fairway below.

I’m already eyeing trails to explore for dark skies in the upcoming months.

The movers come in 9 days! I’m so ready to be moved and settled in.

Back to packing, and notifying those that need to know I’ve got a new mailing address.

I’m sure I’m forgetting someone.

Hope you all have a great week!

more to come…

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