The vast wilderness of Alaska is a photographer's paradise. To see a Glacier of this magnitude carving its way down between mountains was breathtaking. This was one of the first shots I took with my Sonya7riii. I was shooting from a doors off Heli with wind whipping across my face and my whole body shaking. I had deep doubts of whether I would get a shot at all as it was impossible to keep my hands steady. Hats off to the in camera body stabilization of Sony. Hand held shot at 70mm came out tack sharp. I was so mesmerized by the view even my stomach forgot to expel its contents as the pilot banked deeply to the side so I could gain a better perspective for the shot.

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park.

Old Faithful erupts more frequently than any of the other big geysers, although it is not the largest or most regular geyser in Yellowstone National Park. It is believed this regularity is in part due to no known connection with other hydrothermal features in the area.

Its average interval between eruptions is about 90 minutes, varying from 50 to 127 minutes. An eruption lasts 1.5 to 5 minutes and expels 3,700–8,400 gallons (14,000–32,000 l) of boiling water, and reaches a height of 106–184 feet (30–55 m).

For video, please visit youtu.be/GDFVFCL4ci4

Expelling a pellet

In Ha+HOO+RGB Composition

20×600′′ Each RGB filters Astrodon

Astrodon H-alpha 5nm 31 mm: 90×900′′ (22h 30′)

Astrodon OIII 5nm 31 mm : 70×900′′ (17h 30′)

Telescope: Takahashi FSQ106

CCD: Atik 460EX mono

Very faint emission nebula between the constellations Cepheus and Lizard. It is located about 11,000 a.l from us and has a size of more than 250 a.l. This nebula contains two Wolf-Rayet stars: WR 153ab near the "wall" structure in the Lion's Head and WR 152 in the blue-dominated part of the nebula. Wolf-Rayet stars are very large, bright, hot stars with strong solar winds. These winds are so strong that they expel a large amount of mass from the stars, something like 10 solar masses per million years. The extreme nature of Wolf-Rayet stars always dominates nearby regions and lightens the surrounding area.

Crater lake is one of the bluest appearing lakes in the world.

It is set in a dormant volcano called Mount Mazama, one in the chain of volcanoes that includes Mount St. Helens. Mount Mazama's eruption about 5700 B.C. catapulted volcanic ash miles into the sky and expelled so much pumice and ash that the summit soon collapsed, creating a huge, smoldering caldera.

Eventually, rain and snowmelt accumulated in the caldera, forming a lake more than 1,900 feet deep, the deepest lake in the United States..

(National Geographic)

Canon EOS 6D - f/3.2 - 1/100sec - 100mm - ISO

100

Viola palustris, seed capsules

- Viola palustris (marsh violet) is a perennial forb of the genus Viola. It inhabits moist meadows, marshes, and stream banks in northern parts of North America and Eurasia. The species epithet palustris is Latin for "of the marsh" and indicates its common habitat.

Viola palustris is a 5 to 22 cm herb. The leaves are 2.5 to 3.5 cm wide with coarse, shallow, blunt teeth. The white to lilac flowers are 10 to 13 mm long. The lower three petals have purple lines. The lateral pair are lightly bearded.

Seed:

The 3-carpelled ovary develops into a capsule that splits (dehisces) into 3 boat-shaped segments called valves. The capsule dehisces through the locules exposing the seeds, which are attached along the mid-line of each valve. The numerous smooth round or ovoid seeds are expelled from the dehisced capsule as the walls of each valve press firmly together from the base upward, forcibly squeezing the seeds out of the capsule segments.

- Het moerasviooltje (Viola palustris) is een vaste plant die behoort tot de viooltjesfamilie (Violaceae).

Het moerasviooltje bloeit in april en mei met bleeklila, donker geaderde, 1-1,5 cm grote bloemen. De plant wordt 5-15 cm hoog en heeft kruipende wortelstokken. De 2-6,5 cm grote bladeren zijn rond tot niervormig of soms zwak hartvormig.

De vrucht is een driekantige, met kleppen openspringende (dehiscente) doosvrucht.

Best viewed on Black

Young ladies having fun on the boat on the Canal St Martin

Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802, in order to create an artificial waterway for supplying Paris with fresh water to support a growing population and to help avoid diseases such as dysentery and cholera.

Gaspard de Chabrol, prefect of Paris, proposed to build a canal from the river Ourcq (starting 100 km northeast of Paris). The canal was dug from 1802 to 1825, funded by a new tax on wine. The canal was also used to supply Paris with food (grain), building materials, and other goods, carried on canal boats. Two ports were created in Paris on the canal to unload boats: Port de l'Arsenal and Bassin de la Villette.

By the 1960s, traffic had dwindled to a trickle and the canal narrowly escaped being filled in and paved over for a highway. Today, the canal is covered from Rue du Faubourg du Temple to the Place de la Bastille.

In late December 2006, 350 tents were put on the Canal Saint-Martin by the NGO Les Enfants de Don Quichotte, in support of the "right to lodging" (Droit

au logement

). The NGO invited well-lodged people to sleep a night in the tent, alongside homeless people. The NGO Médecins du monde (MDM) had taken the initiative, in 2005, to give tents to all homeless people in Paris, in order to provide them with minimal privacy and to make misery visible. But the prefecture of police, under orders of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, was progressively expelling homeless people camping in Paris. Thus, the Enfants de Don Quichotte's action attracted attention to this expulsion. In the context of the 2007 presidential election, Jacques Chirac announced that the "opposable right to lodging" would be enacted into law before the end of his term.

In December 1890, a monastery was established at Latrun by French, German and Flemish monks of the Trappist order, from Sept-Fons Abbey in France, at the request of Monseigneur Poyet of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The monastery(fr) is dedicated to Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows. The liturgy is in French. The monks bought the 'Maccabee Hotel', formerly called 'The Howard' from the Batato brothers together with two-hundred hectares of land and started the community in a building which still stands in the monastic domain. The old monastery complex was built between 1891 and 1897. In 1909 it was given the status of a priory and that of an abbey in 1937. The community was expelled by the Ottoman Turks between 1914–1918 and the buildings pillaged, a new monastery being built during the next three decades.

The monks established a vineyard using knowledge gained in France and advice from an expert in the employ of Baron Edmond James de Rothschild from the Carmel-Mizrahi Winery. Today they produce a wide variety of wines that are sold in the Abbey shop and elsewhere. (Wiki)

Cesky Krumlov is a beautiful Czech town dating back to the 13th Century and located around a horseshoe bend in the Vltava River. In 1302 the house and castle were owned by the House of Rosenberg. Most of the architecture of the old town and castle dates back to between the 14th and 17th centuries. It was originally part of Czechoslovakia and between 1938 and 1945 it was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of the Sudetenland. The town’s German speaking population was expelled after WWII. During the Soviet occupation (after WWII) much of this beautiful town fell into disrepair, but since the Velvet Revolution in 1989 much of the town had been restored to its former glory. This photo was taken from the ramparts of the Castle.

