View allAll Photos Tagged Absorption
In a chapter called "A Poet's Alphabet", Mark Strand shares this in his book ""The Weather of Words" (Knopf 2000):
“D is for Dante, who has not influenced me, which is too bad. On the other hand, I am not sure what the influence of Dante might be, and I would think it quite strange to read somewhere that one of my contemporaries had been influenced by him. How very grand, I would think. But death, being so much more approachable– either here or just around the bend–has always been an influence. What I mean to say is that death is common. If you are having a good time and you conceive the possibility that the good time will end, then you are concerned with death, though in a mild and unremarkable way. But what I want to get to is something else: that death is the central concern of lyric poetry. Lyric poetry reminds us that we live in time. It tells us that we are mortal. It celebrates or recognizes moods, ideas, events only as they exist in passing. For what meaning would anything have outside of time? Even when poetry celebrates something joyful, it bears the news that the particular joy is over. It is a long memorial, a valedictory to each discrete moment on earth. But its power is at variance with what it celebrates. For it is not just that we mourn the passage of time but that we are somehow isolated from the weight of time, and when we read poems, during those brief moments of absorption, the thought of death seems painless, even beautiful.”
____________________________________________________________
Isaiah 65:17-21
Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
John 4:43-54
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture: You may go; your child will live. (John 4:50)
Throughout Lent we have been encouraged to practice self-denial. Often we mistakenly see this only as an exercise in giving up things that give us pleasure. In truth God is calling us to do "spring cleaning," to rid our lives of worldly clutter to make room for Christ, the One sent to cleanse us of sin and create us anew in His image.
Many limit God's act of creation to His original formation of the cosmos with earth as humanity's home; but creation is ongoing, for God's Spirit constantly renews our world through its seasons and propagates life—plants, animals, and man—from seeds energized by God's life. Humans require most of His attention, since He created us to be spiritual creatures made in His likeness, able to commune with our heavenly Father and enter into a loving relationship with Him. Through this, God lifts us from our mire of sin to participate in His goodness so that we may also live at peace with one another.
Today's Gospel narrates one example of Christ's infinite power to create life anew, His healing of a dying child. In doing so, He prompted a renewal of the parents' lives and possibly that of all those to whom they would tell of God's healing mercy. This "good" was set in motion by the father's faith in Christ, his immediate obedience in going home, fully believing his child would be well; this fact was affirmed when he learned that the healing coincided perfectly with the time that Jesus had pronounced its taking place.
Blessed Lord, may this Lenten season commit us to allowing Your Spirit of love and truth to create us anew that we may share Your blessed life with others. Amen.
- Marie Bocko, OCDS | email: mlbocko@twcny.rr.com
EXPLORE # 309 at initial list on Monday, March 3, 2008.
It continues on...
The first day absorption was not much different as the last day of MRL. Laurel-Missoula at Elton.
1-1-24
[EN]
The vineyard is ready for pruning.
Pruning of the vine begins from leaf drop in the fall to bud break around April.
But what happens to the vine to make it weep?
The plant reawakens from its winter sleep and recommences its lifecycle. The “tears” are little droplets of sap, rising up the stalk of the vine and seeping out. This happens when the roots start working again, when the sap begins to rise up through the wood. It’s as though the vine is taking a deep breath before the birth of the new buds.
The budding phase is preceded by a typical phenomenon of the vine called “weeping”, which is actually the release of fluid from the xylem vessels where they have been pruned. This is due, on one hand, to the reactivation of the sugar metabolism – the transformation of starch into simple sugars – and the consequent reactivation of cellular respiration, and, on the other, the high level of absorption that characterises the roots, which peaks during this phase (Google Translate: :-))
[IT]
Il vigneto è pronto per la potatura.
La potatura della vite va dalla caduta delle foglie in autunno, al "pianto della vite" in aprile.
Ma che cosa accade alla vite da portarla a piangere?
La pianta si risveglia dopo il riposo invernale e ricomincia il suo ciclo vitale. Le «lacrime» sono delle piccole goccioline di linfa, che risalgono il legno della vite e fuoriescono. Avviene con la ripresa dell’attività delle radici, quando nei vasi legnosi inizia appunto a risalire la linfa. È una sorta di respiro prima della nascita dei nuovi germogli.
La fase del germogliamento è preceduta da un fenomeno tipico della vite chiamato “pianto”, ossia l’emissione di liquido dai vasi xilematici a livello dei tagli di potatura: ciò è dovuto da una parte alla riattivazione del metabolismo degli zuccheri – la trasformazione di amido in zuccheri semplici – e alla conseguente riattivazione della respirazione cellulare e dall’altra all’elevato livello di assorbimento che caratterizza le radici, che tocca il massimo proprio in questa fase»
FR]
Le vignoble est prêt pour la taille.
La taille de la vigne commence dès la chute des feuilles à l'automne au débourrement vers avril.
Mais qu'arrive-t-il à la vigne qui la fait pleurer?
La plante se réveille après le repos hivernal et recommence son cycle de vie. Les "larmes" sont de petites gouttelettes de sève, qui remontent le bois de la vigne et en ressortent. Cela se produit avec la reprise de l'activité des racines, lorsque la lymphe commence à monter dans les vaisseaux ligneux. C'est une sorte de souffle avant la naissance des nouvelles pousses.
La phase de germination est précédée d'un phénomène typique de la vigne appelé "pleurs de la vigne", c'est-à-dire l'émission de liquide des vaisseaux du xylème au niveau des plaies de taille: cela est dû d'une part à la réactivation du métabolisme du sucre - la transformation de l'amidon dans les sucres simples - et la réactivation conséquente de la respiration cellulaire et d'autre part au niveau élevé d'absorption qui caractérise les racines, qui atteint son maximum dans cette phase.
Minimalist Still Life with apricots shots at the sole light of some candles (macro). Obtained with preparation, display arrangement, my hands, my eyes & one of my reflex camera (Canon EOS 250D). No retouching, no filters!
Entered in the July 2023 Explore TakeOver Contest by Flickr Social on the theme #Orange www.flickr.com/groups/2684497@N24/discuss/721577219189465...
Ref.Albicocche 063 okkk VM DEF. Shot on 04.07.2022 19:25
©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.
Pigmente für die Glaskreationen
Pigmente (lateinisch pigmentum für „Farbe“, „Schminke“) sind farbgebende Substanzen, im Gegensatz zu Farbstoffen sind sie im Anwendungsmedium unlöslich. Anwendungsmedium bezeichnet dabei den Stoff, in den das Pigment eingearbeitet wird, beispielsweise in Lack oder in Kunststoffe. Der Oberbegriff für Farbstoffe und Pigmente ist Farbmittel, diese können nach der chemischen Struktur anorganisch oder organisch und nach dem Farbeindruck bunt oder unbunt sein.[1] In der Biologie bezeichnet der Begriff Pigment alle in einem lebenden Organismus farbgebenden Substanzen. Technisch gesehen handelt es sich hierbei um Farbmittel.
Maßgeblich für die Eigenschaften der Pigmente sind neben der chemischen Struktur auch Festkörpereigenschaften wie Kristallstruktur, Kristallmodifikation, Teilchengröße und Teilchengrößenverteilung, letztere durch die spezifische Oberfläche. Der Farbreiz selbst entsteht durch Absorption und Remission (Streuung oder Reflexion) bestimmter Frequenzanteile des sichtbaren Lichts.
Tiny droplets still cling to Montbretia leaves nearly a day after condensing from a coastal fog. The plant’s waxy surface prevents absorption, allowing the water to bead and persist in the calm, humid air. It’s a small-scale version of the process that sustains lomas [1] vegetation on Peru’s desert coast, where plants rely on fog rather than rain for moisture.
This text is a collaboration with Chat GPT.
Poem.
The mercury greys, the tree-lined ebony silhouettes, deep indigo and silver-coated marbling, gleaming, beaming off the cloud-reflected bay-
Dazzles and spell-binds.
That precious God-given ambience of early dawn blinds us but etches blurred images of heavenly proportions to our senses.
