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I know these might not look like spectacular pictures, but they’re incredibly difficult to take. Ever heard the expression “quick as lightning”? So in the same split-second, you have to spot the lightning bolt in a sea of black clouds from 400 km above, aim at this minuscule white dot with your viewfinder and a big 800mm lens, focus (in the dark), and shoot. Needless to say this is impossible unless you figure out another technique… Oh well, maybe looking at the thunder striking the planet from above the massive night clouds doesn’t impress you, but I find it excessively beautiful and menacing, like swimming in deep dark waters at night and wondering what’s below you… Huge respect to Andreas Mogensen who only spent eight days on the ISS but still managed to capture a lightning strike and an even more elusive blue jet erupting upwards from it. His photo (well it was a video still actually) encouraged the "space storm hunter" ASIM facility that is now outside the Columbus module. It is purpose-built to take pictures like this, but they are not so beautiful as they use different wavelengths that are much more interesting and useful to scientists. Also it takes 720 pictures of our planet a minute... continuously, how can we compete with that? Come to think of it, Andreas must be an extremely lucky guy! ;) ASIM is revealing things nobody knew about thunderstorms, explaining new phenomena and discovering new ways of how lightning is interacting with our atmosphere and influencing our climate! www.esa.int/asim
Survolés de nuit, les orages sont spectaculaires, à la fois magnifiques et un peu inquiétants – un peu comme nager de nuit dans des eaux sombres sans savoir ce qui se cache dans les profondeurs... On devine la couverture nuageuse qui recouvre les lumières des villes et donne une texture ouatée au noir du sol, et puis de manière aléatoire, une espèce de boule de lumière s’allume ici et là et dessine les contours du nuage jusqu’ici complètement indistinct dans l’obscurité.
Pendant ma première mission, je n’ai jamais réussi à prendre d’orages en photo de nuit, pour la simple raison que la durée d’un éclair ne donne pas le temps de viser, faire la mise au point et prendre la photo… Cette fois-ci j’ai changé de tactique : je vise une zone d’orages intense avec une mise au point qui devrait être la bonne et je prends les photos au hasard en espérant avoir la chance qu’un éclair claque au moment où j’appuie sur le déclencheur (et que mon exposition et ma mise au point sont correctes). Pour une fois, après 5 minutes de mitraillage, je ne suis pas revenu bredouille de la chasse aux éclairs. Mon collègue et ami Andy Mogensen a quant à lui réussi à photographier des jets bleus jaillissant par-dessus un orage pendant sa mission en 2015, dans le cadre de l’expérience THOR, et a ainsi permis de lever le voile sur un phénomène jusque-là resté très mystérieux. A la suite de son cliché, l’ESA a fait installer l'équipement ASIM sur l’extérieur de la Station, capable de mitrailler les orages (longueurs d'ondes différentes et 720 photos par minute !). On a encore beaucoup à apprendre sur la foudre, notamment comment elle interagit avec notre atmosphère et influence notre climat.
Credits: ESA/NASA–T. Pesquet
513B6281
A difficult warbler to sight and shoot. Just the size my thumb, they are incredibly agile and always in action on the branches, looking for small insects, larvae and caterpillars. They have streaked crown which makes it easier to identify from the right angle, otherwise its a bit of confusion.
The birds are migrants from Central Asia to South India during winters and found in thick canopy - usually on the upper canopy.
This wasn't my first sighting, but don't have a better shot than this. After 100s of shots, this is one of very few that is usable.
Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over an area in southern Germany, where approximately 15 million years ago an asteroid crashed through Earth’s atmosphere. The high-speed impact formed what is now known as the Ries crater. Although difficult to spot at first in the image, the result of the impact is actually still visible today.
With a diameter of 26 km, the rim of the crater can be seen as a semi-circle in the image, delineated by dark green forest to the south. The flat ‘crater floor’ is ideally suited for agricultural use and the corresponding fields mark the crater’s extent.
The medieval town of Nördlingen was built in its depression. The historical centre, approximately 1 km wide, appears as a reddish circle, visible with its red rooftops surrounded by a wall.
The asteroid was estimated to be travelling at 70 000 km per hour, and when it made impact with Earth, the high-speed force exposed the rock to intense pressure and heat, over 25 000°C. The impact led to the creation of over 70 000 tonnes of microscopic diamonds, each around 0.2 mm in size.
Overlooked by the town’s inhabitants, the stone buildings were constructed almost entirely with diamond-encrusted rock. Details on the impact can be found in the well-known Rieskrater Museum in Nördlingen.
For centuries, Nördlingen locals believed the town was built in the crater of a volcano. But in the 1960s two American scientists proved that the depression was, in fact, caused by a meteorite impact. Today, visitors around the world gather to marvel at this glittering town, also known as the backdrop to the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory film.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 is a two-satellite mission. Each satellite carries a high-resolution camera that images Earth’s surface in 13 spectral bands. Data from Copernicus Sentinel-2 can help monitor changes in land cover.
This image, which was captured on 1 July 2018, is also featured on the Earth from Space video programme.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2018), processed by ESA,CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Roxanne Gay has been on my to-read list for some time, so glad I happened upon Difficult Women recently at the library. Each story is so unique, so visceral. So much to do with love, loss and the horror of being a human.
**first iced (slow drip Vietnamese) coffee of the season
www.flickr.com/photos/33714681@N06/show/
--------- street photography ---------
The most difficult yet rewarding kind of photography I dabble with is newborn photography. Now I’ve never been able to manage to get a baby to do ”The Pose”, I have been blessed with some very beautiful and cooperate babies. Someday I’ll get The Pose, but let me tell you, it’s probably the single-most difficult look to get in photography, outside of photographing Chuck Norris riding a unicorn attacking a dinosaur during a total eclipse, in HDR. That’s my next goal.
I photographed her parents wedding last September, and they contacted me on New Years to photograph their daughter. I love return business, especially when I know they enjoy my work.
Now on to find a unicorn for Chuck.
A difficult image to create. Not 100% happy with end result might tinker some more.
Also a difficult one emotionally to create. I feel I have exposed myself way beyond my comfort zone and I don't just mean physically. Sometimes it feels as if we need to hug ourselves. I also believe this is an image which will speak to people on a personal level and have different reasonaces for each individual.
Hey lets see if our resident copy cat can copy dat!
Soon after Trump took office – he spearheaded the Republican war on our climate, our health and our lives. One of the first steps that he took was to silence the National Park Service on social media. I follow them on Facebook and almost immediately after they were silenced a Alt National Park Service Facebook page popped up. I follow them too. Yesterday they published an overview of the Trump administrations 2017 acts against the environment and wildlife. The list is not yet complete and doesn’t mention things like the Bonn Climate Conference that was an absolute debacle. The list is difficult to read - they are working on a timeline for their website that will be launched next week. The list is breathtaking in scope and the intent is astonishing. Try to have a good day.
1.On January 20th, Trump silenced the National Park Service from using social media.
2.On January 20th, National Park Service starts a “resistance” movement on social media accounts.
3.On January 24th, Trump issues several memoranda aiming to hasten permitting from the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines.
4.On February 1st, U.S. Senate confirms ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.
5.On February 16th, Trump signs a joint resolution passed by Congress revoking the U.S. Department of the Interior’s “Stream Protection Rule.” The stream protection rule, which prevented mining companies dumping their waste into streams, is axed under the Congressional Review Act.
6.On February 17th, U.S. Senate confirms Scott Pruitt as the head of the U.S. EPA. In his prior role as Oklahoma’s attorney general, Pruitt frequently sued the EPA over its regulations, notably leading a 27-state lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan.
7.On February 28th, President Trump issues an executive order formally asking the EPA to review the “Waters of the United States” rule.
8.On March 2, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spends his first day on the job rescinding an Obama-era prohibition of lead ammunition on federal lands and waters. Also, the EPA, Scott Pruitt, canceled a requirement for reporting methane emissions.