The Grand Harbour at sunset, Malta. Grand Harbour history began as far back as the Phoenicians, who originated in the areas where Lebanon, Syria, and Israel exist today. The Phoenicians spread across the Mediterranean from about 1550 to 300 B.C. making port in Malta during that time. But is seems clear that ancient mariners made their way here long before that, as evidenced by the numerous megalithic temples found on the islands of Gozo and Malta. These mysterious temples were built between about 3000 and 2600 B.C. probably by mariners from nearby Sicily who undoubtedly sailed into Grand Harbour Malta on their voyages of exploration. In fact, two of the ancient temples, the Hal Salflieni Hypogeum and the Tarxien Temples, are located very close to the port.

It was the Knights of Malta who made Grand Harbour history during their 268 year reign that began in 1530. They are also known as the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights of Rhodes. When were expelled from Jerusalem and then from Rhodes by Suleiman the Magnificent, the King of France granted them Malta as their residence. They transformed what they called at the time "merely a rock of soft sandstone" into a prosperous kingdom, and developed this main natural harbor in Malta into a major port for world commerce with formidable defenses and massive forts.

Grand Harbour Malta is on the southeast coast of the island, and actually consists of two twin harbors. The northern harbor is Marsamxett, forming the southern shore of the town of Sliema. The peninsula occupied by the city of Valletta separates Marsamxett from its sister harbor. The southern edge of Grand Harbour is occupied by the "Three Cities" of Vittoriosa, Cospicua, and Senglea. The Knights of Malta Grand Harbour history actually began in these three cities, which comprised their headquarters when they first arrived from Rhodes.

Six formidable citadels protect the harbor in Malta and they were all built by the Knights. These forts played a key role in the Great Siege of 1565, when the vastly outnumbered Knights repelled the forces of the Ottoman Empire from Turkey, changing the course of European history. After the siege, they moved their headquarters from Vittoriosa to Valletta and continued building scores of cathedrals, churches, palaces, and grand summer villas. This ensemble of beautiful buildings in Valletta led to it being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As an Allied naval base during World War II, the cities were heavily bombed and repair on some buildings continues to this day.

Et Hop on expulse la petite bulle !! 😍

Hop we expel the little drop !! 😍

Invented in the 19th century, this type of extinguisher was filled with sodium bicarbonate solution. To operate, a plunger at the thick end was banged on the floor, smashing a glass phial of sulphuric acid inside the unit. The acid reacted violently with the bicarbonate and the carbon dioxide produced pressurised the container expelling the contents through the tapered nozzle. Best not to lean over it while operating the plunger then! Seen in the historical section of Snape Maltings, in its original position on the malting floor.

Hiking in the famous Zion Narrows, where the 'trail' is merely the North Fork of the Virgin River as it carves its way through the orange sandstone walls. I think this is a pretty representative view from the sections of the hike above Orderville Canyon; cyan spring fed waters, glowing walls, rocky banks, and mossy weeping walls.

Water slowly leaches its way through the permeable sandstone, eventually being expelled through the walls and springs. Thus, the river banks are often quite lush (you can see some moss here on the walls). Contrast this with the river itself and the walls catching the afternoon sun and the whole hike really makes for a perfect picture destination. The problem isn't finding a good spot to set up the tripod, but not stopping in every spot to set up the tripod (otherwise your wife who is hiking with you will get very frustrated).

We hiked from bottom-up, as do most visitors. We went almost as far as you can go, to just below Big Spring. The further you go, the smaller the crowds. I usually clone out undesired 'visitors' in my pictures, but I left some in here for a size comparison to the canyon walls. Next time we are in the park I plan to hike top-down and get a back country permit to camp in the upper sections of the Narrows, near Big Spring.

This is a hand-blend of two different exposures - one to capture detail in the left-hand side weeping wall, and the other capture everything else. I'm still working on my best shots from the Narrows - stay posted for more!

Do politicians and court witnesses get to make up different definitions for common words so later no one can correctly call either a "less than truth teller", since you just did not understand what I meant when I said the opposite of what you heard me say. What does such double talk from "non-liars teach you. Can you really trust person's words on the fate of another's damage recovery, time in prison, or leading a government? How do you decide if another person can be trusted, is credible, and can be relied upon in important things like believing their words, plans for the future, or merely voting as a judge or juror on damages (lots of or no money for injured), guilt or not guilty (prison or freedom for one not proven guilty). Can or can you not rely on that person to look you and me in the eye and tell all the truth about any thing other than their name? With some, can you even be sure that is their real name either. What is a voter, judge, juror, or THE DECIDER to do in such a scenario?

Luckily not every one lies all of the time.

Problem: Figuring out the truth from a lie, when listening to others tell their story of how a past event occurred or on how the future will be better if you put that speaker into office.

Remedy: Hope I am making enough sense that you will think twice before accepting all others tell to you or write for you. There are crooks and liars out there. BE AWARE!

______________

I learned below at

www.giga-usa.com/quotes/topics/passion_t001.htm

_Only I discern

Infinite passion, and the pain

Of finite hearts that yearn.

- Robert Browning, Two in the Campagna

(st. 12)

In solitude the passions feed upon the heart.

- Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

The mind profits by the wrecks of every passion.

- Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

What a mistake to suppose that the passions are strongest in youth! The passions are not stronger, but the control over them is weaker! They are more easily excited, they are more violent and apparent; but they have less energy, less durability, less intense and concentrated power than in maturer life.

- Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton

Flowers whose wild odors breathe but agonies.

- Lord Byron (George Gordon Noel Byron)

In the human breast two master-passions cannot coexist.

- Thomas Campbell

All passions exaggerate; and they are passions only because they do exaggerate.

- Sebastien-Roch-Nicolas de Chamfort

For one heat, all know, doth drive out another,

One passion doth expel another still.

- George Chapman, Monsieur D'Olive

(act V, sc. 1, l. 8)

Were it not for the salutary agitation of the passions, the waters of life would become dull, stagnant, and as unfit for all vital purposes as those of the Dead Sea.

- Paul Chatfield (a/k/a Horace Smith)

EXPLORE # 415 on Friday, April 18, 2008

A cat made of plastic forks is located on a tree not far from the Golden Gate metro station near the old 19th-century Theremin fountain.

The author of the cat is the famous sculptor Kostyantyn Skrytutskyi.

600 forks were used to make the sculpture.

The Fork cat appeared on the tree in 2009, and was restored in 2021.

The authors wrote a legend about this sculpture:

For centuries, fluffy defenders of grain and women's shoes lived in Kyiv - so that they would not be gnawed by harmful mice.

As soon as the cats expelled the last enemy, a new trouble called Plastik arrived.

The worst thing is that It is everywhere: food is packed in It, food is eaten with It, and, just imagine, It is used even to sew shoes and make hats for ladies!

For a long time, the cats discussed what to do - you can't help with teeth and claws in this matter.

So in the center of the capital suddenly appeared ...the Fork Cat!

Pulling plastic forks from everywhere, he covers himself with a new ʼfur coatʼ and reminds all passers-by: it is good not only where recycling is done, but also where less is consumed. 😊

In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from Heaven. They are former agents of God and the enemies of humanity. The term "fallen angel" is used of angels who were cast out of heaven or angels who sinned, such as those referred to in 2 Peter 2:4: "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment".