The mesmerising light, the near-silent water’s edge only broken by the lilting call of the oyster-catcher or the muffled comments of stirring sailors aboard their dreamy yachts.
These familiar sounds, the salt-laden odours of a near-calm bay and the silent, gentle absorption of the sun’s rays rouses and energises a myriad of life-forms to a glorious new day.
To witness this scene is pure bliss.
To hear, feel and sense it, is almost indescribable.
August 07, 2017
Macro Mondays Theme: Staying Healthy
After my kidney stone operation, orange juice and orange fruit are now part of my special diet.
"Delicious and juicy orange fruit contain an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals for healthy growth and development and overall well-being.
•Nutrients in oranges are plentiful and diverse. The fruit is low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but rich in dietary fiber, pectin. Pectin, by its virtue as a bulk laxative, helps protect the mucosa of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon. By binding to bile acids in the colon, pectin has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing its re-absorption in the colon."
All comments are highly appreciated. It will help me a lot to improve my photography skills. Big thanks to all of you for the comments, faves and views.
Happy clicking to all! HMM!
©All Rights Reserved
Antioplelle (Antiopella cristata) – La Lauve – Cap d’Antibes - France
Delicate and elegant, Antiopella cristata glides among algae and hydroids like a colorful veil. Its translucent body reveals the intricate harmony of its internal organs, while its cerata — long, iridescent filaments — sway gently with the current.
Both ornamental and vital, each ceras contains a digestive diverticulum, an extension of the intestine where digestion and absorption take place. But this fragile structure also hides a clever defense strategy: nematocysts harvested from its stinging prey, mainly hydroids, are stored there, ready to deter potential predators.
Under the light, the cerata glow with a crystalline radiance, highlighting the functional beauty shaped by evolution.
This image was captured off the coast of Cap d’Antibes, at the dive site La Lauve. Using a Nikon D800E in an Aquatica housing, paired with a 105 mm macro lens, an SMC-1 (2.3x) wet lens, and a snoot mounted on a Backscatter Mini Flash 2, I isolated texture, form, and light at F/22 to reveal the graphic details of this elegant biological ingenuity.
Nikon D800E in its Aquatica housing, f/22 for depth of field and sharpness, 1/125 s, ISO 100, 105 mm macro, Backscatter Mini Flash 2 with snoot, Nauticam SMC-1 lens (2.3x).
More pictures provided below...
I am going green :D
Well I bought me a new 2011 GIO Moped in white. This is the crazy purchase I spoke about a few images ago.
This 500w electric scooter is classified as an electric bicycle since pedals can be used. I however took mine out and have them stored in the storage compartments. Since it is classified as a bicycle, you do not have to register it, you do not have to insure it and can also operate without any driver license.
My e-scooter comes with front and rear lights, mirrors, large seat for 2 riders, large trunk box, turn signals, horn, low/high beam headlights, alarm, wheel locks and plenty of storage. First off there is the rear trunk box with ample room for my camera :). There is also a glove compartment and under seat storage.
It starts with a flip of a key and when you do start it you hear nothing! Just a low buzz as you buzz off :)!
More features include dual shocks which cushions my ride when going over bumps, curbs or objects. Frotn and rear drum brakes is located in the center of the wheel and provides plenty of stopping power even when I ride at higher speeds.
Specifications:
Engine Displacement (cc) 350w/500w
Transmission Auto
Engine Type 500w, Brushless, Electric, Double speeds
Min/Max. torque 32-55 Nm
Starting System Electric Start
Chassis Max Speed 32Km/h (20mph), Double speeds
Reverse No
Suspension/Front Dual Shock
Suspension/Rear Dual Shock
Brakes/Front Drum brake
Brakes/Rear EABS (Electric Absorption Braking System)
Dimensions Vehicle Size Full Size
Tires/Front 2.5in
Tires/Rear 63 x 406.4 mm , Mag Wheels
Size Adult
L x W x H 1650 x 690 x 1010 mm
Seat Height 710 mm
Lighting Fuel Capacity Battery Capacity: 48V/12AH
Dry Weight 74Kg (168 lbs)
Head Light Yes
Tail Light Yes
Brake Light Yes
Blinkers Yes
Remote Start/Stop No
MORE TO COME :D
The Iris Nebula, NGC 7023 or Caldwel 4, includes an open star cluster and its associated reflection nebula, surrounded by dark absorption nebulosity. These images were taken the mornings of 2022-06-01 and 2022-06-02 from just NW of Flagstaff, Arizona. The nebula is about 3 light years in diameter and 1300 ly distant.
A total exposure of 225 minutes taken as 45 five minute exposure. Photographed with a with a William Optics RedCat 250/51mm telescope, Baader UV/IR cut filter, ZWO ASI 533 MC camera, SkyWatcher AZ-EQ5 mount, and ASI electronic auto focus and guide camera. All were controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Plus Controller.
Proess in PixInsight with *XTerminator and GHS plugins with final exposure and crop in Photoshop.
Moon always drifts toward east on the celestial field. It goes higher in winter and lower in summer in northern hemisphere, and it also drifts toward north now in autumn.
Moon was drifting slowly toward northeast on the celestial field, and total lunar eclipse circle or earth shadow was drifting toward west northwest also slowly at the date. They came across each other in space, and the eclipse happened. North is up, and east is to the left.
Moon got lower after the eclipse, and it got darker and yellowish due to atmospheric selective absorption of light. Quality of image also got worse due to atmospheric turbulence near the horizon.
Here is the sequence of total lunar eclipse in November 2022:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52518361993
Equipment: Takahashi FOA-60, Extender R 1.7x, and EOS R-SP4II, modified by Seo San on ZWO AM5n Equatorial Mount, autoguided at a star nearby with Fujinon 1:2.8/75mm C-Mount Lens, Pentax x2 Extender, ZWO ASI 174MM-mini, and PHD2 Guiding
Exposure: 1/2,000 - 6 seconds at ISO 1,600, f/15, and focal length 900mm
site: 983m above sea level at lat. 35 25 20 North and long. 138 54 06 East near Lake Yamanaka 山中湖畔
Ambient temperature was around 18 degrees Celsius or 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind was mild.
Er ist einer der grössten Schmetterlinge und leuchtet geöffnet in einem satten, metallischen Blau – in der Schmetterlingswelt ist er durch seine Farbe einzigartig.
Gerne wird er auch 'Himmelsfalter' genannt, weil seine blaue Farbe so glanzvoll wie der blaue Himmel leuchtet. Er zeigt sein schillerndes Blau nur auf der Innenseite so intensiv, dies um Geschlechtspartner auch von weit her anzulocken.
Klappt er seine Flügel hoch, kommt seine braune Unterseite mit den rotbraunen Augen zum Vorschein. So sieht er plötzlich aus wie ein braunes Blatt.
Der Morphofalter besitzt unzählige dünne Schuppen auf seinen Flügeln, die wie Dachziegel übereinander geschichtet sind. Wenn Licht auf die Schuppen fällt, nehmen sie alle Farben des Lichts auf, was man im Fachchinesisch als „absorbieren“ bzw. „Absorption“ nennt.
Ein ganz besonders zauberhafter Flattermann - aussen und innen eine grosse Augenweide!
Geniesst alle einen wunderschönen Sonntag!
The Grand Canyon is a very wide and deep canyon in the north of the American state of Arizona. Over millions of years, the waters of the Colorado have created this gap in the landscape. This extreme erosion was made possible by the fact that the area in which the gap is located rose further and higher. The Colorado erodes about 16 cm every 1000 years. The canyon is about 435 kilometers long and has a width that varies between 15 and 29 kilometers. According to measurements, the rock that is now exposed is approximately 2 billion years old. The geological structure is part of the Grand Staircase.
From the age of the canyon itself, very different assignments were made in various published studies. A study published in Nature came to 70 million years. A very recent study comes to 6 million years.
Despite the great width, the other side of the canyon is clearly visible from almost every point. This is due to the extremely low humidity in the desert-like area, so that the light absorption here is extremely low.
The walls of the Grand Canyon are streaked reddish due to the different compositions of the layers in succession. The Grand Canyon's red rock is prized at its most beautiful just after sunrise and just before sunset. It is therefore often recommended to visit the Canyon around these times.