9.On March 7th, EPA’s Office of Science and Technology removed the word “science” from its mission statement.
10.On March 9th, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt that carbon dioxide’s role in the Earth’s changing climate remains unclear.
11.On March 13th, White House releases its first preliminary budget under Trump. The budget outlines deep cuts to U.S. science and environmental agencies.
12.On March 16th, the Trump administration proposed a 13 percent budget cut to the Park Service funding. These budget cuts would lose 1,242 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, leading to significant challenges at almost every park.
13.On March 28th, Trump issued an executive order charging the DOI with reviewing rules for oil and gas drilling inside the boundaries of our national park sites. Trump's executive order also made the EPA start the process of rewriting the clean power plan.
14.On March 29th, Against the advice of the EPA’s chemical safety experts, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt rejects a decade-old petition asking that the EPA ban all use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos. Research suggests that chlorpyrifos may be associated with brain damage in children and farm workers, even at low exposures.
15.On March 29th, Ryan Zinke, the interior secretary, revoked the freeze and review on new coal leases on public lands.
16.On April 3rd, Overturned a ban on hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges. Including the hunting of bear cubs in and around their dens.
17.On April 5th, the trump administration withdrew guidance from federal agencies to include greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews.
18.On April 7th, staff members at EPA’s headquarters who specialized in climate change adaptation have been reassigned. Rolled back limits on toxic discharge from power plants into public waterways.
19.On April 16th, Trump issued an executive order calling on the DOI to reopen its five-year plan for offshore drilling.
20.On April 19th, An Interior Department official updates the department’s climate change website, deleting much of its content in the process.
21.On April 22nd, Scientist March on Washington, voicing support for science’s role in society.
22.On April 26th, Trump instructs Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review as many as 40 national monuments created since 1996 to determine if any of Trump’s three predecessors exceeded their authority when protecting large tracts of already-public land under the Antiquities Act of 1906.
23.On April 27th, the EPA delayed a lawsuit over a rule regulating airborne mercury emissions from power plants.
24.On April 28th, EPA scrubs climate change from their website.
25.On May 5th, the EPA dismisses several members of the Board of Scientific Counselors.
26.On June 1st, the U.S. pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
27.On June 8th, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday ordered a review of an Obama administration conservation plan to protect the greater sage-grouse to determine if that plan interferes with Trump administration efforts to increase energy production on federal lands.
28.On June 12th, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended that Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah’s red rock country be shrunk by President Trump.
29.On June 26th, the administration called for the repeal of the Clean Water Rule.
30.On July 6th, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a permit that would allow Dominion Energy, to build 17 enormous transmission towers near Colonial National Historical Park, the site of the United States first English colony.
31.On July 19th, the DOI called for a reexamination of rules that protect bears and wolves in national preserves in Alaska from egregious hunting methods, including baiting bears with grease-soaked donuts and killing mother bears with their cubs.
32.On August 7th, The DOI relaxes aspects of sage grouse protection to help with the Trump administration’s efforts to increase energy production on federal lands.
33.On August 22nd, the trump administration has suspended a study of health risks to residents who live near mountaintop removal coal mine sites in the Appalachian Mountains.
34.On October 9th, Trump EPA works on scrapping the Clean Power Plan(CCP). Scott Pruitt gave a speech in Hazard, Kentucky and declared that he will sign a proposal on Tuesday that would eliminate the CCP.
35.On October 23rd, The Department of Interior proposed the largest ever gas and oil lease auction of 77 million acres of federal waters within the Gulf of Mexico.
36.On October 24th, A small Montana company located in Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's hometown has signed a $300 million contract to help get the power back on in Puerto Rico. Whitefish Energy Holdings, LLC had only two full-time employees on the day Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.
37.On November 1st, Trump administration proposed a rule Tuesday to federalize regulation of drift gillnets used to catch swordfish on the West Coast. The rule would end California's right to prevent the deadly entanglements of sea turtles, whales, and dolphins in these underwater, mile-long nets.
38.On November 2nd, Trump administration is targeting for review a uranium mining ban that former President Barack Obama instituted in the watershed of the Grand Canyon.
39.On November 7th, French President Emmanuel Macron's Cabinet said Trump not invited to climate change summit for the time being.
40.On November 16th, The Trump administration has reversed the ban on elephant trophy imports. They have agreed to allow the remains of elephants killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back to the U.S.
41.On November 16th, The Keystone pipeline has leaked and spilled about 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota. TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline has been temporarily shut down.
42.On November 24th, Tucked away in the Senate report accompanying the funding bill for the Department of the Interior is a directive to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to end the Red Wolf recovery program and declare the Red Wolf extinct.
43.On November 25th, Oil drilling in a vast Alaskan wildlife refuge moved a step closer to reality after the U.S. Senate energy and natural resources panel voted 13-10 to open part of the reserve.
44.On November 28th, The Cause of Action Institute (a group aligned with GOP mega-donors Charles and David Koch) have filed suit accusing EPA employee of using an encrypted messaging services to protect their jobs. They report that EPA employees were using an encrypted messaging app to determine how to respond to a feared purge of climate science from the new Trump administration.
45.On November 28th, the Trump administration has approved an oil company’s request to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean.
46.On December 4th, Trump gave a speech in Salt Lake City announcing his intentions to reduce two Utah national monuments Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Bears Ears would be reduced by 1.35 million acres (-85%) and Grand Staircase Escalante would be reduced by 1.88 million acres (-50%).
47.On December 7th, Trump administration drops rule requiring mining companies to have money to clean up pollution, despite an industry legacy of abandoned mines that have fouled waterways across the U.S.
48.On December 8th, the Trump administration will suspend a rule to limit methane leaks from oil and gas operations on federal land.
49.On December 14th, Trump administration removed net neutrality. This now allows broadband providers to block websites like ours. The Internet has played an increasingly vital role in political expression and organizing. Groups like ours have used social media to share information, plan events, and motivate participation.
50.On December 15th, It was reported that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke brought David Smith the superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park to his office to reprimand him for climate change-related tweets the park sent via Twitter.
51.On December 16th, Trump administration is prohibiting officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using a list of words, including "fetus," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "vulnerable," "evidence-based" and "science-based."
52.On December 18th, Trump announced the US will no longer regard climate change by name as a national security threat.
53.On December 19th, EPA has ended a contract with a group (Definers Public Affairs) that had been investigating any EPA employees who disagreed with the Trump administration agenda.
54.On December 19th, in the emergency supplemental funding bill language was hidden that would exempt Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) from following requirements set by the Endangered Species Act.
55.On December 20th, Toxic chemical bans were indefinitely postponed for methylene chloride, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and trichloroethylene (TCE).
56.On December 21st, Independent studies were halted that would improve the safety of offshore drilling platforms and another to look at health risks of mountaintop-removal coal mining in central Appalachia.
57.On December 21st, Revoked the Obama-era Resource Management Planning Rule (Planning 2.0 Rule), which advocated new technologies to improve transparency related to mining on public lands. A Federal Register filing said this rule "shall be treated as if it had never taken effect."
58.On December 22nd, The Republican “tax reform” bill was signed and included opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
59.On December 22nd, Ruled that "incidental" killings of 1,000 migratory bird species are not illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
60.On December 22nd, Reversed a previous Obama-era Interior Department decision to withdraw permits for a proposed $2.8 billion copper mine in Minnesota.
61.On December 23rd, It was reported that hundreds of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists were barred from attending an industry conference this month.
62.On December 27th, A plan was announced to consider increasing the use of neonicotinoid insecticides known as thiamethoxam, which is proven to be deadly to bees.
63.On December 27th, Allowed oil and gas leasing and development near and even inside greater sage-grouse habitat management areas.