Lac d'Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France.

El Lac d'Annecy es un lago de Alta Saboya, al este de Francia. Es famoso por ser uno de los lagos más limpios del mundo. Además es el segundo lago más grande de Francia tras el lago del Bourget, exceptuando la parte francesa del lago Lemán.

El lago se formó hace 18 000 años, durante el deshielo de los grandes glaciares alpinos.

Es alimentado por varios ríos pequeños, nacidos en las montañas próximas (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette y Biolon), y por una potente fuente submarina, el Boubioz, que nace a 82 m de profundidad. Está rodeado: al este por el macizo de los Bornes; al oeste, por el macizo de los Bauges; al norte, por la aglomeración de Annecy; y al sur, por un amplio valle.

El lago expulsa su exceso de agua al río Thiou y al canal del Vassé, que se unen y alimentan el río Fier, a 1500 m al norte de Annecy, que finalmente se une al río Ródano.

Es un lugar turístico muy atractivo, conocido por sus actividades náuticas.

The Lac d'Annecy is a lake in Haute-Savoie, in eastern France. It is famous for being one of the cleanest lakes in the world. It is also the second largest lake in France after Lake Bourget, except for the French part of Lake Geneva.

The lake was formed 18,000 years ago, during the melting of the great alpine glaciers.

It is fed by several small rivers, born in the nearby mountains (Ire, Eau morte, Laudon, Bornette and Biolon), and by a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, which rises at a depth of 82 m. It is surrounded: to the east by the Bornes massif; to the west, by the massif of the Bauges; to the north, by the agglomeration of Annecy; and to the south, through a wide valley.

The lake expels its excess water into the Thiou river and the Vassé canal, which join and feed the Fier river, 1500 m north of Annecy, which eventually joins the Rhone river.

It is a very attractive tourist place, known for its nautical activities.

....foraging on the beach, the larger one drives the other (probably a young bird) away with threatening screeches and flapping wings ....

Originally built as a private residence, said to have been occupied in 1795 by Benedictine monks expelled from France.

The building was licensed from the early 1800s, at least since 1817. Listed in Bagshaw's Directory of 1850. Known by various names, Tranmere Inn & Ferry House, Castle Hotel and became the Royal Castle by 1870. Acquired by Threlfalls brewery in mid 1890s and selling Whitbread beers into the 1980s.

Later known as Hotel California, Mr Davidson's Bar then Revolver before closure in 2018.

After closure the site was abandoned, vandalised then fire bombed on two successive nights. The property is now unsafe and photos of the interior show substantial damage.

The above courtesy of CAMRA's Whatpub website.

Images of the interior can be found at: www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/the-royal-castle-pub-birken...

Not a good time to be too close!

Marine Iguanas can only be found in the Galapagos Islands and is one of the most amazing Galapagos species. Few species show such astonishing adaptations and evolutionary changes as these lizards, called "imps of darkness" by Charles Darwin. They arrived as land iguanas and then evolved into marine status. They are much smaller than I had imagined. Seen on South Plaza Island.

A freshly emerged male Chalk-Hill Blue photographed just as he's about to expel a drop of liquid called meconium. This is usually red, (although in this case it is clear) and is the leftover part of the caterpillar that was not needed to make the butterfly. .

Hidden away in the constellation Cygnus, this faint patch of glowing gas was once thought to be just part of a bigger cloud. Recent studies suggest it’s actually a dying star’s last breath — a rare bipolar planetary nebula, with two opposing lobes of gas blown into space.

Nicknamed the “Tick” or “Flea Nebula,” it lies about 13,000 light-years away. The unusual shape is probably sculpted by a companion star, giving it that butterfly-like symmetry instead of a simple round shell.

These kinds of nebulae are cosmic recycling zones: the gas expelled will one day seed new stars and planets.

Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm, FL840mm, QHY268M camera, QHY 7-slot filter wheel, Moonlite Focuser/Rotator, Orion 60mm guide scope and ZWO ASI120mm Mini Guide camera. Controlled by Primaluce Eagle 4 & NINA, on an Ioptron CEM 70 mount.

H-20h 10m

O-34h 30m

R-2h 40m

G-2h 20m

B-2h 40m

total integration:62h 20m

Available for prints and commercial use on Picafair www.picfair.com/pics/012166022-sunrise-over-the-spanish-m...

Sunrise at Castro Castle (Alfondeguilla, Castellón). Little remains of this Arab fortification. In better times it had to be really impressive. Up here the Moors resisted the edict that expelled them from their own country. In the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) those who resisted were the faithful to the Republic surrounded, as we could see, by positions of the rebels. I read on Internet that the keep tower was destroyed by the Franco-loyal aviation and navy or blown up by the republicans themselves precisely so that they did not point at them. From this spectacular location we can see Penyagolosa, the entire region of La Plana and the coast from the Desert de les Palmes to the Montgó in Alicante. Even when you look sharper, you can see a few tiny spots on the horizon that are the Columbretes Islands.

My husband and I had breakfast every morning at the little Deli at the Old Faithful Lodge, where a ceiling to floor window overlooked Old Faithful. . Every morning about 7 ish , Old Faithful would not disappoint.. It is so named because it is the most "regular" geyser. I don't really have anything or person to show prespective.. But it reaches 106-184 Ft. , expels 3,700-8,400 gallons of boiling water , about every 90 minutes. It is very interesting and fascinating !!

The Giant Vs. The Mighty ⚡️

More info: www.galactic-hunter.com/post/ic2177

Get your print: galactic-store.com/products/seagull-and-thor-nebula-print...

Your eyes may be naturally drawn to the huge and colorful Seagull Nebula… but did you also spot the much smaller Thor’s Helmet on the bottom right? Don’t be fooled, Thor would totally win in a space fight against a seagull 🐦⚡️ 😅

This is my LONGEST integration time to date… 61 hours!

I beat my previous record of 48 hours of exposure with this image by spending many, many nights on it.

This was very challenging to do because this target was only available for 5 hours max from my backyard. It would be high enough around 8PM, then get behind trees at 1AM. I only have narrowband filters in my filter wheel and this is the last large nebula in the sky so after 1AM each night, the scope would just sit there doing nothing. But it was WORTH IT!

After 12 nights… and long hours of stacking and processing, this is the result!

The Seagull Nebula is known as IC 2177. It is a large nebula that can be found 3,650 light-years away in Monoceros. It is a great target for both broadband and narrowband imaging, and is very close to the much smaller Thor's Helmet Nebula.

If you look closely near the Oxygen gases of the Seagull Nebula, you should be able to spot a bright star with a strange arc-shaped line of gas just above it. This is commonly known as the "Bow shockwave" in IC 2177. It is believed to come from the interaction between the interstellar dust within the nebula, high radiation winds, and gas expelling from the double star system "FN CMa”. The exact origin is still not very clear, but we might learn more about it in the years to come!

Thor’s Helmet is known as NGC 2359. It is a cloud of interstellar gas, although very faint, the colors in the gases really pop when taking long exposure shots with any camera.