Source: Wikipedia
Today we drive my eldest, Abbey, back to Bath University. It is her last year, her last term studying for her MSc Hons in Global Development and Sustainability. Abbey's dissertation is "Carbon Bio-absorption in a world of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. Mitigation using oceanic algae" She will be a world changer. We will miss her greatly and we will not have her home until she has finished her dissertation X
Like most visitors to Corfu, I was surprised to see so many eucalyptus trees gracing the island’s parks, streets and green spaces.
A little research reveals they were introduced to Corfu by Theodoros Orphanides, a 19th century botanist who was interested to see how foreign plants could benefit Greece. He was particularly taken by the eucalyptus, renowned as a fast-growing and resilient tree able to thrive in swampy areas. But even more important was its reputed capacity to combat malaria – in Greece, a major public health issue at the time.
Well, the tree, with its high rate of water absorption, did indeed help drain the swamps, reduce the mosquito population and the incidence of malaria.
Over time, the tree became a common sight in many parts of Greece. It provided much-needed shade and became a valuable timber resource. Today, it’s very much a part of the Greek urban and open landscapes – and look at its size! (For contrast, note the woman passing by.)
A partir de los datos en el infrarrojo del archivo del telescopio Hubble , he compuesto una imagen en color procesándola con Pixinsight y PS.
La cabeza de caballo es una nebulosa fría y oscura de absorción sita en la constelación de Orión al sur de la estrella Alnitak , en el cinturón de Orión, a unos 1300 años luz de la Tierra. Cuando se observa en fotografías realizadas en RGB o en hidrógeno alfa se ve ese color parduzco anaranjado o rojo oscuro de esas nubes frías y oscuras, las cuales vemos por contraste con la nebulosa de emisión que se encuentra detrás IC434.
Sin embargo cuando se la fotografía en infrarroja se observa transparente y de aspecto frágil, etéreo. las longitudes de onda infrarroja tienen la capacidad de atravesar esas nubes oscuras donde se ven perfectamente los pliegues dándole una riqueza extraordinaria a la imagen.
Using the infrared data from the Hubble telescope archive, I have composed a color image by processing it with Pixinsight and PS.
The horsehead is a cold and dark absorption nebula located in the constellation Orion south of the star Alnitak, in the Orion belt, about 1,300 light years from Earth. When observed in photographs taken in RGB or in hydrogen alpha, you see that brownish orange or dark red color of those cold and dark clouds, which we see in contrast to the emission nebula behind IC434.
However when infrared photography is observed transparent and fragile, ethereal in appearance. Infrared wavelengths have the ability to pass through those dark clouds where the folds are perfectly visible, giving an extraordinary richness to the image.
Centaurus A, also known as NGC 5128, is a peculiar lenticular galaxy in the constellation Centaurus, which appears to be an elliptical galaxy with a huge superimposed dust lane. It is one of the closest radio galaxies, and its active galactic nucleus has been extensively studied.
Discovery and Identity
NGC 5128 was discovered by James Dunlop on August 4, 1826. John Herschel was next to see it, from South Africa in 1834; he cataloged it as h 3501, which became GC 3525 in his General Catalogue of 1864, and NGC 5128 in J. L. E. Dreyer's New General Catalog. Herschel was first to note this galaxy's peculiarity, in 1847.
Halton Arp included NGC 5128 in his 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as one of the best examples of a "disturbed" galaxy with dust absorption.
Amateur Observation
Centaurus A appears approximately 4° north of the naked-eye globular cluster Omega Centauri. At magnitude 7.0, this galaxy is the fifth brightest in the sky, making it ideal for observation, although it is only visible from the southern hemisphere and low northern latitudes. Centaurus A has been spotted with the naked eye by expert observers under very good conditions. The bright central bulge and dark dust lane are visible in finderscopes and large binoculars, and additional structure may be seen in larger telescopes.
NGC 5128 is a "lenticular" galaxy, of intermediate type between elliptical and disk (spiral) galaxies. Its main body has all characteristics of a large elliptical, but a pronounced dust belt is superimposed over the center, forming a disk plane around this galaxy.
The only supernova discovered in Centaurus A so far is SN 1986G, a Type Ia event that reached mag 12.5 in May, 1986.
Properties and Evolution
Centaurus A is located about 11 million light-years away, at the center of one of two subgroups within the Centaurus A/M83 Group. Messier 83 (the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy) is at the center of the other subgroup. These two groups are sometimes identified as one, since the galaxies around Centaurus A and the galaxies around M 83 are physically close to each other, and both subgroups appear to be stationary relative to each other. The Centaurus A/M83 Group is part of the Virgo Supercluster.
NGC 5128's strange morphology is the result of a merger between two smaller galaxies. The bulge of Centaurus A is comprised mainly of evolved red stars. Its dusty disk, however, has been the site of more recent star formation; over 100 star formation regions have been identified in the disk. As observed in other such "starburst" galaxies, a collision is responsible for the intense star formation. Scientists using the Spitzer Space Telescope have confirmed that Centaurus A is an elliptical galaxy going through a collision, devouring a spiral.
In the radio part of the spectrum, Centaurus A exhibits two vast regions of radio emission, running along the polar axis of NGC 5128's disk and extending hundreds of light years in both directions. A relativistic jet from what is believed to be a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy is responsible for emissions in the X-ray and radio wavelengths. Radio observations of the jet indicate that the inner parts of the jet are moving at about 1/2 the speed of light. X-rays are produced farther out, as the jet collides with surrounding gases, creating highly energetic particles.
Source: skysafari
RA: 13h 25m 27;8s
DEC: -43° 01’ 04"
Size: 28.9 x 28.9 arcmin
Orientation: Up is 0.397 degrees E of N
Location: Centaurus
Distance: 10-16 Mly
Magnitude: 6.8
Acquisition April 2021
Total acquisition time of 2.5 hours.
Technical Details
Data acquisition: Telescope.Live
Processing: Nicolas ROLLAND
Location: El Sauce Observatory, Rio Hurtado, Chile
L 6 x 600 sec
R 3 x 600 sec
G 3 x 600 sec
B 3 x 600 sec
Optics: Planewave 24“ CDK @ F6.8
Mount: Paramount ME
CCD: FLI PL 9000
Pre Processing: CCDstack, Pixinsight & Excalibrator
Post Processing: Photoshop CC
Following the blooming progress of my orchid plant which, after a premature flowering for the season (November), right now is bloming for the second time just after two months 27 new flowers. Will follow the gradual progression in blossoming with continuous new shootings and some experimentation in natural in-door / outdoor daylight.
Ref.New flow. orchids 031 OK VM DEF. Macro shot in-door in natural daylight, no retouching.
#AtmosphericPhotography
©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved.
Panoramic view of the Noctulescent clouds (NLC) seen on Monday, June 22 (morning) over Normandy, France.
These clouds are made of meteorite particles that burn in the atmosphere and are mixed up with water ice. Evolving at 80 km altitude, in the mesosphere, they are subject to high winds (~ 200 km/h or more) and experience complex effects of air turbulence in the form of "gravity waves"...
Monday morning, their incredible brightness made them visible to the naked eye without any problems, from North-North-West to North-North-East. Their intense "electric" blue color is obvious, as well as a red / pink border, explained by the atmospheric absorption.
This panorama is composed of 2 photos taken with a Canon 700D + Sigma Art 18-35 mm F / 1.8.
4 seconds, F / 2.8, ISO 400
aubergine seasoned with chilli powder flavoured with balsamic vinegar, next to spiced beef, dal curry, peas, onion and servings of plum butter
boiled spiced beef served cold flic.kr/p/2kRsTTd
plum butter flic.kr/p/2kNwSa4
ghee flic.kr/p/2kGBxt9
aubergine nutrition facts www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-aubergines
third attempt cooking aubergine
to decrease aubergine oil absorption soaked the aubergine in oat milk overnight, no salt
www.thekitchn.com/4-ways-to-prevent-eggplant-from-absorbi...