64.On December 28th, Announced a plan to repeal an Obama-era rule that governed fracking standards on federal and tribal lands. The rule would have required companies to disclose chemicals used in their fracking fluids, set standards for well construction, and required surface ponds holding fracking fluids to be covered.
65.On December 29th, Trump administration proposed to remove offshore-drilling safety regulations put in place after the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Very sad to advise that on April 17, during the ice and wind storm in Ottawa, I was watching the nest and witnessed a chunk of ice knock the mother unconscious which caused her to fall over 10 meters to the ground. She was severely concussed and is being cared for by Safe Wings Ottawa. If she survives and once stabilized, she will be transported to The Owl Foundation In Niagara. The 2 owlets were rescued later in the evening thanks to a lot of effort by caring people who got involved and a tree climber was able to climb during very difficult conditions. The babies would not have survived the night if we had not been able to find a climber at a time when all the arborists in the region were responding to emergencies. They are doing very well and will also be transported to the Owl Foundation where a foster owl will take over the parenting if the mother does not recover and is unable to care for them. Thank you all for your interest and generous comments regarding this beautiful owl. To follow progress, go to The Owl Foundation's Facebook page.
As of April 20, this owl family was transferred to The Owl Foundation where the mother is making some progress but still in very serious condition. The owlets are doing very well, being cared for by the foster GHO, and could be released in August or September. For progress reports, go to the Owl Foundation’s Facebook page.
The owlets were released in the wild in the same region they were born, in late September 2018. The Owl Foundation tried very hard to rehabilitate the mother owl and while she made some progress, the owl continued to suffer from neurological problems as a result of the skull fracture and severe concussion it sustained from the falling chunk of ice from above the nest. There was evidence of chronic pain and her condition would not improve further. The Foundation staff made the humane decision to euthanize the owl some time in December 2018.
Confinement jour 22 / Lockdown Day 22
Petit journal et photo du jour, en direct ou léger différé des studios de confinement…
Le conseil du jour : Si le confinement vous parait être un enfer, cuisez vos pâtes "Al Dante" !
Sur la photo : Farfalla et Penne
N.B. : "le penne" se prononce "le péné" et pas "le pêne", ce qui améliore de façon sensible sa digestibilité
Photo sans aucun intérêt, sinon tuer l'ennui, pour un hommage brillant et déjanté aux pâtes, encore un de nos objets favoris du quotidien.
Les pâtes sont trop souvent mises au placard mais elles mériteraient mieux ! (d’un autre côté, on ne va pas les mettre dans la salle de bains non plus !)
Personne ne sait vraiment qui a inventé les pâtes : les Italiens ?, les Chinois ?, la maffia sicilienne de Little Italia ? …ou Médor ?
On rendra donc hommage à la fois à Marco Polo, à Kubilaï Kahn, à l’accent toulousain de Claude Nougaro ("j’ai rêvé Nouille Yorqueu") et à la race canine ("Bon chien, donne la pâte !")
Et tant pis pour le père Lustucru, qui a bouffé le chat de la Mère Michel à défaut de pangolin, ce qui me le rend assez peu sympathique...
Note culturelle et historique : Non, Kubilaï Kahn n’a aucun lien de parenté avec Jean-François Kahn, ni Axel Kahn, ni Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Bon, je dérive et je délire (je n’ai rien d’intéressant à dire en fait, et je meuble en sirotant mon troisième café !)
Pour cuisiner des pâtes, il suffit d’avoir compris qu’il faut les jeter cinq à huit minutes dans l’eau bouillante (et pas trois semaines dans l’eau froide, même si ça marche aussi pour les ramollir) puis ouvrir un bocal de sauce tomate, composé exclusivement de tomates chinoises pas fraiches récoltées par des enfants, amoureusement mises en boite et défiscalisées par la Camora dans la banlieue napolitaine, le bocal étant enfin vendu à 1,50 euro chez l'enseigne allemande Lidl…
La mondialisation heureuse, enfin à la portée de tous !
Conclusion : Le succès de la pâte alimentaire en France confirme que notre pays n’est pas un grand pays de gastronomes, ce peuple étrange qui regarde "Top Chef" le samedi, mais qui va bouffer des kebabs grassouillets chez Mehmet (le Top chef du Galata Fast Food), du poulet standardisé au ketchup chez KFC, ou du steak et des frites décongelés à l’Hippopotamus, le dimanche !
La vue et l'ouïe devant la télé sont donc incontestablement plus développées chez le Francais, que leur goût devant l'assiette !
Le grand succès du virus en Chine, en Italie et aux USA, prouve scientifiquement que le coronavirus raffole des pâtes alimentaires et de la pâte à pizza…
Le professeur Raoult, qui semble avoir des difficultés à décrocher le Prix Nobel avec sa chloroquine, pourra toujours se consoler par une publication sur le sujet à l’Académie des Sciences.
Bon, sinon, et pour finir :
L’info sidérante du jour : Le gouvernement se félicite de la baisse de la délinquance dans les rues depuis le début du confinement
Ma prévision prophétique du jour : la prochaine bonne nouvelle annoncée avec fierté par nos autorités sera la baisse significative des morts sur les routes en mars et avril...
P.S. : Après enquête approfondie auprès de l’ambassade de Mongolie, je confirme également qu’il y a très peu de vols de sacs à mains et d'accidents de la circulation dans le désert de Gobi.
Bon confinement à tous et "Take care !"
Le journal complet du confinement et des chroniques de la guerre :
Network Rail 950001 pays a Sunday morning visit to line between Barnsley and Huddersfield and seen passing over Oxspring Viaduct working the 2Q08 Derby RTC - Doncaster West Yard
Until the 1980's the viaduct was covered in gantries carrying 1500V overhead lines as part of the iconic Woodhead Line . Having been banked up the 1:40 Worsborough Branch by another pair of Class 76's , double headed coal trains would arrive here a very gentle 1:100 comparison to continue their journey through the Woodhead Tunnel over the Pennines .
The final train travelled over the line on Saturday 18th July 1981 , from then on it was all about demolition trains .
15 8 22
Difficult not to saturate parts of the lower portion of this aurora, as the variation in brightness is just to great. This is something that happens quite frequently at higher latitudes, but I don't see it that often over the UK.
Difficult - Indoor available light, thru protective glass, hand held - D800 70-200 at f2.8, ISO 3200, 1/400 sec.
SN/NC: Lagerstroemia Indica, Lythraceae Family
These trees have two dominant colors: light purple and light rose. White is more difficult to find. Known as crape myrtle or crepe myrtle is a species from China, Korea, Japan and Indian Subcontinent Lagerstroemia indica is an often multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a wide spreading, flat topped, rounded, or even spike shaped open habit. Planted in full sun or under canopy, the tree is a popular nesting shrub for songbirds and wrens. Very popular in Suriname largely for urban landscaping.
Deze bomen hebben twee dominante kleuren: lichtpaars en lichtroze. Wit is moeilijker te vinden. Bekend als kripmirte of crêpemirte is een soort uit China, Korea, Japan en het Indiase subcontinent Lagerstroemia indica is een vaak meerstammige, bladverliezende boom met een wijdverspreide, plat getopte, ronde of zelfs puntige open groeiwijze. Geplant in de volle zon of onder de luifel, is de boom een populaire neststruik voor zangvogels en winterkoninkjes. Zeer populair in Suriname, vooral voor stadsaanleg.
Foto hecha en Paramaribo, Suriname. Están empezando a aparecer estas flores pues son muchos colores, especialmente la rosada y de color morado. Las blancas son menos comunes. Creo q es el árbol de lo más presente en las calles del municipio.
Resedá é uma árvore (outra variedade bem maior em tamanho) muito usada para o embelezamento urbano de muitas cidades na América Central. Predominam as de cor rosa e roxa, clara, mais para o lilás. As brancas são menos comuns. São muito bonitas e os morcegos comem os caroços gerados depois da florada. No Brasil, resedá. Tem presença importante e especialmente as árvores menores.