This beautiful deep-sky object gets its glow from WR7, a massive Wolf-Rayet star that will soon turn into a supernova.

Instagram: galactic.hunter

Tétouan is famed for its fine craftsmanship and musical delicacy and has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017. Its cultural heritage is the product of the interaction between different cultural influences throughout centuries. It is mainly characterized by its Andalusian style and way of living but both Berber, Jewish and Colonial Spanish influences are present too.

The streets are fairly wide and straight, and many of the houses belonging to aristocratic families, descendants of those expelled from Al-Andalus by the Spanish Reconquista, possess marble fountains and have groves planted with orange trees. Within the houses and riads the ceilings are often exquisitely carved and painted in Hispano-Moresque designs, such as are found in the Alhambra of Granada, and the tile-work for which Tetuan is known may be seen on floors, pillars and dados. The city has seven gates which were closed at night up until early 20th century. Many Sufi Zawiyas are scattered inside the walled old city.

How was our galaxy formed? Apart from few scientific theories, there are many myths. Why not write my own?

Once upon a time, there was a huge bush fire raging on a small planet. The fire burned so fierce that its embers and smoke were expelled from the atmosphere and flung into outer space. The embers kept burning for eons and gave birth to new suns and eventually a whole galaxy, in which the small planet was totally lost between billions of suns and huge dark clouds of cosmic smoke along the galactic plane…

Pure nonsense? Look at my image and tell me what you think!

EXIF

Astro-modified Canon EOS 6D

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L ll IS USM

iOptron SkyTracker

Foreground:

3x100s @ ISO1600, untracked

Sky:

3x100s @ ISO1600, tracked

Prints available:

ralf-rohner.pixels.com

Tétouan is famed for its fine craftsmanship and musical delicacy and has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017. Its cultural heritage is the product of the interaction between different cultural influences throughout centuries. It is mainly characterized by its Andalusian style and way of living but both Berber, Jewish and Colonial Spanish influences are present too.

The streets are fairly wide and straight, and many of the houses belonging to aristocratic families, descendants of those expelled from Al-Andalus by the Spanish Reconquista, possess marble fountains and have groves planted with orange trees. Within the houses and riads the ceilings are often exquisitely carved and painted in Hispano-Moresque designs, such as are found in the Alhambra of Granada, and the tile-work for which Tetuan is known may be seen on floors, pillars and dados. The city has seven gates which were closed at night up until early 20th century. Many Sufi Zawiyas are scattered inside the walled old city.

A bicycle is a Freedom Machine. It is free from the expense of buying gasoline, it is free from having to make payments for years of an amount of money few can afford today. It is free from the need of insurance, free from parking fees, free from traffic congestion, free to find shortcuts and use side streets, free to get exercise and build a strong heart, legs and lungs, free to enjoy the world around you under your very own power. Free from the trap of the automobile which is a brutal and unforgiving master. Free from expelling gases that contribute to Climate Crisis.

Hybrid Stable Diffusion:Photoshop 25

In Explore, www.flickr.com/explore/2023/05/21

Innocent eyes

Hello my little friend. How are you doing? What are you thinking right now? Do you have enough freedom to play with your siblings and your mom? Are you allowed to live where you want to or are you expelled from time to time? Can you grow up in safety so that you too can one day start a family? Have we humans ever wondered how you feel and what your feelings are? You are such a wonderful creature equipped with senses that we humans are far from having. Sometimes I have the impression that we humans hardly know let alone feel what you and your fellow species really need. Nature seems to have degenerated into a self-service shop where you can take whatever you want. Unfortunately, I see so many people in the place where you live who pass by carelessly and without respect for you and your little family, without taking you and your needs into account. Have we completely lost the connection to creation?

With all my heart I wish you a good and beautiful life my little friend. Take good care of yourself and be very careful when it comes to people. I am so sorry for that. I hug you, I love your warm and clever nature.

These short moments with you were so precious to me and I was the happiest person in the world during this time.

“So diverse are the wonders of creation that this beauty will never end. Creation is here. It is in you right now, always has been. The world is a wonder. The world is magic. The world is love and it is here, now.”

Iroquois Indian

“When the earth is sick, the animals will disappear. When this happens, the warriors of the rainbow will come to their rescue.”

Chief Seattle

"If we treat other living beings with respect, they will also respond with respect for us."

Arapaho

...then the fox fell silent and looked at the little prince for a long time:

– »Please… tame me!«, he said.

"I'd like to do that," answered the little prince, "but I don't have much time. I have to make friends and learn many things.«

"One only understands things that one tames," said the fox. »People no longer have time to get to know something. They buy everything ready-made in the shops. But since there are no shops for friends, people no longer have friends. If you want a friend, tame me!”

"What do I have to do?" said the little prince.

- "You must be very patient," answered the fox. “You will first sit on the grass a little distance from me. I'll look at you out of the corner of my eye and you'll be silent. Language is a great source of misunderstandings. But every day you sit a little closer..."

From „The Little Prince“ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Sting - Fragile

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB6a-iD6ZOY

Tétouan is famed for its fine craftsmanship and musical delicacy and has been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the area of Crafts and Folk Art since 2017. Its cultural heritage is the product of the interaction between different cultural influences throughout centuries. It is mainly characterized by its Andalusian style and way of living but both Berber, Jewish and Colonial Spanish influences are present too.

The streets are fairly wide and straight, and many of the houses belonging to aristocratic families, descendants of those expelled from Al-Andalus by the Spanish Reconquista, possess marble fountains and have groves planted with orange trees. Within the houses and riads the ceilings are often exquisitely carved and painted in Hispano-Moresque designs, such as are found in the Alhambra of Granada, and the tile-work for which Tetuan is known may be seen on floors, pillars and dados. The city has seven gates which were closed at night up until early 20th century. Many Sufi Zawiyas are scattered inside the walled old city.

Northern Lights photographed from a mountain top in northern Pennsylvania, USA.

Think I'll call this one "Christmas in October" for several reasons. First the colors and secondly I consider being able to see them a wonderful gift. They are really that amazing IMO!!!

I had missed several of the other solar storms we've had this year, so when this one was forcasted I began looking for the closest dark sky area I could find along with weather forcasts for matching clear skies. Then I searched for a location with elevation so I could have a clear unobstructed view, and of course the view had to be to the north with clear visibility to the east and west as well. This was almost as challenging as the long drive there.

I finally decided on this mountain top in northern PA and commited to the long ride to get there and back home.

The research paid off and I picked what I think is or at least was a stellar location. We began seeing them well before it was completely dark, a term often referred to as astronomical twilight (90 minutes after sunset).

I spent almost seven hours on top of the mountain and got to witness what I think was the best part of the show.

It varied in intensity during the night from rather weak to deep pulsating bands of color. So I think patience is a photographers best friend with these types of solar storms.

Below is a little information on the

Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis if you prefer... I've been asked by others what causes them, so I thought I'd try and describe the events to the best of my limited knowledge. Please feel free to correct anything I get wrong or add anything I might have missed.

The term aurora borealis comes from the names of two gods one Roman and one Greek. Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, and Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind.