... Soak the eggplant in milk. Soaking slices or cubes off eggplant in milk for one to two hours fills the porous structure studded with air pockets with milk, leaving no room for oil to be absorbed ...
ps i'm not recommending any of these cookery adventures. they suit my personal taste. photographing to encourage myself to eat more healthily ...
i've created a new group www.flickr.com/groups/cooking_is_my_hobby/ to gather ideas and encourage myself to continue with healthy eating by learning from others if you're interested in cooking, sometimes or a lot, or enjoy the cooking of others, you're always welcome ...
Tiny common yellow woodsorrel, looking like a buttercup among green shamrocks. Don't call it a weed!
DeKalb County (Winnona Park), Georgia, USA.
6 April 2025.
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▶ "Oxalis stricta —commonly known as common yellow woodsorrel, lemon clover, oxalis, pickle plant, shamrock plant, sourgrass— is an herbaceous plan in the woodsorrel family (Oxalidaceae), native to North America and East Asia, growing in woodlands, meadows, and in disturbed areas.
The tiny ¼-inch wide (½ cm) flowers are yellow with four to five petals/rays. The alternate leaves are divided into three distinctively shamrock (heart-shaped) leaflets that can grow up to ¾ inch wide (2 cm). The leaves curl up at night (exhibiting nyctinasty), and open in the day to perform photosynthesis. The mature seed capsules can vigorously disperse seeds up to 16 feet away (5 m), via explosive dehiscence.
All parts of the plant are edible —with tangy lemon and rhubarb-like flavors— but only in small quantities, as the plant's oxalic acid can inhibit calcium absorption."
— Wikipedia.
— North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
***************
▶ Photo by: YFGF.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
— Follow on Instagram: @tcizauskas.
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▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
— Lens: Olympus M.40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R.
— Extension tube: 10 mm.
— Edit: Photoshop Elements 15, Nik Collection (2016).
▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.
The Long Road to My Photo at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Now comes a long story about how this photo came to be.
One and a half years ago, the idea was born. When I once again happened to see this extraordinary landscape – the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – in a documentary about the Dolomites, I was spellbound. Since my passion has always been night photography, it quickly became clear: this was the place where I wanted to capture the Milky Way. Although I had been doing deep-sky photography for more than ten years, I had never photographed the Milky Way itself. This would mark the beginning of a new passion.
At such a breathtaking location, I didn’t want to simply “take a picture” – my goal was far more ambitious: to create one of the finest Milky Way photographs to be found anywhere in the world. Admittedly, not a modest ambition… but once you stand before this scenery, you instantly understand why someone suddenly feels the urge to reach for the stars.
________________________________________
Planning and Technology
So the planning began. I needed a highly precise yet mobile and lightweight star tracker. It quickly became clear: with stacking and only 8-second exposures – meaning without tracking – combined with extremely high ISO values, I would never reach the image quality I was aiming for.
So I practiced again and again with the tracker under the light-polluted skies of my hometown: how does it react to wind? What happens with high humidity, thin clouds, or turbulence in the upper atmosphere? Every small disturbance worsens the “seeing,” and it takes a lot of experience to master these pitfalls.
Even calibrating the tracker has to be extremely precise. I measure my tripod digitally in steps of 0.1 degrees to ensure it is perfectly level – the more exact, the longer you can track. Of course, there are superb mounts available, but they are anything but portable. You don’t carry a 20-kilogram block in your backpack up to 2,600 meters on a night hike, together with all the other gear.
And then, of course, you need the brightest and sharpest lenses available. At night, every fraction of a stop counts – daylight photography is far more forgiving.
In general: the less artificial light, the clearer and more majestic the Milky Way appears. For deep-sky astrophotography, there are special filters that block man-made light pollution (for example, from cities). But the Milky Way is something entirely different: it shines across the full spectrum – from deep red to violet-blue. No filter trick works here. Any filter would also block starlight. In other words: the only “trick” is no trick at all – you simply need the darkest, most pristine skies possible.
In Europe, you can only find such conditions in a handful of places: the Dolomites, Großglockner, or La Palma (Canary Islands) – the best you can get by European standards. There are a few more, but the weather there is so unpredictable that your chances of success are even lower. The ideal is high altitude with dry, crystal-clear air.
If you want to go even further, travel to Namibia. There you’ll experience one of the most spectacular night skies anywhere: no weather problems, almost every night is perfect. The catch? Malaria. Which means daily prophylaxis with all its side effects. There’s always something, isn’t there?
If you want to get a sense yourself: on lightpollutionmap.info you can view worldwide light pollution interactively. Just one glance shows how rare truly dark places on our planet have become.
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Milky Way Time Window
In Europe, the Milky Way can only be photographed between April and the end of August during new moon. But especially in June and July, the nights are too short and too bright – it never gets completely dark at our latitude. Effectively, there are only about three months, with a small time window of just a few days around each new moon. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you wait until the next month.
In summer, you can look towards the center of our galaxy and see the striking dust and nebula bands. In winter, however, you’re looking “outward” into the universe – without those spectacular structures. The season is extremely short, and the chance of a cloudless sky in the Dolomites is less than 30%. The weather often remains stable for only 3–4 hours before changing – a true lottery.
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Tre Cime: A Dream Location with Obstacles
Even during the day, at around 2,500 meters, it is breathtakingly beautiful – wherever you look, a picture-book landscape opens up. And then, right before you, the Tre Cime rise: massive rock walls soaring almost 500 meters straight up, touching the 3,000-meter mark.
But getting there is no longer so simple: you need a reservation and a ticket. Your license plate is checked already down in the valley.
The tickets are strictly limited. For our campervan, 12 hours cost €60. But the probability of stable, cloud-free weather up there is less than 30% – with just one ticket, my project would have been impossible. So I booked 6 time slots of 12 hours each, back-to-back.
Not so easy: the tickets have to connect seamlessly, with only a handful of vehicles allowed per hour. If one slot ends at, say, 4 p.m. and the next one is fully booked, you’re simply out of luck. Getting even one slot is difficult – arranging six in a row is almost impossible. And at the barrier in the valley, there is zero tolerance: even a second late at exit, and the fine is guaranteed.
For the booking itself, you get just five minutes – starting the moment you open the system, not with your final click. From finding matching slots to entering credit card details, personal data, and vehicle info, the countdown runs relentlessly. Everything that could be complicated, is complicated – as if the Dolomites didn’t already present enough natural challenges.
And as if that weren’t enough, you can only buy six tickets per month – now reduced to five.
Going up spontaneously? Forget it. Even if a slot were free, you must book digitally at least 24 hours in advance. On site or the same day? Impossible, not allowed. If you think you can just go with the weather – no chance. Here, bureaucracy rules over nature.
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Arrival and First Setbacks
One and a half years later, the time finally came. Before the drive up, we prepared our campervan: fridge filled, toilet emptied, all batteries charged – for camera, smartphone, star tracker, heating bands against dew, and countless lamps. We were ready to last three days and nights up there.
But even if you arrive early at the barrier full of anticipation, you won’t be let in – the gates only open at the exact booked time. Then it was up in second gear, carefully winding through the serpentines. Now and then the front wheels slipped on the wet asphalt – a clear sign of just how steep it was. A motorhome weighing over four tons and 7.5 meters long is no off-roader. But at the top, on one of the highest campsites in Europe, everything was set.
Only problem: the fridge decided that at 2,500 meters it was no longer its job – even though we had filled it to the brim beforehand. Absorption fridges in RVs simply don’t work reliably on gas at this altitude. Another hard-learned lesson. Result: half of our food ended up in the trash.
The first two days: rain, wind, dense fog, temperatures around 4°C. Thanks to the heater in the camper, at least the cold was bearable – but photographically, a frustration. On the last day, though, everything changed: sunshine, clear views, amazing mood. Could it finally work out?
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The Night of the Shoot
The hike with a backpack weighing over 12 kilos was tougher than expected – the thin air made itself felt.
That night, countless shots were taken. Many tracked 6-minute exposures of the Milky Way, which I later stacked to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio – a trick to achieve more quality than the sensor alone could deliver. I also captured the landscape separately – since with tracked stars, the foreground would blur.