Le "resedá" est un arbre (une autre variété beaucoup plus grande dans la taille) très utilisé pour l'embellissement urbain de Amérique centrale. Ils prédominent le rose et ces couleurs, violet. Ils sont très beaux et les chauves-souris mangent les grumeaux générés après la floraison. Au Brésil, réséda. Il a une présence importante et surtout les petits arbres. Il y a des fleurs roses, rouges et blanches.
Resedazione è un albero (un'altra varietà molto più grande di dimensioni) molto utilizzato per l'abbellimento urbano della città de America centrale. Essi predominano il rosa e questi colori, viola, Clara. Sono molto belle e i pipistrelli mangiano i grumi generati dopo la fioritura. In Brasile, resedate. Ha una presenza importante e soprattutto gli alberi più piccoli. Ci sono fiori rosei, rossi e bianchi.
Rebetäubung ist ein Baum (eine andere viel größere Vielfalt in der Größe) sehr für städtische Verschönerung der Mittelamerika verwendet. Sie dominieren die rosa und diese Farben, lila, Clara. Sie sind sehr schön und die Fledermäuse fressen die Klumpen, die nach der Blüte erzeugt werden. In Brasilien, reberuhigungsmittel. Es hat eine bedeutende Präsenz und vor allem die kleineren Bäume. Es gibt Rosa, rote und weiße Blumen.
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SN/NC: Allamanda Cathartica, Apocynaceae Family
Allamanda cathartica, commonly called golden trumpet, common trumpetvine, and yellow allamanda, is a species of flowering plant of the genus Allamanda in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.
It does not twine, nor does it have tendrils or aerial roots. It can be pruned into a shrub form. If not pruned it can sprawl to a height of 20 feet.
The city of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico has adopted this species, known locally as canario amarillo, as its official flower. It is beautiful with a strong yellow but be careful as it is very toxic.
Allamanda cathartica , communément appelée trompette dorée , trompette commune et allamanda jaune , est une espèce de plante à fleurs du genre Allamanda de la famille des Apocynaceae . Il est originaire du Brésil. Cette plante est citée dans Flora Brasiliensis de Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Il ne s'enroule pas, ni n'a de vrilles ou de racines aériennes. Il peut être taillé en buisson. S'il n'est pas taillé, il peut atteindre une hauteur de 20 pieds.La ville de Canóvanas, à Porto Rico, a adopté cette espèce, connue localement sous le nom de canario amarillo, comme fleur officielle. Il est beau avec un jaune soutenu mais attention car il est très toxique.
Allamanda cathartica, comumente chamada de trombeta dourada, trombeta comum e allamanda amarela, é uma espécie de planta com flores do gênero Allamanda na família Apocynaceae. É nativa do Brasil. Esta planta é citada na Flora Brasiliensis por Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Não se enrola, nem tem gavinhas ou raízes aéreas. Pode ser podada em forma de arbusto. Se não for podada, pode atingir até 20 metros de altura.A cidade de Canóvanas, Porto Rico, adotou esta espécie, conhecida localmente como canario amarillo, como sua flor oficial. É bonito com um amarelo forte, mas tome cuidado, pois é muito tóxico.
L'Allamanda cathartica, comunemente chiamata tromba d'oro, tromba comune e allamanda gialla, è una specie di pianta da fiore del genere Allamanda della famiglia delle Apocynaceae. È originario del Brasile. Questa pianta è citata in Flora Brasiliensis di Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Non si attorciglia, né ha viticci o radici aeree. Può essere potato a forma di arbusto. Se non viene potato può estendersi fino a un'altezza di 20 piedi.La città di Canóvanas, Porto Rico, ha adottato questa specie, conosciuta localmente come canario amarillo, come suo fiore ufficiale. È bello con un giallo intenso ma fai attenzione perché è molto tossico.
Allamanda cathartica, gewoonlijk gouden trompet, gewone trompetstok en gele allamanda genoemd, is een soort bloeiende plant van het geslacht Allamanda in de familie Apocynaceae. Het is inheems in Brazilië. Deze plant wordt aangehaald in Flora Brasiliensis door Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Het kronkelt niet en heeft ook geen ranken of luchtwortels. Hij kan in struikvorm worden gesnoeid. Als het niet wordt gesnoeid, kan het zich uitstrekken tot een hoogte van 20 voet.De stad Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, heeft deze soort, plaatselijk bekend als canario amarillo, als officiële bloem geadopteerd. Het is mooi met een sterk geel, maar wees voorzichtig, want het is erg giftig.
Allamanda cathartica, comúnmente llamada trompeta dorada, trompeta común, flor mantequilla y allamanda amarilla, es una especie de planta con flores del género Allamanda en la familia Apocynaceae. Es nativo de Brasil. Esta planta es citada en Flora Brasiliensis por Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.No se enrosca, ni tiene zarcillos ni raíces aéreas. Se puede podar en forma de arbusto. Si no se poda, puede extenderse hasta una altura de 20 pies.La ciudad de Canóvanas, Puerto Rico ha adoptado esta especie, conocida localmente como canario amarillo, como su flor oficial. Es preciosa con un amarillo fuerte pero ojo que es muy toxica.
Allamanda cathartica, allgemein als goldene Trompete, gewöhnliche Trompetenranke und gelbe Allamanda bezeichnet, ist eine blühende Pflanzenart der Gattung Allamanda in der Familie Apocynaceae. Es ist in Brasilien beheimatet. Diese Pflanze wird in Flora Brasiliensis von Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius zitiert.Es windet sich nicht, hat keine Ranken oder Luftwurzeln. Es kann in eine Strauchform geschnitten werden. Wenn sie nicht beschnitten wird, kann sie sich bis zu einer Höhe von 20 Fuß ausbreiten.Die Stadt Canóvanas in Puerto Rico hat diese Art, die lokal als Canario Amarillo bekannt ist, als ihre offizielle Blume angenommen. Es ist wunderschön mit einem kräftigen Gelb, aber seien Sie vorsichtig, da es sehr giftig ist.
一般にゴールデントランペット、一般的なトランペットバイン、および黄色のアラマンダと呼ばれるアラマンダカタルティカは、キョウチクトウ科のアラマンダ属の顕花植物の一種です。ブラジル原産です。この植物は、カールフリードリヒフィリップフォンマルティウスによってフローラブラジリエンシスで引用されています。絡まることも、巻きひげや気根もありません。それは低木の形に剪定することができます。剪定しないと、20フィートの高さまで広がる可能性があります。プエルトリコのカノバナス市では、地元ではカナリオアマリロとして知られるこの種を公式の花として採用しています。濃い黄色で綺麗ですが、毒性が強いので注意してください。
Το Allamanda cathartica, κοινώς αποκαλούμενο χρυσή τρομπέτα, κοινή τρουμπέτα και κίτρινη αλαμάντα, είναι ένα είδος ανθοφόρου φυτού του γένους Allamanda στην οικογένεια των Apocynaceae. Είναι εγγενές στη Βραζιλία. Αυτό το φυτό αναφέρεται στο Flora Brasiliensis από τον Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.Δεν σπειρώνεται, ούτε έχει έλικες ή εναέριες ρίζες. Μπορεί να κλαδευτεί σε μορφή θάμνου. Αν δεν κλαδευτεί μπορεί να απλωθεί σε ύψος 20 ποδιών.Η πόλη Canóvanas του Πουέρτο Ρίκο έχει υιοθετήσει αυτό το είδος, γνωστό τοπικά ως canario amarillo, ως επίσημο λουλούδι. Είναι όμορφο με έντονο κίτρινο αλλά προσοχή γιατί είναι πολύ τοξικό.