They are caused by Coronal Mass Ejections or CME's for short. The science behind them is fascinating.

I have read several news feeds describing them as being created by Solar Flares, which seems incorrect since there is a big difference between the two.

A Solar Flare is a sudden burst of radiation and light from the Sun's surface, essentially a flash of energy, while a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a large cloud of charged particles and magnetic field expelled from the Sun's corona, essentially a massive burst of plasma that travels through space

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From deep in the achieves, reprocessed using Photoshop CC 2025.

I would be most grateful if you would refrain from inserting images, and/or group invites; thank you.

Anglesey Abbey is a country house, formerly a priory, in the village of Lode, 5 1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) northeast of Cambridge, England. The house and its grounds are owned by the National Trust and are open to the public as part of the Anglesey Abbey, Garden & Lode Mill property, although some parts remain the private home of the Fairhaven family. The 98 acres of landscaped grounds are divided into a number of walks and gardens, with classical statuary, topiary and flowerbeds. The grounds were laid out in an 18th-century style by the estate's last private owner, the 1st Baron Fairhaven, in the 1930s. A large pool, the Quarry Pool, is believed to be the site of a 19th-century coprolite mine. Lode Water Mill, dating from the 18th century was restored to working condition in 1982 and now sells flour to visitors. The 1st Lord Fairhaven also improved the house and decorated its interior with a valuable collection of furniture, pictures and objets d'art. A community of Augustinian canons built a priory here, known as Anglesea or Anglesey Priory, some time during the reign of Henry I (i.e., between 1100 and 1135), and acquired extra land from the nearby village of Bottisham in 1279. The canons were expelled in 1535 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The former priory was acquired around 1600 by Thomas Hobson, who converted it to a country house for his son-in-law, Thomas Parker, retaining a few arches from the original priory. At that time the building's name was changed to "Anglesey Abbey", which sounded grander than the original "Anglesey Priory". In the late 18th century, the house was owned by Sir George Downing, the founder of Downing College, Cambridge. Further alterations to the building were carried out in 1861. Huttleston (1896–1966) and Henry (1900–1973) Broughton bought the site in 1926 and made improvements to the house. They were the sons of Urban Broughton (1857–1929), who had made a fortune in the mining and railway industries in America. Henry married, leaving the abbey to his brother, then 1st Lord Fairhaven, in 1930. Henry became the 2nd Lord Fairhaven. Huttleston used his wealth to indulge his interests in history, art, and garden design, and to lead an eighteenth-century lifestyle at the house. On his death, Huttleston left the abbey to the National Trust so that the house and gardens could "represent an age and way of life that was quickly passing". In 1926 Anglesey Abbey was bought by Huttleston Broughton, later Lord Fairhaven. He fully restored the house which had fallen into disrepair and began to collect beautiful furniture, artworks and statuary. All of these can be seen at the Abbey today. Broughton (full name Urban Huttleston Rogers Broughton) was born in 1896 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. His father, Urban Broughton, had amassed a considerable fortune. His mother was Cara Leland Rogers the daughter of multimillionaire American oil magnate Henry Huttleston Rogers. Rogers had died unexpectedly in 1909 and Urban Broughton had taken over the management of a large part of the Rogers empire. The Broughton family had moved to England in 1912 when Huttleston was sixteen. They lived in Park Lane, Mayfair. Huttleston was educated at Harrow and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. In 1916 he became a lieutenant in the 1st Life Guards. He served during the First World War, and retired from the military in 1924. He obtained the title Baron Fairhaven in 1929. One of Huttleston’s great achievements was the establishment of the garden at the house. In 1964, when Broughton was still living, Lanning Roper wrote a book entitled The Gardens of Anglesey Abbey, in which he described the careful planning of this remarkable garden with its many vistas, avenues, rare and common trees, pools, statues and river temples. He describes the way in which huge areas of sky and mown grass were, been used to balance symmetrical planting and how Broughton used the trees and shrubs to make groups of contrasting colour and foliage. To commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, Broughton planted an extensive avenue of trees with a crossing avenue at the far end. The trees used were London plane alternating with horse chestnut in four rows copy that planted in Windsor Great Park. Huttleston did not marry and had no heirs. He died in 1966 and left Anglesey Abbey to the National Trust.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vultures frequently appear when I'm out photographing along the Brazos River and its tributaries. I was on the ground trying to "tickle" a large Wolf Spider out of its hole in the bank of the Brazos River downstream of the steel bridge at Newcastle. Tipped off by its shadow repeatedly running by and over me as I was occupied, I looked up to find one, then several vultures circling above me. They must have spotted me moving along and slowing down or stopping occasionally as I found stuff to photograph. Kneeling on the ground for 15 minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to lure the spider out of its refuge, caused them to circle and hover, probably trying to tell if I was motionless by choice.... or dead. I was glad when they moved off because when vultures decide to expel what they've finished digesting, it's messier and smellier than when sea gulls do the same thing. I have no idea how accurate their aim is, but I wouldn't have wanted to deal with even a "near miss".

DSC-7407G

The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is one of my favorite spring targets. Not only is the region extremely colorful, it also consists of many interesting astronomical objects:

- Rho Ophiuchi is the star within the blue reflection nebula. If you zoom into the image you can see that it is actually a 3-star system. The blue color of the nebula is produced by Rayleigh Scattering, the same process that colors our daylight sky blue.

- The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex on the other hand is the dark nebula south of the star Rho Ophiuchi. At a distance of 427 light-years, it is one of the closest star forming regions to the solar system.

- The yellow star within the yellow nebula is Antares, the brightest star of the constellation Scorpius. It is a red supergiant, nearing the end of its live. The star has depleted the fuel supply of hydrogen within its core and is now bloated to monstrous proportions. As it goes through its death throes, the star has expelled a lot of its mass as shells of gas and dust into space. The nebulosity surrounding Antares is created by this gas and dust which is reflecting the dying star’s yellowish light.

- To the right of Antares is the globular cluster M4. Globular clusters are massive, tightly packed spheres that contain thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of individual stars.

- Above M4 you find Sigma Scorpii. It is multiple star system of hot, young stars, emitting of UV radiation. As this high energy UV light hits the hydrogen atoms it energizes them, and the electrons separate from the atomic nucleus. When they recombine, the electrons give off a reddish-pink light which makes the gas cloud glow.

- Below Antares is Tau Scorpii, surrounded by another faint emission nebula of energized hydrogen.

- Both Sigma and Tau Scorpii share the same name: Al Niyat. They got their name from ancient Arabic astronomers and it means, "the arteries". Seeing how these stars with their red nebula flank Antares, the heart of Scorpius, it makes sense that they could be viewed as the arteries of that colossal, dying heart.

As you can see, the region around Rho Ophiuchi has it all. Its colors tell a story of darkness and light, of peaceful coexistence and violence and of birth and death.

EXIF

Canon EOS 6D, astro-modified

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 135mm

iOptron SkyTracker Pro

Sky:

15 × 60s @ ISO1600

Foreground:

7 x 60s @ ISO3200

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Mudéjar is the name given to the Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Christian territory after the Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity. It also denotes a style of Iberian architecture and decoration, particularly of Aragon and Castile, of the 12th to 16th centuries, strongly influenced by Moorish taste and workmanship.