And here came the next challenge: Milky Way photos require new moon and absolute darkness. Landscapes, however, look flat and monochromatic under such conditions, whereas full moon would provide plastic light. The solution: capture the landscape during blue hour or light it deliberately.
For that, I had a special lamp built – custom-made down to the last detail. I even chose the exact LED type myself, tailored precisely to my requirements for color temperature and light quality. 99% of ordinary flashlights are useless for high-quality photography: the light is usually far too cold, or the CRI index (color rendering) is too poor.
My lamp also has a zoom: the beam can be focused extremely tightly – up to 1.5 kilometers – or spread wide and soft, depending on what’s needed for light painting.
And the surprising part: from manufacturers like Convoy Flashlight in China, you can get such customized lamps for under €30. In Germany, such a service would hardly exist – and if it did, the price would make you swallow hard.
So I created exposures of up to 15 minutes while painting the rocks with light. Sometimes the right side turned out better, sometimes the left. A single perfect shot is impossible.
And then there are the famous headlamp trails – little light streaks from hikers that often give an image that extra something. The problem: at night, hardly anyone is up there. And if they are, it’s guaranteed not at the exact moment you’d need them in frame. Paradoxical, isn’t it? You want them desperately – but almost never get them when you need them. So the only option is to collect separate exposures whenever someone happens to pass.
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The Puzzle
By the end of the night, I had about 30 shots in the bag – and darkness gave way to morning. Among them: long exposures with light painting, shots with headlamp trails, many tracked Milky Way frames, and landscapes from blue hour to deep night.
That was my raw material, my toolkit. Later I selected the best elements and merged them into a single image – like a painter who first collects sketches and then fuses them into a finished work of art.
This is the supreme discipline of photography: absolutely no fake, but impossible to achieve in a single exposure. Each frame had to be carefully developed – matching white balance and color temperatures, adjusting brightness and contrast, reducing noise, enhancing details. Sometimes the foreground stone looked better illuminated on the left, sometimes on the right. Everything had to be precisely assembled, layer by layer.
In the end, the Photoshop file grew to over a hundred layers and more than 60 gigabytes. Every little adjustment had to be carefully considered, since each change affected the entire image. The greatest challenge: blending all these different exposures into a seamless whole, without visible transitions, without an artificial impression.
To outsiders, the finished photo may look obvious – as if you had simply stood there and captured that exact moment. In reality, it meant days of work, hours of meticulous corrections, and an enormous amount of patience and technical precision.
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Conclusion
Moments like these stay with you for a lifetime. Not just the photo itself, but the entire journey: the long preparation, the struggles, the setbacks, and finally, the success.
It’s also important to me to show with such texts that photography is not just a click. It’s an adventure – a battle with nature, technology, and yourself. Again and again, I try to surpass my previous limits. Each step makes it harder – but when it works, the moments of joy are unforgettable.
And for those who know me – of course, the next ideas are already in preparation.
Enjoy the view!
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Making of – did you know?
With night photography something curious happens: when viewed in daylight or against a bright background, the deepest shadows often “stick together,” making the landscape look darker than it really is.
The trick is not to leave black at absolute zero, but to raise it ever so slightly – the sweet spot is around 2–3 out of 255 brightness levels. This way, fine structures remain visible even in bright surroundings.
It’s the same little secret used by film and streaming studios to keep images stable across every kind of screen.
As you can see – nothing here is left to chance.
Scientific Sweet Spot for Night Photos
To balance depth and readability across all devices, researchers and industry standards recommend placing the darkest tones in a narrow “sweet spot.” My photo was fine-tuned exactly to these values:
Percentile (how many pixels are darker)Recommended rangeScientific midpointMy photo
5% darkest pixels2–3 / 255~2.5 / 2553
25% darkest pixels6–10 / 255~8 / 2558
Median (50% of all pixels)12–20 / 255~16 / 25515–16
How to read this:
The percentile tells you what fraction of pixels are darker than a certain brightness.
Example: “5% darkest pixels = 3” means the very darkest areas are not pitch black, but lifted just enough to remain visible.
The goal: sit right at the scientific midpoint, so the photo works equally well on OLED at night and on laptops or phones in bright daylight.
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🔧 Technical Information
📷 Camera: Sony Alpha 7R V
🔭 Lens: Sony FE 14 mm f/1.8 GM
🗻 Mount: Benro Cyanbird Carbon Tripod + Benro Polaris Astro Tracker
🌌 Sky: stack of 10 tracked exposures
️ Foreground: composite of 20 exposures (blue hour, light painting, headlamp trails, deep night phases)
⏱️ Exposure time per frame:
– Sky: ISO 320, f/1.8, 6 minutes each
– Foreground: ISO 100, f/2.8, from a few minutes (blue hour) up to 20 minutes
🕒 Total exposure time: approx. 6 hours combined
📍 Location: Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen, 2,999 m), Dolomites, Italy
The Saxifraga are, with the common Dandelion, beyond the best pionner vegetals. Note the partly red leafs, the result of an adaptative switch from Chlorophyll A to B, broading the wavelenght spectrum of light absorption as sun weakens and days are becoming shorter.
When a turkey vulture spreads its wings in the "horaltic pose," it is primarily to warm its body on cold mornings, to dry its feathers after rain or a messy meal, and to expose feathers to sunlight to help control parasites like lice. Turkey vultures lower their body temperature at night to conserve energy and need to warm up to fly again, with the spread wings maximizing solar energy absorption.
better resolution: nicolasillustrations.com/project/ldn-1235
LDN 1235 (or Lynds Catalog of Dark Nebulae n° 1235) is a dark/absorption nebula in the constellation Cepheus. It is composed by interstellar dust that is so dense that it obscures the visible wavelengths of light from objects behind it, such as the Horse Head Nebula or the Cone Nebula. It also blocks light from background stars.
Lynds Catalog of Dark Nebula is an updated version of the original version of the Lynds’ Catalog of Dark Nebulae that was published in 1962.
The data was acquired by my friend Démoniak's Alexkid using his ASKAR 400 in August 2021 from Ardèche in France (bortle 4). Two CMOS were used to capture this faint object:
ASI 2600MM with Luminance filter
ASI 2600MC for RGB data
RA: 21h 58m 36.2s
DEC: +72° 47' 23.5"
Size: 3.97 x 2.75 deg
Orientation: Up is 356 degrees E of N
Location: Cepheus
Distance : 650 ly
Acquisition 2021-08
Total acquisition time of 15 hours.
Technical Details
Data acquisition: Démoniak's Alexkid
Processing: Nicolas ROLLAND
Location: Ardèche, France
L: 10 hours
RGB: 5 hours
Optics: ASKAR 400 @F/5.6
Mount: iOptron CEM70
Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MM & ASI 2600MC
Pre Processing: CCDstack, Pixinsight & Excalibrator
Post Processing: Photoshop CC
Skin on my Skin / Missing (only music, no video, click on the link below & open Youtube on a new browser window to listen without leaving Flickr). #AcidJazz #Soul #Ambient #Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9rqvnldKpg
Album "Life, stranger than Fiction" by Incognito, released 2001
A first bud is opening, its colour is slightly turning from a deep plum to a burgundy wine and will soon get lighter & lighter until reaching the rosa shocking. The texture of its petal is amazing...
Ref.New flow. orchids 076 Skin on my Skin VM DEF. In-door studio, macro in natural deemed daylight, no retouching.
www.flickr.com/groups/flickrsocialmedia/discuss/721577219... #RED
www.flickr.com/groups/14781912@N20/discuss/72157721917860... YBS22 #minimalist
www flickr.com/groups/2684497@N24/discuss/72157721919525715/7... #Macro
©WhiteAngel Photography. All rights reserved. #AtmosphericPhotography
Pigmente für die Glaskreationen
Pigmente (lateinisch pigmentum für „Farbe“, „Schminke“) sind farbgebende Substanzen, im Gegensatz zu Farbstoffen sind sie im Anwendungsmedium unlöslich. Anwendungsmedium bezeichnet dabei den Stoff, in den das Pigment eingearbeitet wird, beispielsweise in Lack oder in Kunststoffe. Der Oberbegriff für Farbstoffe und Pigmente ist Farbmittel, diese können nach der chemischen Struktur anorganisch oder organisch und nach dem Farbeindruck bunt oder unbunt sein.[1] In der Biologie bezeichnet der Begriff Pigment alle in einem lebenden Organismus farbgebenden Substanzen. Technisch gesehen handelt es sich hierbei um Farbmittel.