Allamanda cathartica ، المعروف باسم البوق الذهبي ، والبوق الشائع ، والألاماندا الصفراء ، هو نوع من النباتات المزهرة من جنس Allamanda في عائلة Apocynaceae. موطنها الأصلي البرازيل. تم الاستشهاد بهذا النبات في Flora Brasiliensis بواسطة Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.ليس لها خيوط ، ولا لها محلاق أو جذور هوائية. يمكن تقليمها إلى شكل شجيرة. إذا لم يتم تقليمها ، فيمكن أن تمتد إلى ارتفاع 20 قدمًا.تبنت مدينة كانوفاناس ، بورتوريكو ، هذا النوع ، المعروف محليًا باسم كاناريو أماريلو ، كزهرة رسمية لها. إنه جميل ذو لون أصفر قوي ولكن كن حذرًا لأنه شديد السمية.
It is difficult not to push the shutter in a William Klein moment. I actually somewhat reduced the hue and saturation for this shot. The photo was taken one day after the Gay Pride Parade, turning the city in a theatre ground for all kinds of interest groups. Particularly in summer.
Very difficult conditions for Aurora photography on the morning of the 18th, when we were feeling a brief blast of energy from the recent solar flare. For recording the Aurora and capturing some pleasing imagery, including terrestrial features, I find the half moon phases to be the best. It's difficult, unless the Aurora is unusually intense, to obtain good results during the monthly lunation (moonless period) and possibly even more difficult with a totally full moon directly overhead.
Reposting this one today in solidarity with the people of Paris in this difficult time. This one hits me particularly close to home because of my own familiarity with the city, a place I have lived in in the past, and which I have continued to visit since. I have eaten in restaurants like these, walked these streets, and even seen concerts in the Bataclan itself. I know that tragedies happen all over the world every day, but when something touches so closely on the familiar – particularly in this great city that has such history (howsoever troubled and complex) in inspiring humankind towards freedom, beauty, and greater things – it amplifies and underlines the tragedy, painting everything with that melancholic brush.
Here's what I wrote when I first posted this image of mine, back on 14 July 2012, still eerily fitting on this particular day:
"Bonne Fête Nationale, tout le monde! Happy Bastille Day, everyone! Here's a little tricolore triptych I put together in honor of the occasion.
Bastille Day is the name given in English-speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on the 14th of July each year. In France, it is formally called La Fête Nationale (The National Celebration) and commonly Le quatorze juillet (the fourteenth of July). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France. The oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, French officials and foreign guests.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the supposed excesses of the Second Empire and socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919. The inspiration for Sacré Cœur's design originated in the wake of the division in French society that arose in the decades following the French Revolution, between devout Catholics and legitimist royalists on one side, and democrats, secularists, socialists and radicals on the other. This schism became particularly pronounced after the Franco-Prussian War and the ensuing uprising of the Paris Commune of 1870-71. [from Wikipedia]
So my image is a conscious paean to both the revolutionary spirit and the rights of man on the one hand, and to national and international renewal in the wake of such struggles on the other. Here's to liberté, égalité, et fraternité in today's world -- preferably without the same levels of bloodshed the world has so often seen."
Identification was more difficult than usual since there are no French prisoners in this photo.
Useful information are 12 rifles, 2 Chauchat and 2 machine guns. Numbers 4, 5 and 7 plus a regiment of Chevaulegers. Dated on the back of 15.3.1917.
On this photo are present various units from the 1 Bayerische Landwehr Division:
- K.B. Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 4 (most important part of the Stosstrupp)
- K.B. Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 5
- K.B. Landwehr-Infanterie-Regiment 7
- K.B. Chevaulegers-Regiment 8
Soldiers' equipment includes grenade bags, lamps, straps for unpinning grenades (attached to the belt), white bracers, blankets and karabine 98.
Text: "Ein Teil der am 15.3.17 gemachten Beute"
Extract from the history of the 38ème Régiment d'Infanterie Territoriale (16.3.1917):
"The enemy, with a serious workforce, attempted a helping hand at 2 a.m. on the outposts of La Digue and Bures. He failed on the first point and unfortunately succeeded on the second.
The body had to deplore:
The missing: Ss Lt ???, sergeants .... (5), corporal ??? and soldiers ... (10) of the 1st Co.
of the sergeant??? and soldiers ... (3) of the 2nd Company of machine guns [and of the soldier of the C.H.R.
(barred) of the corporal ??? and the soldier ??? of the 3rd Company
The death by shell of Sergeant Lemoine of the 1st Company
Corporal Lesouple and Private ??? of the 3rd Company
and the soldier ??? of the 2nd Company of machine guns
Shrapnel wounds:
(list of 11 names)
The enemy left only one dead on the ground.
Two machine guns are missing and one out of order."
Four soldiers from the 38ème RIT died during the operation (that is the information that allowed me to find the history of the raid):
Eugène Pierre Lemoine, sergent, né le 28.11.1876 à Villemurlin dans le Loiret
Jules Serge Lesouple, caporal, né le 7.10.1875 à Fleury dans l'Yonne
Georges Adrien Mathieu, 2e Classe, né le 8.4.1877 à Prunoy dans l'Yonne
Louis François Emile Simon, 2e Classe, né le 16.5.1876 à Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois dans le Loiret
More about this Stosstrupp here: flic.kr/y/3Kb4Qyd
It was a good trade with Arne, very happy to have this photo in my collection.
REF: 100-150-10
To find a photograph to showcase the life (it is ok to say human interest, I guess ) at Chang La in Ladakh is kind of difficult. Most passengers enroute to Pangong Tso halt briefly at the top of the pass and pose in front of the bright markers showcasing the height of the pass and the fact that it is the world's 2nd highest motorable one at that.
A pity I missed being the subject of that horrendous "I have been there" photograph.
We are digressing. On the way back to Leh from the deeply serene and cold Pangong Tso lake, one must climb up the northern face of the mountain chain to reach the Chang La.
On the top there is that obligatory military temple, the road and height markers and tinned hutted rooms in green with the ever efficient Army people manning them to offer tea and medical aid to anyone who stops there. I was fortunate, I stopped over and was amazed to be offered cashews, almonds and biscuits with piping hot tea. I wonder if all passengers get that dry fruity treatment at Chang La. I guess not.
While there, I espied this tall gentleman bent almost double under the weight of the full gunny sack on his back. While he walked briskly in the rarifed air with that load, I was having trouble putting four steps in one straight line without faltering.
I attracted his attention and made him stop in his progress and this was shot as he looked up in my direction to find out which lunatic was shouting at him and why. Then the thick scarf / muffler came off the face with the left hand and the biggest beaming bountiful smile passed his visage.
You wonder how he can smile with that big one while you yourself can barely manage to work your face muscles into a scowl. One wonders how is it possible to carry such a huge load at that altitude. Ponder not too much on that mystery of superhuman feat, just enjoy. The answer to that my brother is ... It aint Heavy, it is just snow and ice.
The gentleman owns 3 donkeys and they are used daily for collecting fresh snow and ice from the mountainside and brought to this military detatchment for water supply. The donkeys for working their ass off at 17500 feet get paid Rs 13k per month/per donkey and the owner also gets paid the same amount but he is no ass. He surely is laughing all the way to the bank.
( That said, the sack full of snow and ice is not light at all. It would be beyond me to lift it off the ground, forget about merrily whistling and striding away at 17500 feet)
Dates
Taken on November 16, 2010 at 11.18am IST (edit)
Posted to Flickr November 17, 2011 at 9.18PM IST (edit)
Exif data
Camera Nikon D300
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/9.0
Focal Length 18 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias -1 EV
Flash No Flash
_DSC7744 nef sm port sh 125 pxl tfm
Stormtroopers have a difficult life. from unending, exhausting training to hone their skills, to off world patrols, excursions and dangerous missions full of peril. And then there's the Emperor.
As Stormtrooper Bruce sits in his quarters enjoying his burger, he is suddenly aware just how much his friends mean to him. They have always been there for him, helping him get through the hard times and making the good times even better. Showing up for Movie Night when they could spend their weekends anywhere. Knowing when they step out the door some or possibly all of them may never return.