The word Mudéjar is a Medieval Spanish corruption of the Arabic word Mudajjan مدجن, meaning "domesticated", in a reference to the Muslims who have submitted to the rule of the Christian kings.

After the fall of Granada in January of 1492, Mudéjars kept their status for some time. However, they were forced to convert to Christianity in the mid 16th century, and were known as Moriscos from that time until those who refused to convert to Christianity were expelled in 1610. Their distinctive style is still evident in architecture as well as the music, art, and crafts of the region.

Fountains Abbey ~ Rippon ~ Yorkshire ~ England ~ Thursday August 21st 2014.

www.flickriver.com/photos/kevenlaw/popular-interesting/ Click here to see My most interesting images

Purchase some of my images here ~ www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/24360 ~ Should you so desire...go on, make me rich..lol...Oh...and if you see any of the images in my stream that you would like and are not there, then let me know and I'll add them to the site for you..:))

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Have a Fabulous Sunday Y'all..:)

Fountains Abbey ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~

Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately three miles south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for over 400 years, until 1539, when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust and part of the designated Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History ~ After a dispute and riot in 1132 at the Benedictine house of St Mary's Abbey, in York, 13 monks were expelled (among them Saint Robert of Newminster) and, after unsuccessfully attempting to return to the early 6th-century Rule of St Benedict, were taken into the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York. He provided them with land in the valley of the River Skell, a tributary of the Ure. The enclosed valley had all the natural features needed for the creation of a monastery, providing shelter from the weather, stone and timber for building, and a supply of running water. After enduring a harsh winter in 1133, the monks applied to join the Cistercian order and in 1135 became the second house of that order in northern England, after Rievaulx. The monks subjected themselves to Clairvaux Abbey, in Burgundy which was under the rule of St Bernard. Under the guidance of Geoffrey of Ainai, a monk sent from Clairvaux, the group learned how to celebrate the seven Canonical Hours and were shown how to construct wooden buildings in accordance with Cistercian practice.

After Henry Murdac was elected to the abbacy in 1143, the small stone church and timber claustral buildings were replaced. Within three years, an aisled nave had been added to the stone church, and the first permanent claustral buildings built in stone and roofed in tile had been completed.[citation needed]

In 1146 an angry mob, displeased with Murdac's role in opposing the election of William FitzHerbert to the archbishopric of York, attacked the abbey and burnt down all but the church and some surrounding buildings.[7] The community recovered swiftly from the attack and founded four daughter houses. Henry Murdac resigned the abbacy in 1147 to become the Archbishop of York and was replaced first by Maurice, Abbot of Rievaulx then, on the resignation of Maurice, by Thorald. Thorald was forced by Henry Murdac to resign after two years in office. The next abbot, Richard, held the post until his death in 1170 and restored the abbey's stability and prosperity. In 20 years as abbot, he supervised a huge building programme which involved completing repairs to the damaged church and building more accommodation for the increasing number of recruits. Only the chapter house was completed before he died and the work was ably continued by his successor, Robert of Pipewell, under whose rule the abbey gained a reputation for caring for the needy.

The next abbot was William who presided over the abbey from 1180 to 1190 and he was succeeded by Ralph Haget, who had entered Fountains at the age of 30 as a novice, after pursuing a military career. During the European famine of 1194 Haget ordered the construction of shelters in the vicinity of the abbey and provided daily food rations to the poor enhancing the abbey's reputation for caring for the poor and attracting more grants from wealthy benefactors.[citation needed]

In the first half of the 13th century Fountains increased in reputation and prosperity under the next three abbots, John of York (1203–1211), John of Hessle (1211–1220) and John of Kent (1220–1247). They were burdened with an inordinate amount of administrative duties and increasing demands for money in taxation and levies but managed to complete another massive expansion of the abbey's buildings. This included enlarging the church and building an infirmary. In the second half of the 13th century the abbey was in more straitened circumstances. It was presided over by eleven abbots, and became financially unstable largely due to forward selling its wool crop, and the abbey was criticised for its dire material and physical state when it was visited by Archbishop John Romeyn in 1294. The run of disasters that befell the community continued into the early 14th century when northern England was invaded by the Scots and there were further demands for taxes. The culmination of these misfortunes was the Black Death of 1349–1349. The loss of manpower and income due to the ravages of the plague was almost ruinous.

A further complication arose as a result of the Papal Schism of 1378–1409. Fountains Abbey along with other English Cistercian houses was told to break off any contact with the mother house of Citeaux, which supported a rival pope. This resulted in the abbots forming their own chapter to rule the order in England and consequently they became increasingly involved in internecine politics. In 1410, following the death of Abbott Burley of Fountains, the community was riven by several years of turmoil over the election of his successor. Contending candidates John Ripon, Abbot of Meaux, and Roger Frank, a monk of Fountains were locked in discord until 1415 when Ripon was finally appointed and presided until his death in 1434. Under abbots John Greenwell (1442–1471), Thomas Swinton (1471–8), John Darnton (1478–95), who undertook some much needed restoration of the fabric of the abbey including notable work on the church, and Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) Fountains regained stability and prosperity.

When Marmaduke Huby died he was succeeded by William Thirsk who was accused by the royal commissioners of immorality and inadequacy and dismissed from the abbacy and replaced by Marmaduke Bradley, a monk of the abbey who had reported Thirsk's supposed offences, testified against him and offered the authorities six hundred marks for the abbacy. In 1539 Bradley surrendered the abbey when Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries.....

Campo alrededor de Antananarivo cercano al aeropuerto internacional de Ivato

Countryside around Antananarivo close to Ivato International Airport

Antananarivo (Tananarive, en francés) es la capital de Madagascar, así como de la provincia homónima. Cuenta con una población de 1.275.207 habitantes (2018), lo que la convierte en la ciudad más poblada del país. La ciudad se encuentra ubicada en el centro de la isla, a unos 145 km de la costa oriental, que es la más cercana. En la actualidad la ciudad es una capital moderna, además del principal centro administrativo, económico, demográfico y judicial de Madagascar.

El nombre, de manera literal, significa "En la Ciudad de los Mil" en malgache, compuesto formado por el prefijo locativo A-, tanana que significa "ciudad" o "aldea" y arivo, "mil", (aunque la forma correcta sería Atnànan'ny Arivolahy) a causa de la cantidad de soldados que formaron su primer guarnición.

En efecto, según la tradición oral, el rey de Imerina, Andrianjaka (siglo XVII), pidió a mil guerreros que tomaran y protegieran el dominio real de la colina de Analamanga. El cerro y la ciudad conservaron el nombre de Analamanga hasta el reinado de Andriamasinavalona, quien les dio el nombre actual en honor a esos mil guerreros.

Sin embargo, no todos los investigadores aceptan esta leyenda; es posible que el nombre original fuese Antaninarivo, "en la tierra del pueblo", y Andriamasinavalona la denominase Atnànan'ny Arivolahy, de donde vino la forma híbrida Antananarivo por etimología popular.