Maßgeblich für die Eigenschaften der Pigmente sind neben der chemischen Struktur auch Festkörpereigenschaften wie Kristallstruktur, Kristallmodifikation, Teilchengröße und Teilchengrößenverteilung, letztere durch die spezifische Oberfläche. Der Farbreiz selbst entsteht durch Absorption und Remission (Streuung oder Reflexion) bestimmter Frequenzanteile des sichtbaren Lichts.
This is one of my favourite microscopy images: the small section of a Madagascan Sunset Moth wing, an image created by combining 997 separate frames in the biggest focus stack I have ever completed, shot using a Mitutoyo Plan APO 20x objective. The image is currently in the running for the Visualizing Science People’s Choice contest. It’s in second place.
I would kindly ask for you to vote for this image. Voting can be done here: blog.cdnsciencepub.com/visualizingscience/
Anyone can vote, from anywhere in the world. The website is a little difficult to use on mobile platforms so you might need to use a laptop/desktop – if everyone reading this message were to give me two minutes of your time, this image would take first place easily. If I’m asking you for two minutes, I’ll give you two minutes of my own time with a fun description of what we’re seeing here:
The wings of some butterflies create colour by unconventional means. Colour is usually an absorption / reflection thing; something absorbs all light except for the wavelengths of light we associate with orange, we see that object as orange. Another way to create colour is through optical interference, wherein structures cause light waves to interact with each-other, sometimes cancelling out certain frequencies or amplifying others. We see this all the time around us, in everything from soap bubbles to oil spots; I’ve seen it in ink, coffee and even snowflakes as well. Some insects have evolved to create the same sorts of colours – including this moth.
Because the colours are partially based on the trajectory of the incoming light in relation to the surface of the scales on the wing, if the angle changes than the colour might change as well. This is why we see colour shifts along the curve of these scales, and why I opted to photograph this wing at a rather extreme angle instead of “flat” to the focal plane of the camera. A lot more work in post-processing, but it reveals some extra magic in the process.
High Speed Craft Windcat 26
MMSI: 235084702
Flag:United Kingdom (UK)
The ship's design of the Windcat CTVs, in combination with the self-developed fender, enables an effective, safe and easy access system. The general design of the fender is used on every ship but varies in size and energy absorption capability depending on the ship's size and propulsion system. Several windpark projects already proved that the shape and material of the fender increased the grip which in fact improves the transfer's safety. Due to the design of the fender system, stocked fenders can be easily replaced. For the development and construction of all ships in our fleet, which are especially designed for the offshore industry, the special operational concerns of this sector had been considered.
The passenger area offers enough space for the technicians to take on and off the safety and working equipment. Moreover, there is also enough space to store the working clothes, devices, tools and equipment. In total, the passenger area enables an overall comfortable transfer while offering a nice view and enough sunlight. According to our customer's wishes and needs, individual adjustments on the CTV can be made to provide the most optimised solution for your specific projects.
The Windcat MK3 series incorporates ships with a length of 18 meters and a big wheelhouse providing a very comfortable passenger area. The combination of adjustable propeller and MTU engines leads to high speeds and efficiency at the same time. The high surface pressure of 12 tonnes increases the stability during the landing process at the turbines. There is an option to extend the ship's length up to 4 meters to provide more cargo capacity.
A giant mural from Nerone, one of the most fascinating and profilic street artists of the 21st century, has been painted on a building opposite Southampton Central train station. The piece, on front of the The Bulb, is notable in that it was created using paint which absorbs Co2.
Nerone is an artist known for his use of bright vibrant colours. He uses floral patterns in his work and often combines them with stylised portraiture. Recently he’s been going large and he’s become known for his ability to create huge works of art across all sorts of surfaces.
The piece in Southampton is particularly special, it is the largest wall Nerone has painted to date at 28 metres high. Such was the size it would take him 16 days to complete and it covers 1005 sq metres. It is claimed that the paint itself will support the absorption of 65kg of carbon dioxide a year.
Southampton isn't known for being receptive to street art but hopefully this fabulous piece is a move towards more art appearing on the city's buildings.
Excerpt from youractionsmatter.ca/bee-thankful/:
Bee Thankful
• Bees are vital to the preservation of ecological balance and biodiversity in nature. They provide one of the most recognizable ecosystem services, pollination, which is what makes most food production possible.
• One third of all the food we eat depends on bees, and of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90% of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees.
• Honeybees alone pollinate 80% of all flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables.
• The journey of bees begins with manure and fertilizer. It is used to enrich the soil, providing essential nutrients that help seeds germinate and plants grow.
• Water, a fundamental element for life, aids in the absorption of these nutrients from the soil, allowing the plant to grow strong and healthy.
• As the plant matures on the fertile land, it develops vibrant flowers rich in nectar and pollen.
• Bees are attracted to these flowers for their nectar, which they use to create honey, and in the process, they pollinate the plant, contributing to its reproductive cycle and the growth of new plants.
• This illustrates a symbiotic relationship, where bees and plants rely on each other for survival and growth.
• Despite their profound importance for the food we eat, bee populations are declining at an alarming rate.
• Last winter, Canada had its largest honeybee colony loss in the past 20 years, with 46% of colonies perishing nationally.
• Global warming, pesticide use, habitat destruction, and air pollution all contribute to bee mortality.
• By understanding the vital role bees play in our ecosystem and food production, and making conscious choices to help, we can contribute to the conservation of bees and the vital services they provide.
“Witnessing the panoply of beauty in all of nature takes us out of our shell of self-absorption and makes us realize that we are merely bit players in the game of life. Witnessing the majesty of beauty confirms that the real show lies outside us to observe and appreciate and not inside us to transfix us. True beauty charms us into seeing the grandeur of goodness that surrounds us and by doing so, the pristine splendor of nature releases us from wallowing in the poverty of our self-idealization. The bewitching spell cast by the exquisiteness of nature levitates our souls and transforms our psyche. When we see, hear, taste, smell, or touch what is beautiful, we cannot suppress the urge to replicate its baffling texture by singing, dancing, painting, or writing. Opening our eye to the loveliness of a single flower is how we stay in touch with the glorious pageantry of living.”
~Kilroy J. Oldster
Royal Basin, Olympic Mountains, WA
111 Water Saving Tips
#1. There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.
#2. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
#3. Evaporative coolers require a seasonal maintenance checkup. For more efficient cooling, check your evaporative cooler annually.
#4. Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
#5. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month.
#6. Avoid planting turf in areas that are hard to water such as steep inclines and isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.
#7. Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps.
#8. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time.
#9. Plant during the spring or fall when the watering requirements are lower.
#10. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain.
#11. Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.
#12. Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours, when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
#13. Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
#14. Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation and save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
#15. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time.
#16. If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, then replace it with a water-efficient showerhead.
#17. Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and reuse it to water houseplants.
#18. Divide your watering cycle into shorter periods to reduce runoff and allow for better absorption every time you water.
#19. We're more likely to notice leaky faucets indoors, but don't forget to check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks.
#20. Periodically check your pool for leaks if you have an automatic refilling device.
#21. Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell this by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave footprints, it's time to water.
#22. When you shop for a new appliance, consider one offering cycle and load size adjustments. They are more water and energy-efficient than older appliances.
#23. Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes. You'll save up to 1000 gallons a month.
#24. Install low-volume toilets.
#25. Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.
#26. When you clean your fish tank, use the water you've drained on your plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, providing you with a free and effective fertilizer.
#27. Use the sprinkler for larger areas of grass. Water small patches by hand to avoid waste.
#28. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
#29. Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
#30. Use porous materials for walkways and patios to keep water in your yard and prevent wasteful runoff.
#31. Direct downspouts and other runoff towards shrubs and trees, or collect and use for your garden.