In spite of all their flaws, quirks and sometimes brutal honesty he loves these guys. It's friends like these who make it all worth while. That, and some burgers and brewskies on movie night.
La Cattedrale di Santa Maria Fiore - Duomo, Firenze (Florença)
www.google.com/maps?q=florença%20italia&layer=c&...
Following, a text, in english, from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the cathedral church of Florence, Italy. The Duomo, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.
The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting the region of Tuscany. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, whose archbishop is currently Giuseppe Betori.
he Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore was built on the site of an earlier cathedral dedicated to Saint Reparata.[1] The ancient building, founded in the early 5th century and having undergone many repairs, was crumbling with age, as attested in the 14th century Nuova Cronica of Giovanni Villani,[2] and was no longer large enough to serve the growing population of the city.[2] Other major Tuscan cities had undertaken ambitious reconstructions of their cathedrals during the Late Medieval period, as seen at Pisa and particularly Siena where the enormous proposed extensions were never completed.
The new church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and approved by city council in 1294. Arnolfo di Cambio was also architect of the church of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. He designed three wide naves ending under the octagonal dome, with the middle nave covering the area of Santa Reparata. The first stone was laid on September 9, 1296 by Cardinal Valeriana, the first papal legate ever sent to Florence. The building of this vast project was to last 170 years, the collective efforts of several generations; Arnolfo's plan for the eastern end, although maintained in concept, was greatly expanded in size.
After Arnolfo died in 1302, work on the cathedral slowed for the following thirty years. The project obtained new impetus, when the relics of Saint Zenobius were discovered in 1330 in Santa Reparata. In 1331, the Arte della Lana, the [=[Guilds of Florence|guild of wool merchants]], took over exclusive patronage for the construction of the cathedral and in 1334 appointed Giotto to oversee the work. Assisted by Andrea Pisano, Giotto continued di Cambio's design. His major accomplishment was the building of the campanile. When Giotto died in 1337, Andrea Pisano continued the building until work was again halted due to the Black PDeath in 1348.
In 1349 work resumed on the cathedral under a series of architects, commencing with Francesco Talenti, who finished the campanile and enlarged the overall project to include the apse and the side chapels. In 1359 Talenti was succeeded by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini (1360–1369) who divided the center nave in four square bays. Other architects were Alberto Arnoldi, Giovanni d'Ambrogio, Neri di Fioravante and Andrea Orcagna. By 1375 the old church Santa Reparata was pulled down. The nave was finished by 1380, and by 1418 only the dome remained incomplete.
On 19 August 1418, the Arte della Lana announced a structural design competition for erecting Neri's dome. The two main competitors were two master goldsmiths, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, who was supported by Cosimo de Medici. Ghiberti had been winner of a competition for a pair of bronze doors for the Baptistery in 1401 and lifelong competition between the two remained acute. Brunelleschi won and received the commission.[3]
Ghiberti, appointed coadjutator, was drawing a salary equal to Brunelleschi's and, though neither was awarded the announced prize of 200 florins, would potentially earn equal credit, while spending most of his time on other projects. When Brunelleschi became ill, or feigned illness, the project was briefly in the hands of Ghiberti. But Ghiberti soon had to admit that the whole project was beyond him. In 1423 Brunelleschi was back in charge and took over sole responsibility.[4]
Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV on March 25, 1436 (the first day of the year according to the Florentine calendar). It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a temporary wooden supporting frame: the Roman Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 117–128 AD with support structures. It was one of the most impressive projects of the Renaissance. During the consecration service in 1436, Guillaume Dufay's similarly unique motet Nuper rosarum flores was performed. The structure of this motet was strongly influenced by the structure of the dome.
The decoration of the exterior of the cathedral, begun in the 14th century, was not completed until 1887, when the polychrome marble façade was completed to the design of Emilio De Fabris. The floor of the church was relaid in marble tiles in the 16th century.
The exterior walls are faced in alternate vertical and horizontal bands of polychrome marble from Carrara (white), Prato (green), Siena (red), Lavenza and a few other places. These marble bands had to repeat the already existing bands on the walls of the earlier adjacent baptistery the Battistero di San Giovanni and Giotto's Bell Tower. There are two lateral doors, the Doors of the Canonici (south side) and the Door of the Mandorla (north side) with sculptures by Nanni di Banco, Donatello, and Jacopo della Quercia. The six lateral windows, notable for their delicate tracery and ornaments, are separated by pilasters. Only the four windows closest to the transept admit light; the other two are merely ornamental. The clerestory windows are round, a common feature in Italian Gothic.
During its long history, this cathedral has been the seat of the Council of Florence (1439), heard the preachings of Girolamo Savonarola and witnessed the murder of Giuliano di Piero de' Medici on Sunday, 26 April 1478 (with Lorenzo Il Magnifico barely escaping death) in the Pazzi conspiracy.
Exterior
Plan and structure
The cathedral of Florence is built as a basilica, having a wide central nave of four square bays, with an aisle on either side. The chancel and transepts are of identical polygonal plan, separated by two smaller polygonal chapels. The whole plan forms a Latin cross. The nave and aisles are separated by wide pointed Gothic arches resting on composite piers.
The dimensions of the building are enormous: length 153 metres (502 ft), width 38 metres (124 ft), width at the crossing 90 metres (295 ft). The height of the arches in the aisles is 23 metres (75 ft). The height from pavement to the opening of the lantern in the dome is also 90 metres (295 ft).
Dome
By the beginning of the fifteenth century, after a hundred years of construction, the structure was still missing its dome. The basic features of the dome had been designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296. His brick model, 4.6 metres (15 ft) high 9.2 metres (30 ft) long, was standing in a side isle of the unfinished building, and had long ago become sacrosanct.[5] It called for an octagonal dome higher and wider than any that had ever been built, with no external buttresses to keep it from spreading and falling under its own weight.
The Duomo viewed from the heights of Piazzale Michelangelo
The commitment to reject traditional Gothic buttresses had been made when Neri di Fioravante's model was chosen over a competing one by Giovanni di Lapo Ghini.[6] That architectural choice, in 1367, was one of the first events of the Italian Renaissance, marking a break with the Medieval Gothic style and a return to the classic Mediterranean dome. Italian architects regarded Gothic flying buttresses as ugly makeshifts, in addition to being a style favored by central Italy's traditional enemies to the north.[7] Neri's model depicted a massive inner dome, open at the top to admit light, like Rome's Pantheon, but enclosed in a thinner outer shell, partly supported by the inner dome, to keep out the weather. It was to stand on an unbuttressed octagonal drum. Neri's dome would need an internal defense against spreading (hoop stress), but none had yet been designed.
The building of such a masonry dome posed many technical problems. Brunelleschi looked to the great dome of the Pantheon in Rome for solutions. The dome of the Pantheon is a single shell of concrete, the formula for which had long since been forgotten. A wooden form had held the Pantheon dome aloft while its concrete set, but for the height and breadth of the dome designed by Neri, starting 52 metres (171 ft) above the floor and spanning 44 metres (144 ft), there was not enough timber in Tuscany to build the scaffolding and forms.[8] Brunelleschi chose to follow such design and employed a double shell, made of sandstone and marble. Brunelleschi would have to build the dome out of bricks, due to its light weight compared to stone and easier to form, and with nothing under it during construction. To illustrate his proposed structural plan, he constructed a wooden and brick model with the help of Donatello and Nanni di Banco and still displayed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The model served as a guide for the craftsmen, but was intentionally incomplete, so as to ensure Brunelleschi's control over the construction.