Por aféresis propia del malgache, en francés se la llamó Tananarive con omisión del locativo, y en ocasiones simplemente Tana.

La ciudad dispone de comunicaciones por carretera con otras ciudades del país, vías ferroviarias y cuenta con el Aeropuerto Internacional Ivato que, con más de 1 500 000 de pasajeros anuales, es el aeropuerto más importante del país y proporciona a la ciudad vuelos nacionales con distintas regiones de Madagascar, además de trayectos internacionales hacia París, Johannesburgo, Nairobi y otras importantes ciudades africanas.

El clima es templado por su altitud. Enero es el mes más cálido en la ciudad, con un promedio de 22 grados Celsius; el mes más frío es julio, con un promedio de 15 grados Celsius. La media anual de temperatura es de 19 grados Celsius. Las heladas son raras en la ciudad; son más comunes en elevaciones más altas. Los meses con menos precipitaciones son julio y agosto con menos de 10 milímetros, mientras que en los meses de diciembre y enero llueve más con 290 milímetros. El promedio anual de precipitaciones es de 1358 milímetros.

es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antananarivo

Antananarivo (French: Tananarive), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "Antananarivo-Capital"), is the capital of Analamanga region. The city sits at 1,280 m (4,199 ft) above sea level in the center of the island, the highest national capital by elevation among the island countries. It has been the country's largest population center since at least the 18th century. The presidency, National Assembly, Senate and Supreme Court are located there, as are 21 diplomatic missions and the headquarters of many national and international businesses and NGOs. It has more universities, nightclubs, art venues, and medical services than any city on the island. Several national and local sports teams, including the championship-winning national rugby team, the Makis are based here.

Antananarivo was historically the capital of the Merina people, who continue to form the majority of the city's 1,275,207 (2018 Census) inhabitants. The surrounding urban areas have a total metropolitan population approaching three million. All eighteen Malagasy ethnic groups, as well as residents of Chinese, Indian, European and other origins, are represented in the city. It was founded circa 1610, when the Merina King Andrianjaka (1612–1630) expelled the Vazimba inhabitants of the village of Analamanga. Declaring it the site of his capital, Andrianjaka built a rova (fortified royal dwelling) that expanded to become the royal palaces of the Kingdom of Imerina. The city retained the name Analamanga until the reign of King Andriamasinavalona (1675–1710), who renamed it Antananarivo ("City of the Thousand") in honor of Andrianjaka's soldiers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antananarivo

The Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn was intended to explore the rings and moons of that great planet. Titan was a prime target. To the extent that Enceladus was considered, it was thought to be a boring ice coated planet. Which is why there were no instruments on board specifically focused on figuring out what exactly Enceladus was expelling from geysers on its surface thousands of feet into space, which we didn't know was happening until it was captured by Cassini. But NASA was able to shift trajectories and visit Enceladus many more times than originally intended, and repurpose some instruments to figure out that rather than a boring ball of solid ice, Enceladus has a subsurface ocean of water beneath 20 miles of ice. And that was the source of the geysers.

We need to send another mission to Saturn to find out more, because with all that water, Enceladus may be capable of hosting life.

Cassini ended its mission by plunging into Saturn. This was not how the spaceship was intended to end, but the decision was made to do so so that the spaceship would not accidentally hit Enceladus at some point in the future and contaminate it, thereby depriving us of the opportunity to discover if life has arisen elsewhere in our solar system.

On a personal note, I had to include something from Cassini because it's the one space mission my dad worked on. I didn't find out about that until my mom told me after he died.

DHT_1881

Why lucky? In the town of Brtnice dilapidated beautiful castle. It was built Knights Hospitallers, then he rebuilt genus Waldstein and the beauty of it rebuilt genus Collalto from Italy. Genus Collalto was declared fascist Mussolini and expelled from the country.

The castle came into the hands of the Communist beast and it completely destroyed. Only the Church of St. Charles Borromeo and Blessed Juliana remained untouched. The church and monastery were owned by the Roman Catholic Church in the days of communism in the Czech Republic. I wonder if it's silly for the population of our country thank you. I think not!

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Proč šťastná? V městě Brtnice chátrá krásný zámek. Vybudovali ho rytíři Johanité, potom ho přestavěl rod Valdštejnů a do krásy ho přestavěl rod Collalto z Itálie. Rod Collalto byl prohlášen za fašisty od Musoliniho a vyhnán ze země.

Zámek dostala do rukou komunistická hovada a zcela jej zničila. Jen kostel svatého Karla Boromejského a blahoslavené Juliány zůstal nedotčen. Tento kostel i klášter měla ve vlastnictví římsko-katolická církev v dobách komunismu v ČR. Jsem zvědavý, zda jí za to blbé obyvatelstvo naší země poděkuje. Věřím, že NE! Zajímá se o cenu párků, piva a výsledky fotbalu.

During my visit to Joshua Tree NP, I had to find a target for the two hours of darkness, before the moonrise.

I chose the border region between the constellations Perseus, Taurus and Auriga. This area of the Winter Milky Way is often overlooked in landscape astrophotography, because of its proximity to eye-catching Orion. Time to change that! Join me on a little stroll through the area:

As I was lingering in one of Califonia's National Parks, I couldn't resist to put the Cailfornia Nebula center stage. This energized Hydrogen cloud is named so, because its resembles the outline of the US State of California. The nebula is the birth place of many young stars, including Menkib, the 4th magnitude star that makes the cloud glow. It can be seen at the right boundary of the nebula.

The most famous denizens of the area however are the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), probably the best known star cluster in the sky. The Pleiades are dominated by hot blue stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. The reflection nebulae around the brightest stars are an unrelated dust cloud in the interstellar medium through which the stars are currently passing.

The Hyades, another open star cluster, are rising on the right edge of the frame. It consists of several hundred stars, sharing the same age, origin and characteristics. The most famous star in that area of the sky, bright yellow Aldebaran, is however not part of the Hyades and located much closer to us.

On the lower left is another red emission nebula, called the Flaming Star Nebula. This interstellar Hydrogen cloud is ionized by the unralated star AE Aurigae passing through it. Proper motion of AE Aurigae shows that is was expelled from the center of the famous Orion Nebula (not in this image), after a close encounter with another star there.

The image also contains a network of diffuse dark clouds. This is the Taurus Dark Nebula Complex, a sooty network of tendrils that span more than 30° of sky. It is not very well known, as it is only possible to photograph it from a dark sky location. The Taurus Molecular Cloud is the nearest star-forming region to Earth.

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Canon EOS Ra

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L ll @ 50mm

iOptron SkyTracker Pro

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Stack of 20 x 90s @ ISO1600

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Focus stack of 6 x 25s @ ISO800 during twilight.

-El Monasterio de la Cartuja de Granada fue fundado por orden de don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (El Gran Capitán) sobre un antiguo carmen árabe llamado Aynadamar (Fuente de las Lágrimas), en cumplimiento de un voto pronunciado en aquel lugar al conseguir salvar la vida tras una celada de los musulmanes.