#32. Designate one glass for your drinking water each day. This will cut down on the number of times you run your dishwasher.
#33. Water your summer lawns once every three days and your winter lawn once every five days.
#34. Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary watering.
#35. Don't use running water to thaw food.
#36. Choose a water-efficient drip irrigation system for trees, shrubs and flowers. Watering at the roots is very effective, be careful not to over water.
#37. Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. It's simple, inexpensive, and can save 140 gallons a week.
#38. Reduce the amount of grass in your yard by planting shrubs, and ground cover with rock and granite mulching.
#39. When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
#40. Teach your children to turn the faucets off tightly after each use.
#41. Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good shape.
#42. Before you lather up, install a low-flow showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save your family more than 500 gallons a week.
#43. Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
#44. Don't water your lawn on windy days. After all, sidewalks and driveways don't need water.
#45. Water your plants deeply but less frequently to create healthier and stronger landscapes.
#46. Make sure you know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save gallons of water and damage to your home if a pipe were to burst.
#47. When watering grass on steep slopes, use a soaker hose to prevent wasteful runoff.
#48. Group plants with the same watering needs together to get the most out of your watering time.
#49. Remember to weed your lawn and garden regularly. Weeds compete with other plants for nutrients, light, and water.
#50. While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also increase water consumption. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer needed.
#51. Avoid installing ornamental water features and fountains that spray water into the air. Trickling or cascading fountains lose less water to evaporation.
#52. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
#53. Don't buy recreational water toys that require a constant flow of water.
#54. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save 4 gallons a minute. That's 200 gallons a week for a family of four.
#55. Buy a rain gauge to track how much rain or irrigation your yard receives. Check with your local water agency to see how much rain is needed to skip an irrigation cycle.
#56. Encourage your school system and local government to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children and adults.
#57. Teach your family how to shut off your automatic watering systems. Turn sprinklers off if the system is malfunctioning or when a storm is approaching.
#58. Set a kitchen timer when watering your lawn or garden with a hose.
#59. Make sure your toilet flapper doesn't stick open after flushing.
#60. Make sure there are aerators on all of your faucets.
#61. Next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose a low water use plant for year-round landscape color and save up to 550 gallons each year.
#62. Install an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up. This will also reduce heating costs for your household.
#63. Use a grease pencil to mark the water level of your pool at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later. Your pool should lose no more than 1/4 inch each day.
#64. Cut back on rinsing if your dishwasher is new. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones.
#65. Use a screwdriver as a soil probe to test soil moisture. If it goes in easily, don't water. Proper lawn watering can save thousands of gallons of water annually.
#66. Avoid overseeding your lawn with winter grass. Once established, ryegrass needs water every three to five days, whereas dormant Bermuda grass needs water only once a month.
#67. Do one thing each day that will save water. Even if savings are small, every drop counts.
#68. When the kids want to cool off, use the sprinkler in an area where your lawn needs it the most.
#69. Make sure your swimming pools, fountains, and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.
#70. Bathe your young children together.
#71. Landscape with Xeriscape trees, plants and groundcovers. Call your local conservation office for more information about these water thrifty plants.
#72. Winterize outdoor spigots when temps dip to 20 degrees F to prevent pipes from bursting or freezing.
#73. Insulate hot water pipes so you don't have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.
#74. Wash your car on the grass. This will water your lawn at the same time.
#75. Drop that tissue in the trash instead of flushing it and save gallons every time.
#76. If you have an evaporative cooler, direct the water drain to a flowerbed, tree, or your lawn.
#77. Make suggestions to your employer to save water (and dollars) at work.
#78. Support projects that use reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and other uses.
#79. Use a hose nozzle and turn off the water while you wash your car and save more than 100 gallons.
#80. Encourage your friends and neighbors to be part of a water-conscious community.
#81. If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush. Be sure these devices do not interfere with operating parts.
#82. Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and salt by running the minimum number of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness.
#83. Wash clothes only when you have a full load and save up to 600 gallons each month.
#84. Leave lower branches on trees and shrubs and allow leaf litter to accumulate on top of the soil. This keeps the soil cooler and reduces evaporation.
#85. Pick-up the phone and report significant water losses from broken pipes, open hydrants and errant sprinklers to the property owner or your water management district.
#86. Bermuda grasses are dormant (brown) in the winter and will only require water once every three to four weeks or less if it rains.
#87. Start a compost pile. Using compost when you plant adds water-holding organic matter to the soil.
#88. Use sprinklers that throw big drops of water close to the ground. Smaller drops of water and mist often evaporate before they hit the ground.
#89. Listen for dripping faucets and toilets that flush themselves. Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
#90. More plants die from over-watering than from under-watering. Be sure only to water plants when necessary.
#91. Cook food in as little water as possible. This will also retain more of the nutrients.
#92. Adjust your watering schedule to the season. Water your summer lawn every third day and your winter lawn every fifth day.
#93. Turn the water off while you shampoo and condition your hair and you can save more than 50 gallons a week.
#94. Bathe your pets outdoors in an area in need of water.
#95. Choose new water-saving appliances, like washing machines that save up to 20 gallons per load.
#96. Water only as rapidly as the soil can absorb the water.
#97. Aerate your lawn. Punch holes in your lawn about six inches apart so water will reach the roots rather than run off the surface.
#98. Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary.
#99. Place an empty tuna can on your lawn to catch and measure the water output of your sprinklers. For lawn watering advice, contact your local conservation office.
#100. Turn off the water while you shave and you can save more than 100 gallons a week.
#101. When you give your pet fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs.
#102. If you accidentally drop ice cubes when filling your glass from the freezer, don't throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.
#103. To save water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.
#104. While staying in a hotel or even at home, consider reusing your towels.
#105. When backwashing your pool, consider using the water on your
landscaping.
#106. For hanging baskets, planters and pots, place ice cubes under the moss or dirt to give your plants a cool drink of water and help eliminate water overflow.
#107. Throw trimmings and peelings from fruits and vegetables into your yard compost to prevent from using the garbage disposal.
#108. When you have ice left in your cup from a take-out restaurant, don't throw it in the trash, dump it on a plant.
#109. Have your plumber re-route your gray water to trees and gardens rather than letting it run into the sewer line. Check with your city codes, and if it isn't allowed in your area, start a movement to get that changed.
#110. Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants.
#111. When you are washing your hands, don't let the water run while you lather.
Just a doodle while listening to the news.
a3 on gesso with graphite and coffee,sanguine.
Thanks for the visit have a nice day.
There are four hundred billion (4×10¹¹) stars in the Milky Way and one more star in the radiator grille of the vehicle; this three-pointed Mercedes star was born in 1909.
Whenever a photographer strives for the best possible view of the Cosmos, his journey will take him over mountain passes. He will rely on a vehicle made for travelling over rough ground (an SUV) in order to ascend a mountain. Then the vehicle will be included in the frame in its own right.
The Milky Way appears close to the constellation of Scorpius. They were both shining bright, as seen from Baros Pass, the highest mountain pass in Greece, at 6,237 ft (1901 m). At high altitudes there is less atmospheric absorption of the stars’ light prior to reaching the eye or the camera.
The galactic core was visible (20.6° above horizon on July 12, 2021 at 23:10’ hrs, 14℃︎). Scorpius contains the bright star Antares and the strongest X-ray source in the sky: XR-1
The setting Sun descending into a fog bank on a rural highway looking due west, on the evening of the vernal equinox, March 20, 2023. So the Sun is setting due west. The fog dims and reddens the Sun, illustrating atmospheric absorption. This was on Highway 561 in southern Alberta.
This is a single exposure with the RF100-400mm lens at 165mm on the Canon R5. Autofocused on the Sun.
Enigma - Push the Limits
Right click link. Select "Open in New Window"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1ktapNmi-s
Left click anywhere on the image - move mouse around. click again to return.
This is a pretty colourful and wild-looking part of sky. I believe that the area is best described as a very faint nebula complex located in Monoceros, about 2700 light-years away. The field is filled with dusty streamers throughout, and black ribbons of dark nebula radiating outwards. It also contains areas of glowing red emission and several beautiful blue reflection nebulae.