Brunelleschi's solutions were ingenious. The spreading problem was solved by a set of four internal horizontal stone and iron chains, serving as barrel hoops, embedded within the inner dome: one each at the top and bottom, with the remaining two evenly spaced between them. A fifth chain, made of wood, was placed between the first and second of the stone chains. Since the dome was octagonal rather than round, a simple chain, squeezing the dome like a barrel hoop, would have put all its pressure on the eight corners of the dome. The chains needed to be rigid octagons, stiff enough to hold their shape, so as not to deform the dome as they held it together.
Each of Brunelleschi's stone chains was built like an octagonal railroad track with parallel rails and cross ties, all made of sandstone beams 43 centimetres (17 in) in diameter and no more than 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) long. The rails were connected end-to-end with lead-glazed iron splices. The cross ties and rails were notched together and then covered with the bricks and mortar of the inner dome. The cross ties of the bottom chain can be seen protruding from the drum at the base of the dome. The others are hidden. Each stone chain was supposed to be reinforced with a standard iron chain made of interlocking links, but a magnetic survey conducted in the 1970s failed to detect any evidence of iron chains, which if they exist are deeply embedded in the thick masonry walls. He was also able to accomplish this by setting vertical "ribs" on the corners of the octagon curving towards the center point. The ribs had slits, where platforms could be erected out of and work could progressively continue as they worked up,a system for scaffolding.[9]
A circular masonry dome, such as that of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul can be built without supports, called centering, because each course of bricks is a horizontal arch that resists compression. In Florence, the octagonal inner dome was thick enough for an imaginary circle to be embedded in it at each level, a feature that would hold the dome up eventually, but could not hold the bricks in place while the mortar was still wet. Brunelleschi used a herringbone brick pattern to transfer the weight of the freshly laid bricks to the nearest vertical ribs of the non-circular dome.[10]
The outer dome was not thick enough to contain embedded horizontal circles, being only 60 centimetres (2 ft) thick at the base and 30 centimetres (1 ft) thick at the top. To create such circles, Brunelleschi thickened the outer dome at the inside of its corners at nine different elevations, creating nine masonry rings, which can be observed today from the space between the two domes. To counteract hoop stress, the outer dome relies entirely on its attachment to the inner dome at its base; it has no embedded chains.[11]
A modern understanding of physical laws and the mathematical tools for calculating stresses was centuries into the future. Brunelleschi, like all cathedral builders, had to rely on intuition and whatever he could learn from the large scale models he built. To lift 37,000 tons of material, including over 4 million bricks, he invented hoisting machines and lewissons for hoisting large stones. These specially designed machines and his structural innovations were Brunelleschi's chief contribution to architecture. Although he was executing an aesthetic plan made half a century earlier, it is his name, rather than Neri's, that is commonly associated with the dome.
Brunelleschi's ability to crown the dome with a lantern was questioned and he had to undergo another competition. He was declared the winner over his competitors Lorenzo Ghiberti and Antonio Ciaccheri. His design was for an octagonal lantern with eight radiating buttresses and eight high arched windows (now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo). Construction of the lantern was begun a few months before his death in 1446. Then, for 15 years, little progress was possible, due to alterations by several architects. The lantern was finally completed by Brunelleschi's friend Michelozzo in 1461. The conical roof was crowned with a gilt copper ball and cross, containing holy relics, by Verrocchio in 1469. This brings the total height of the dome and lantern to 114.5 metres (375 ft). This copper ball was struck by lightning on 17 July 1600 and fell down. It was replaced by an even larger one two years later.
The commission for this bronze ball [atop the lantern] went to the sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio, in whose workshop there was at this time a young apprentice named Leonardo da Vinci. Fascinated by Filippo's [Brunelleschi's] machines, which Verrocchio used to hoist the ball, Leonardo made a series of sketches of them and, as a result, is often given credit for their invention.[12]
Leonardo might have also participated in the design of the bronze ball, as stated in the G manuscript of Paris "Remember the way we soldered the ball of Santa Maria del Fiore".[13]
The decorations of the drum gallery by Baccio d'Agnolo were never finished after being disapproved by no one less than Michelangelo.
A huge statue of Brunelleschi now sits outside the Palazzo dei Canonici in the Piazza del Duomo, looking thoughtfully up towards his greatest achievement, the dome that would forever dominate the panorama of Florence. It is still the largest masonry dome in the world.[14]
The building of the cathedral had started in 1296 with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was completed in 1469 with the placing of Verrochio's copper ball atop the lantern. But the façade was still unfinished and would remain so until the nineteenth century.
Façade
Façade of the cathedral
The original façade, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and usually attributed to Giotto, was actually begun twenty years after Giotto's death.[citation needed] A mid-15th century pen-and-ink drawing of this so-called Giotto's façade is visible in the Codex Rustici, and in the drawing of Bernardino Poccetti in 1587, both on display in the Museum of the Opera del Duomo. This façade was the collective work of several artists, among them Andrea Orcagna and Taddeo Gaddi. This original façade was only completed in its lower portion and then left unfinished. It was dismantled in 1587-1588 by the Medici court architect Bernardo Buontalenti, ordered by Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici, as it appeared totally outmoded in Renaissance times. Some of the original sculptures are on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo, behind the cathedral. Others are now in the Berlin Museum and in the Louvre. The competition for a new façade turned into a huge corruption scandal. The wooden model for the façade of Buontalenti is on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo. A few new designs had been proposed in later years but the models (of Giovanni Antonio Dosio, Giovanni de' Medici with Alessandro Pieroni and Giambologna) were not accepted. The façade was then left bare until the 19th century.
Main portal of the cathedral
In 1864, a competition was held to design a new façade and was won by Emilio De Fabris (1808–1883) in 1871. Work began in 1876 and completed in 1887. This neo-gothic façade in white, green and red marble forms a harmonious entity with the cathedral, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery, but some think it is excessively decorated.
The whole façade is dedicated to the Mother of Christ.
Main portal
The three huge bronze doors date from 1899 to 1903. They are adorned with scenes from the life of the Madonna. The mosaics in the lunettes above the doors were designed by Niccolò Barabino. They represent (from left to right): Charity among the founders of Florentine philanthropic institutions, Christ enthroned with Mary and John the Baptist, and Florentine artisans, merchants and humanists. The pediment above the central portal contains a half-relief by Tito Sarrocchi of Mary enthroned holding a flowered scepter. Giuseppe Cassioli sculpted the right hand door.
On top of the façade is a series of niches with the twelve Apostles with, in the middle, the Madonna with Child. Between the rose window and the tympanum, there is a gallery with busts of great Florentine artists.
Interior
The Gothic interior is vast and gives an empty impression. The relative bareness of the church corresponds with the austerity of religious life, as preached by Girolamo Savonarola.
Many decorations in the church have been lost in the course of time, or have been transferred to the Museum Opera del Duomo, such as the magnificent cantorial pulpits (the singing galleries for the choristers) of Luca della Robbia and Donatello.
As this cathedral was built with funds from the public, some important works of art in this church honour illustrious men and military leaders of Florence:
Dante Before the City of Florence by Domenico di Michelino (1465). This painting is especially interesting because it shows us, apart from scenes of the Divine Comedy, a view on Florence in 1465, a Florence such as Dante himself could not have seen in his time.
Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello (1436). This almost monochrome fresco, transferred on canvas in the 19th c., is painted in terra verde, a color closest to the patina of bronze.
Equestrian statue of Niccolò da Tolentino by Andrea del Castagno (1456). This fresco, transferred on canvas in the 19th c., in the same style as the previous one, is painted in a color resembling marble. However, it is more richly decorated and gives more the impression of movement. Both frescoes portray the condottieri as heroic figures riding triumphantly. Both painters had problems when applying in painting the new rules of perspective to foreshortening: they used two unifying points, one for the horse and one for the pedestal, instead a single unifying point.
Busts of Giotto (by Benedetto da Maiano), Brunelleschi (by Buggiano - 1447), Marsilio Ficino, and Antonio Squarcialupi (a most famous organist). These busts all date from the 15th and the 16th century.