Las obras se iniciaron en 1506, pero pasarían tres siglos antes de que se acabara. En él vivieron los monjes cartujos hasta que los expulsaran en 1835.

-The Monastery of the Cartuja de Granada was founded by order of Don Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (The Great Captain) on an ancient Arabian carmen called Aynadamar (Source of the Tears), in fulfillment of a vote pronounced in that place to get save the life after a trap of the Muslims.

The works began in 1506, but it would be three centuries before it was finished. In him the monks Carthusians lived until they expelled them in 1835.

Granada, Spain. This is the old Arab area of Albaicin, a little down from the San Nicolas church. I found this outside a restaurant in what is now known as Little Morocco because of the large population of North African immigrants and their small shops, tea houses, and restaurants (complete with belly dancing:-) It's interesting that after being expelled from this town some 500 years ago they are, in a way, back again and enriching the culture and life of Granada! A trip to this area is highly recommended for it is the nearest Europeans can get to Morocco!

Quedlinburg is known to have existed since at least the early 9th century. It was first mentioned as a town in 922 as part of a donation by Heinrich I (Henry the Fowler).

According to legend, Henry had been offered the German crown at Quedlinburg in 919. After his death in 936, his widow Saint Matilda founded a nunnery, where daughters of the higher nobility were educated. The main task of this abbey, was to pray for the memory of Heinrich I and the rulers who came after him.

The Quedlinburg castle complex, founded by Heinrich I and built up by Otto I in 936, was an imperial Pfalz of the Saxon emperors. The Pfalz, including the male convent, was in the valley, while the women's convent was located on the castle hill.

In 973 during a Reichstag (Imperial Convention) Otto the Great introduced his new daughter-in-law Theophanu, a Byzantine princess whose marriage to Otto II brought hope for recognition and continued peace between the rulers of the Eastern and Western empires.

The town became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1426. The abbey frequently disputed the independence of the town, which sought the aid of the Bishopric of Halberstadt. In 1477, Abbess Hedwig, aided by her brothers, broke the resistance of the town and expelled the bishop's forces. Quedlinburg was forced to leave the Hanseatic League and was subsequently protected by the Electorate of Saxony. Both town and abbey converted to Lutheranism in 1539 during the Protestant Reformation.

Ride along the fence cross the sky

Chase the rays, as they fly

Down from above, without a sound

Expelling the darkness from the ground

Feeding the beauty, tempting it high

Where it rides the clouds, and joins the cross in the sky

Eurasian Sparrowhawk / accipiter nisus. Lincolnshire. 05/01/17.

Looking every bit the mean, keen killing machine!

The power of that golden-eyed stare was immense. It felt like it locked on to me and made an immediate connection - even though I was completely hidden from view.

Most definitely a spine tingling, adrenalin charged moment!

This open beak pose would suggest the bird was calling, but in actual fact I think it was attempting to eject something from its throat. This behaviour lasted for about 10 seconds accompanied by some head shaking. I didn't see anything expelled either during or after its efforts though!

This scene by the bridge over the River Shiel, near Acharacle is where Somerled defeated a Viking force............ a while back.

According to Undiscovered Scotland, Somerled (a.k.a. Sumarlidhi Höld) was born in about 1113 (sources differ) and either in Morvern or in northern Ireland. His father was Gillebride Mac Gille Adomnan, a descendant of a noble Gaelic family who were probably an offshoot of the House of Alpin at the time Kenneth I combined Dalriada with Pictavia. Somerled's mother was of Norse descent.

Somerled's grandfather, Gilledomman of the Isles, had been defeated by the Norse and exiled to Ireland. When he was a child, Somerled's more immediate family was also expelled from their home and sent to Ireland. His father Gillebride raised an army of 500 and returned to Morvern to regain their lands; but was beaten off and killed.

Much of Somerled's youth was spent on the margins of life in his native land. But some time around 1135 he became the leader of a rebellion against the Norse control. He successfully cleared Morvern, Lochaber and the northern part of Argyll from Norse influence and became known as Thane of Argyll: possibly with the formal endorsement of David I of Scotland who would have been grateful to see the Norse tide turned back in at least one part of Scotland.

In 1140, Somerled extended his area of influence by marrying Ragnhild, daughter of Olaf the Red (Olaf I The Red Godredson), the Norse King of Man, whose territory included the Hebrides. They had three sons, Dughall, Ragnald, and Aonghus. Somerled also had one son by a previous marriage: Gillecallum. Shortly afterwards Somerled helped suppress an uprising against Olaf the Red.

In 1143 Olaf the Red was murdered by the sons of his brother Harold but was succeeded as King of Man by his son (and Somerled's brother in law) Ochraidh Godred II the Black Olafson, or Godfrey the Black. Godfrey ruled with a heavy hand, and was deeply unpopular. In 1155 there was an uprising against Godfrey, and this time Somerled backed it.

Somerled's involvement proved decisive. Using a fleet of galleys fitted with rudders, the latest in naval technology, he defeated Godfrey at the Battle of Epiphany (probably off Islay) on 5-6 January 1156 and declared himself Ri Innse Gall or King of the Isles. What Somerled had achieved was to introduce a "third force" into the long-standing conflict between the Kings of Scotland and the Kings of Norway over the ownership of the Hebrides. While the title Ri Innse Gall dated back centuries before Olaf the Red, all its holders up to Godfrey the Black owed allegiance to the King of Norway. In contrast, Somerled's Kingdom of the Isles was not a subservient kingdom to the Kingdom of Norway, it was a separate kingdom, independent of both Norway and Scotland.

The newly powerful Somerled was seen as a serious threat by King Malcolm IV of Scotland, and in 1160 the two met in indecisive battle in Argyll. After an uneasy peace, conflict was resumed in early 1164. Somerled landed an army of 15,000 men from 164 galleys at Greenock. He intended to capture Renfrew, but somewhere near Inchinnan (close to the site of today's Glasgow Airport), Somerled was intercepted by forces under Walter Fitzalan, High Steward of Scotland. Somerled betrayed and killed, allegedly by a nephew in the pay of Malcolm IV. His army returned to their galleys and departed without engaging in a full scale battle. Accounts differ as to whether Somerled was buried on Iona or at Saddell Abbey.

Somerled is credited with breaking the stranglehold of the Norse on western Scotland and the Isles. There is a certain irony in this as he was himself Norse on his mother's side (and possibly in part on his father's side according to DNA studies); and he had married into the family of Olaf the Red. The independent kingdom he had briefly created was not to outlive him, but Somerled had changed things for good.

After his death, Somerled's Kingdom of the Isles was divided amongst his three sons from his marriage to Ragnhild. The descendants of Aonghus went on to form the Clan McRuari or McRory; the descendants of Dughall went on to form the Clan MacDougall; and the descendants of Ragnald's son Donald Mor McRanald would become the Clan Donald, who went on to found the Lordship of the Isles. Widespread DNA studies suggest that as many as 500,000 people living today are descended from Somerled: this is a number only bettered by Genghis Khan who, again according to DNA studies, is estimated to be the ancestor of 16 million people alive today.