Copyright ©2024 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
Nikon D850| Nikkor 500mm PF-e| PS CC 25.5.1
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Whatever Weds. Waxing Gibbous Moon
Tag: Moon
Whatever Weds. Occultation of Antares
Copyright ©2024 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
January 8th just at dawn I photographed my first celestial event of the year. The Occultation of the crescent moon and Antares the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius.
The tiny dot of light on the Earthshine side of the crescent moon is Antares right before it slipped behind the Moon. Venus the morning star shines brightly above and to the left of the Moon.
I give you three views, one with my star filter on my lens, one with my ultra wide angle lens, and one deeply cropped to show Antares slipping behind the Moon.
Crescent Moon, Antares, Venus dawn January 8, 2024
Venus above and left of the Crescent Moon, Antares a tiny dot of light on the Earthshine side of the Crescent Moon just before it disappeared behind the Moon.
I was in a bit of a rush putting on my star filter so it went on askew so some of the star lines aren’t clean, and worse it’s now stuck. It’s on too tight for me to unscrew it, and I broke my filter wrench some time ago removing a ND (neutral density) filter, and failed to replace it. DOH! I have ordered a new one…and not a plastic one this time. It should arrive today.
We had our first big snow drop that stuck on Sat/Sun. It required shoveling. My neighbor bought a new cordless snow-blower and did our driveway twice! I just shoveled the clean up and the road below our driveway. She’s a jewel! She said it took just 12 minutes to do the driveway. We’ve made a deal. She’ll do the snow-blower and I do the clean up shoveling on 3 driveways and sidewalks. I told her I’d spring for the Hot Cocoa with marshmallows!
We have another big storm coming this weekend which is going to mess up my plans to meet friends, and do some birding at one of our favorite California refuges. It’s going to snow here, and in the mountains I’d need to cross, and it’s got rain on the forecast for there. It’s always a risk in the winter though isn’t it. Looks like I’ll be cancelling my plans.
Hopefully, we can meetup in February.
That’s me all caught up. How’s it going for you? Were any of you up and notice the tiny reddish star right beside the moon Monday morning?
Nikon D810| Nikkor 24-120mm & Nikkor 20mmG| PS CC 25.3.1
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Whatever Weds. Total Lunar Eclipse 11.8.2022
Copyright ©2022 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION!
I didn’t think I’d be able to see the Lunar Eclipse this time around because snow and cloud cover was predicted in the forecast. I set my alarm anyway and thought I’d just photograph Totality since it was in the middle of the night and cold.
When I got up and looked out the window I couldn’t believe it, it was clear and barely a breeze blowing!
It was just a few minutes after 2:00 A.M. PST…(I think that’s the time we’re in now? 🤷♀️ ), when I started taking my test shot.
Totality began at 2:16A.M here and I was ready for it. This image was made at 2:221A.M
The next Total Lunar eclipse to be visible in the USA won’t be until March 14, 2025. Until then my mind will be shifting from the
Moon to the Sun as there is an Annular Solar Eclipse in October 2023. The last time I photographed an Annular Solar Eclipse was back in 2012. You can see that post here . I’m hoping I can get to the sweet spot to photograph it again.
It snowed here all day yesterday and is looking magical and very much like Winter is here.
I hope you’re all having a good week, and are staying warm and safe.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 300mm f/4| PS CC 24.0.0
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Whatever Weds. The Blue Angels Came to Town!
Copyright ©2022 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION!
On Thursday I heard them practicing and went to sit out back on my patio and watch them. I saw they were in camera range so grabbed my camera and made rather a lot of images. Here’s just one from my patio.
On Friday I went to a secret spot and photographed them practicing for the week-end show. Here’s one of my favorite shots. An upside down Lunar Flyby.
Flying in Moon image is #1 Capt. Brian C. Kesselring, USN, in #3 is Lt. Scott Goossens, USN, in #7 is LCDR Griffin Stangel, USN, and in #2 is LCDR Chris Kapuschansky, USN.
They’re so much fun to watch! I have oodles of images, because I went back to the secret spot on Saturday, and photographed some more. Hoping to pick up some shots I missed. So, you may be seeing images of from these 3 days for awhile.
Fuji X-T3| Fuji 100-400mm| PS CC 23.5.0
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Whatever Weds. Lunar Eclipse and Flowers
Copyright ©2022 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Last week-end we went down to SoCal to visit Big Baby Boy and the Dark Haired Beauty for several days. It was lovely walking on the beach and in the canyon with them and just hanging out. We talked about their upcoming wedding a bunch, and how that’s going. It’s coming up so fast! Less than 8 weeks to go now! I’ve got my dress and hat and He-Man’s good to go suit wise too, So far everything is falling into place so, it should be beautiful.
I also passed a milestone last Thursday…I turned 65 years young. There are many days my body feels 65 but, not my spirit! I’m still a kid inside. 😀
There were lots of cultivated flowers in late stages of their bloom around Big Baby Boy’s, some I’ve missed because they just don’t grow where we live. Here are a few;
Sunday we had heavy clouds predicted and strong winds and sure enough they rolled in all day just in time for the Lunar Eclipse. I hoped there would a pocket or two of clear sky in the Moon’s path so I could see and photograph just one frame. There was a nice pocket along the mountain tops so I quickly made a few images of the Moon as it crested the mountains. It was already in Totality by then as well. It was very different from last year’s May Lunar Eclipse when there was a clear sky.
It quickly rose into the clouds and I didn’t see it again that night.
We’re going to see Baby Girl and the boys later this week to celebrate her birthday, my birthday, and Mother’s Day. I’m looking forward to that.
The weather has definitely warmed up here. It was 81 degrees yesterday and just as warm today, so I put out the patio cushions and spent a lovely hour out back chatting with the neighbor. How’s the weather where you are? Ready for summer?
I hope you’re having a good week!
Nikon D810| Fuji X-T-3| PS CC 23.2.2
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Wordless Wednesday-Lunar Eclipse-Totality
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Nikon D810| Nikkor 300mm f/4@f/10| ISO 1600| 1 sec.
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Wordless Weds. The Worm Moon
Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 80-200mm@ 200mm| PS CC 22.3.0
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