NGC 2170 is the bluish nebula on the extreme left side. Just to the right and slightly down, an area that resembles glowing embers surrounded by three nebulae with reds and blues. Near the centre of the image, there is another blue reflection nebula, NGC 2182. At the lower right-hand side, NGC 2183 is just entering the frame. Unfortunately, my instrument’s narrow field of view does not allow this nebula to be presented in its entirety. I just couldn’t bring myself to crop it out as it’s such an incredible looking nebula, and I believe that it adds a bit of mystery to just what lies outside the frame. I must come back to this area and image that intriguing object.
The areas that I find most attractive and striking are the blue reflection nebula. Their properties, precisely the particle size that makes up the dust preferentially, reflect blue light from the nearby hot stars. This combination produces that beautiful blue glow seen in many astrophotographs.
There are glowing red areas throughout the frame. They are emission nebula. The ultraviolet light from nearby stars interacts and excites the nearby hydrogen gas, causing these areas to emit light. Other types of gas also emit light of their own in colours determined by the composition of the gas. Perhaps the most striking features are the dark or absorption nebula. The absorption nebula is seen in silhouette, blocking the light from behind. From our vantage point, we see black. Near-Infrared imaging reveals telltale signs of ongoing star formation and massive young stars that are hidden by dust, and not seen in traditional RGB optical images like this.
Instruments:
10 Inch RCOS fl 9.1
Astro Physics AP-900 Mount
SBIG STL 11000m
FLI Filter Wheel
Astrodon Lum, Red, Green, Blue Filters
Exposure Details:
Lum 40 X 900
Red 18 X 450 Binned 2
Green 18 X 450 Binned 2
Blue 18 X 450 Binned 2
Ha 20 X 1800
Total Time 26.75 hours
Location
Australia, Central Victoria
Many years ago; I trusted our government. I trusted our presidents. I trusted law enforcement. I believed in what I read. Believed in what I saw in the evening news. It wasn’t until after I served this country, came home, tried to settle back in; I realized how naive, ignorant, I had been. The trust I had lost, seemed so long ago, yet seems like yesterday. I see it every day.
I see so many, falling for the same. Unable to look past their ignorance, their self-absorption. Believing in grifters, trusting tonics, snake oils. Their patriotism, coasting on broken words. Lost in their own obsessions.
I even see veterans; ignorant to the tarnish, they cast upon the valor of the fallen. The tarnish, they cast upon a constitution, they once swore an oath to defend, uphold. I see them walk the halls of our VA Hospitals. I see them walk the aisles of Walmart. I see their anticipation, their eagerness, to desecrate a fellow veteran. I witness, many others; brandishing a flag, so many have fallen for. Their false courage, protected by numbers and others. All in the name of hearsay. All for the possibility, of being accepted. By a darkness, they will never understand, or try to.
Don’t trust everything you hear; because it’s repeated by power. Don’t trust everything you see; because it’s covered in roses. Dig deep, trust in yourself.
Thanks for visiting our photostream. All photos and content in my photostream are free to download, copy, print and share. All I ask, is you maintain my copyright logos on all prints. The truth should be free, for all who seek it.
Dessous du pont de Grenelle, Paris. Premier test de mon nouvel objectif UGA, le Laowa 12mm F/2.8. Les premiers résultats semblent très satisfaisants.
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Re-process
This small area of sky lies in the constellation Cassiopeia, easily spotted if you look for 5 stars making up a W-shape. Cassiopeia is a constellation rich in nebula but especially star clusters. In the top left of the image is the open cluster know as Messier 52. The 35 million year old cluster contains around 200 stars and is estimated to be anywhere from 3000 to 7000 light years away. The uncertainty in its distance is due to it lying on the galactic plane and the light leaving the cluster being absorbed and scattered by cosmic dust on its long journey to Earth. This is called interstellar absorption.
To the right of the image sitting 11,000 light years away among a molecular cloud is the aptly named Bubble nebula. The shell like nebula was formed by stellar wind blown from the massive hot star at its centre. The star, cataloged as BD+602522 is several hundred thousand times more luminous than our Sun and around 45 times the size. Its not only the cause of the bubble but also the glowing gas that surrounds it. To get an idea of the scale here, the bubble nebula is 10 light years in diameter. To travel from one side to the other in the (now retired) space shuttle at 18,000 miles an hour would take roughly 370,000 years, and thats just a tiny little bubble.
Version 1: www.flickr.com/photos/80205804@N05/15563200078/
Exposure Details:
142* 300 seconds, ISO 1600, calibration frames
12 hours total exposure
Imaging dates:
October 25th, 26th, 27th
Scope: Altair Astro 115EDT
Camera: Canon 600Da
Mount: NEQ6
If you would like to view more of my images of insects, please click "here"
For those wishing to see what this caterpillar looks like, after turning into a moth, please look "here"
I'm most grateful to all those who identified this caterpillar.
Deilephila Elpenor, known as the Elephant Hawk-moth, is a large moth of the family Sphingidae The species is found throughout Britain and Ireland. Its range extends across Europe, Russia, and into China, northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, Japan and Korea (though not Taiwan). Introduced specimens have been found in British Columbia. In most of their range, the adults are seen from May to July and the caterpillars from July to September, when they pupate. However, in some parts of the Mediterranean and China the adults may be seen from April on, sometimes having two broods in a year. The larva is about 75 millimetres (3.0 in) long, green and brown in colour. Like most hawk moth caterpillars, they have a backward curving spine or "horn" on the final abdominal segment. The anterior of the caterpillar appears to have the shape of a trunk-like snout. It is this elephant look, rather than its large size, that gives the moth its name. When startled, the caterpillar draws its trunk into its foremost body segment. This posture resembles a snake with a large head and four large eye-like patches. Caterpillars are preyed upon by birds, but these shy away (at least for some time) from caterpillars in "snake" pose. It is not known whether the birds take the caterpillar to actually resemble a snake, or are frightened by the sudden change of a familiar prey item into an unusual and boldly-patterned shape. The preferred food plants of the caterpillar are willowherb (Epilobium) and bedstraw (Galium), though it will also take fuchsias. The moth typically has a wing span of 50–70 mm (2.0–2.8 in). The upper side ground colour of head, thorax and abdomen is khaki, excepting the pink inner edges and median line of the tegulae, posterior margin of thorax, base of abdomen, abdominal median line and terminal abdominal segments. The upper side of forewing is also khaki, except the pink costa, a pink narrow, median band extending from the inner margin to Medial vein 3, a pink and narrow postmedian band which extends from the inner margin to the apex, and a pink marginal band.The basal half of the hindwing upperside is black, distal half pink (the distal edge of black area is almost straight and parallel to the outer margin). f. unicolor Tutt, has no pink coloration on the forewing
The imago (adult) feeds at night, and often takes nectar from garden plants like Honeysuckles (Lonicera) and petunias, so it is quite often seen in urban settings in the evening. It is spectacularly coloured, seeming to shimmer with green and red when in motion. The adult moths are eaten by some species of bats. This species possesses good night or scotopic vision. Its eye includes two different kinds of ommatidium; each contains nine light sensitive cells, of which seven contain a pigment whose absorption spectrum peaks in the green part of the spectrum, but in one type the remaining two receptors have peak absorption in the blue and in the other type they have peak reception in the ultra violet. The moth therefore has the cellular prerequisites for trichromatic colour vision. Adults have been shown to be capable of making colour discriminations at night-time levels of illumination, and they sustain these discriminations despite changes in the spectral content of the incident light; that is, they show colour constancy. Two subspecies, Deilephila elpenor elpenor and Deilephila elpenor lewisii, were recognised in the past, but they are no longer regarded as well distinguished. Similarly the subspecies Deilephila elpenor szechuana is now thought to be a synonym for Deilephila elpenor elpenor. The subspecies Deilephila elpenor macromera, found in southern China, northern India, Bhutan and Myanmar, is still regarded as distinct.
The related species, the small elephant hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus and Chitral elephant hawk-moth Deilephila rivularis are similar but smaller and less colourful.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia