Undisturbed Places

Another time lapse gem, this time from locations in Africa.

Undisturbed Places - A Timelapse Film from Maciej Tomków on Vimeo.
There are places in the world where stars are the only source of light. Their singularity is breathtaking, inclines to reflection and becomes the root of inspiration. Places like that are usually unspoiled, natural and intact. These are the places where humans live in symbiosis with nature.
Namibia is one of the few places on Earth with the lowest light pollution. There are national parks there where the light pollution is reduced to zero. That’s why it has become a hotspot for astronomy photographers like myself.
"Undisturbed Places" is a project made in Namibia and Botswana during Namib & Kalahari Desert Astroexpedition, organized by Safra-Go. Taking part in a month-long journey, I was able to collect 2TB of timelapse footage. What you are about to watch is a selection of the most beautiful locations I was able to film.

Polar Night

Wow. Put another log on the fire and enter the Polar night.

Polar Night from Jan R Olsen on Vimeo.
Every year in late November, above the Arctic Circle at 70˚ North, the sun disappears below the horizon and it does not reappear for almost two months
This period is called Polar Night. But even if the sun is gone, it is not totally dark. There is always some light during the day. Sometimes this light can be amazing, and you have to be there to understand how beautiful, strong and colorful it can be. But there are also days where the light is grey and colorless.
This is my first time-lapse project. As a still photographer I needed a new challenge. Since I live above the Polar Circle in Northern Norway, I chose Polar Night as my theme. My goal was to show the beauty of the light in this period.
Taking around 80 000 images in total, I used around 25 000 images for this project in addition to the two minutes of film clips. All footage are shoot locally in the Lyngen Fjord area not more than 50 km from my home. I did this in the period of November and December 2015 and January 2016.
The soundtrack is "Immanuel" by Tony Anderson, licensed from the Music Bed.

Look Up Alert

All five bright planets will appear together in the morning sky from about January 20 to February 20, 2016. That hasn’t happened since 2005.

Read more.

A Lunar New Year

Everything you want to know about the moon in 2016.

Jupiter and Moon Alert!

Before dawn on Friday morning – December 4, 2015 – you’ll have another chance to see the waning crescent moon with the giant planet Jupiter in the predawn sky. Simply look for the brilliant starlike object close to the moon.

From Earthsky.

Awe is Good for Your Health

The three brightest objects in the night sky--the moon, Venus, and Jupiter--will be appearing close together over the next three evenings. Take a look: studies show that awe is good for your health.

"Hymn to the Night" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Starry Night" by Edward Potthast, 1918

I heard the trailing garments of the Night

Sweep through her marble halls!

I saw her sable skirts all fringed with light

From the celestial walls!

I felt her presence, by its spell of might,

Stoop o'er me from above:

The calm, majestic presence of the Night,

As of the one I love.

I heard the sounds of sorrow and delight,

The manifold, soft chimes,

That fill the haunted chambers of the Night,

Like some old poet's rhymes.

From the cool cisterns of the midnight air

My spirit drank repose:

The fountain of prepetual peace flows there--

From those deep cisterns flows.

O holy night! from thee I learn to bear

What man has borne before!

Thou layest thy finger on the lips of Care

And they complain no more.

Peace! Peace! Orestes-like I breathe this prayer!

Descend with broad-winged flight,

The welcome, the thrice-prayed for, the most fair,

The best-beloved Night!

Written 1839. Public Domain.

Heads Up: Venus, Mars, and Crescent Moon

This is why I'd rather live in this universe than any other. Venus and Mars have been spectacular the past few evenings. And now the newborn crescent moon will join them.

This is a bona fide phenomenon. Hope you can check it out where you live. I'm planning to be at Rocky Ford Creek on the evening of the 20th, and there's a good chance it will be clear. If it is, I'll be soaking it all in.

Earthsky has this to say about this celestial event:

The planets Mars and Venus are about to be at their closest in our sky since 2008. They won’t be closer until 2017! Their nearest point is Saturday, but tonight – February 19, 2015 – you’ll find these two planets in the west after sunset, nearly as close as they will be then. Venus is the much brighter one. What’s more, the young moon is now returning to the west after sunset. And that means we’re about to have some incredible scenes in the western, twilight sky. Friday night’s sky scene will be especially grand.

Although the new moon fell yesterday, February 18, we still expect some observant people in the Northern Hemisphere – especially in North America – to catch the whisker-thin young crescent moon after sunset Thursday evening. Look westward, beneath Venus – the brightest planet and bright evening “star” – and near the horizon, starting an hour or less after sunset. Binoculars may be helpful!

It’ll be harder, though not impossible, to catch an even thinner lunar crescent from northerly latitudes in Europe – and harder yet at northerly latitudes in Asia. We expect few, if any, observers at temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere to spot the young moon after sunset February 19. We tell you why later.

Whatever you do, just start watching the western twilight sky. Set a reminder on your phone if need be. The planets and moon won’t be up for long after sunset. And the views will be spectacular from now through Saturday night!

No Camelopardalids for This Observer

It was overcast during most of the day, but it cleared off by the predicted peak viewing time for the new meteor shower....which for me is still hypothetical. In two observation times totaling about 40 minutes I didn't see a single meteor.

It was a beautiful night, though, and the frogs in the flooded pasture behind the house were in good voice.

I Love the Concept of a Winter Circle

From EarthSky: There are many bright stars near Jupiter in 2014. The planet lies in the midst of what we stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere know as the Winter Circle. This beautiful photo captured January 11, 2014 by EarthSky Facebook friend Duke Marsh in Kentucky. Thank you, Duke.

Star Wars Comes Alive: Time Lapse Video of the Night Sky Over Hawaii

Laser-tracking the Milky Way over 13,803 foot Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Lasers allow the adaptive optics of the radio telescopes to remove the blurring effect of the earth's atmosphere. And they look really cool. And they make me wonder. Light years from now will someone on a distant planet be tracking these lasers as they arrive from the long-vanished Earth?

Full Moon and Fog

To Infinity--and Beyond

I've been keeping my eye on the night sky. I'm grateful that we live in a universe of light, and that light waves are not bounded by the division between night and day. And I find that a few minutes of gazing at the night sky definitely keeps things in proper perspective.

The Big Dipper continues to dominate the northern skyline, but it hangs lower and lower now.

And now it has been joined by the other giant constellation, Orion. A few weeks ago the Hunter was just showing his head and shoulders in the eastern sky, but now he strides in full view where he will remain throughout the winter.

A few weeks ago I took a shot of the Milky Way straight overhead. I was amazed and delighted to discover what happened when I elevated the exposure. Buzz Lightyear has it right: "To infinity--and beyond!"