Above the main door is the colossal clock face with fresco portraits of four Prophets or Evangelists by Paolo Uccello (1443). This one-handed liturgical clock shows the 24 hours of the hora italica (Italian time), a period of time ending with sunset at 24 hours. This timetable was used till the 18th century. This is one of the few clocks from that time that still exist and are in working order.
The church is particularly notable for its 44 stained glass windows, the largest undertaking of this kind in Italy in the 14th and 15th century. The windows in the aisles and in the transept depict saints from the Old and the New Testament, while the circular windows in the drum of the dome or above the entrance depict Christ and Mary. They are the work of the greatest Florentine artists of their times, such as Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno.
Christ crowning Mary as Queen, the stained-glass circular window above the clock, with a rich range of coloring, was designed by Gaddo Gaddi in the early 14th century.
Donatello designed the stained-glass window (Coronation of the Virgin) in the drum of the dome (the only one that can be seen from the nave).
The beautiful funeral monument of Antonio d'Orso (1323), bishop of Florence, was made by Tino da Camaino, the most important funeral sculptor of his time.
The monumental crucifix, behind the Bishop's Chair at the high altar, is by Benedetto da Maiano (1495–1497). The choir enclosure is the work of the famous Bartolommeo Bandinelli. The ten-paneled bronze doors of the sacristy were made by Luca della Robbia, who has also two glazed terracotta works inside the sacristy: Angel with Candlestick and Resurrection of Christ.
In the back of the middle of the three apses is the altar of Saint Zanobius, first bishop of Florence. Its silver shrine, a masterpiece of Ghiberti, contains the urn with his relics. The central compartment shows us one his miracles, the reviving of a dead child. Above this shrine is the painting Last Supper by the lesser-known Giovanni Balducci. There was also a glass-paste mosaic panel The Bust of Saint Zanobius by the 16th century miniaturist Monte di Giovanni, but it is now on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo.
Many decorations date from the 16th-century patronage of the Grand Dukes, such as the pavement in colored marble, attributed to Baccio d'Agnolo and Francesco da Sangallo (1520–26). Some pieces of marble from the façade were used, topside down, in the flooring (as was shown by the restoration of the floor after the 1966 flooding).
It was suggested that the interior of the 45 metre (147 ft) wide dome should be covered with a mosaic decoration to make the most of the available light coming through the circular windows of the drum and through the lantern. Brunelleschi had proposed the vault to glimmer with resplendent gold, but his death in 1446 put an end to this project, and the walls of the dome were whitewashed. Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici decided to have the dome painted with a representation of The Last Judgment. This enormous work, 3,600 metres² (38 750 ft²) of painted surface, was started in 1568 by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari and would last till 1579. The upper portion, near the lantern, representing The 24 Elders of Apoc. 4 was finished by Vasari before his death in 1574. Federico Zuccari and a number of collaborators, such as Domenico Cresti, finished the other portions: (from top to bottom) Choirs of Angels; Christ, Mary and Saints; Virtues, Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Beatitudes; and at the bottom of the cuppola: Capital Sins and Hell. These frescoes are considered Zuccari's greatest work. But the quality of the work is uneven because of the input of different artists and the different techniques. Vasari had used true fresco, while Zuccari had painted in secco. During the restoration work ended in 1995, the entire pictorial cycle of the The Last Judgment was photographed with specially designed equipment and all the information collected in a catalogue. All the restoration information along with reconstructed images of the frescos were stored and managed in the Thesaurus Florentinus computer system.
Crypt
The cathedral underwent difficult excavations between 1965 and 1974. The subterranean vaults were used for the burial of Florentine bishops throughout the centuries.
Recently[when?] the archaeological history of this huge area was reconstructed through the work of Dr Franklin Toker: remains of Roman houses, an early Christian pavement, ruins of the former cathedral of Santa Reparata and successive enlargements of this church. Close to the entrance, in the part of the crypt open to the public, is the tomb of Brunelleschi. While its location is prominent, the actual tomb is simple and humble. That the architect was permitted such a prestigious burial place is proof of the high esteem he was given by the Florentines.
Also buried in the former cathedral of Santa Reparata was Conrad II of Italy.
A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia a Enciclopédia Livre:
A Basílica di Santa Maria del Fiore é a catedral, ou Duomo[1], da Arquidiocese da Igreja Católica Romana de Florença. Notabilizada por sua monumental cúpula - obra do celebrado arquiteto renascentista Brunelleschi - e pelo campanário, de Giotto, é uma das obras da arte gótica e da primeira renascença italiana, considerada de fundamenal importância para a História da Arquitetura, registro da riqueza e do poder da capital da Toscana nos séculos XIII e XIV. Seu nome (cuja tradução é Santa Maria da Flor) parece referir-se ao lilium, símbolo de Florença, mas, documento [2] do Século XV, por outro lado, informa que “flor”, no caso, refere a Cristo.
História
O Duomo de Florença, como o vemos hoje, é o resultado de um trabalho que se estendeu por seis séculos. Seu projeto básico foi elaborado por Arnolfo di Cambio no final do século XIII, sua cúpula é obra de Filippo Brunelleschi, e sua fachada teve de esperar até o século XIX para ser concluída. Ao longo deste tempo uma série de intervenções estruturais e decorativas no exterior e interior enriqueceriam o monumento, dentre elas a construção de duas sacristias e a execução de esculturas e afrescos por Paolo Uccello, Andrea del Castagno, Giorgio Vasari e Federico Zuccari, autor do Juízo Final no interior da cúpula. Foi construída no lugar da antiga catedral dedicada a Santa Reparata, que funcionou durante nove séculos até ser demolida completamente em 1375.
Em 1293, durante a República Florentina, o notário Ser Mino de Cantoribus sugeriu a substituição de Santa Reparata por uma catedral ainda maior e mais magnificente, de tal forma que "a indústria e o poder do homem não pudessem inventar ou mesmo tentar nada maior ou mais belo", e estava preparado para finaciar a construção. Entretanto, esperava-se que a população contribuísse, e todos os testamentos passaram a incluir uma cláusula de doação para as obras. O projeto foi confiado a Arnolfo em 1294, e ele cerimoniosamente lançou a pedra fundamental em 8 de setembro de 1296.
Arnolfo trabalhou na construção até 1302, ano de sua morte, e embora o estilo dominante da época fosse o gótico, seu projeto foi concebido com uma grandiosiddade clássica. Arnolfo só pôde trabalhar em duas capelas e na fachada, que ele teve tempo de completar e decorar só em parte. Com a morte do arquiteto o trabalho de construção sofreu uma parada. Um novo impulso foi dado quando em 1330 foi descoberto o corpo de São Zenóbio em Santa Reparata, que ainda estava parcialmente de pé. Giotto di Bondone então foi indicado supervisor em 1334, e mesmo que não tivesse muito tempo de vida (morreu em 1337) ele decidiu concentrar suas energias na construção do campanário. Giotto foi sucedido por Andrea Pisano até 1348, quando a peste reduziu a população da cidade de 90 mil para 45 mil habitantes.
Sob Francesco Talenti, supervisor entre 1349 e 1359, o campanário foi concluído e preparou-se um novo projeto para o Duomo, com a colaboração de Giovanni di Lapo Ghini: a nave central foi dividida em quatro espaços quadrangulares com duas alas retangulares, reduzindo o número de janelas planejadas por Arnolfo. Em 1370 a construção já estava bem adiantada, o mesmo se dando com o novo projeto para a abside, que foi circundada por tribunas que amplificaram o trifólio de Arnolfo. Por fim Santa Reparata terminou de ser demolida em 1375. Ao mesmo tempo continuou-se o trabalho de revestimento externo com mármores e decoração em torno das entradas laterais, a Porta dei Canonici (sul) e a Porta della Mandorla (norte), esta coroada com um relevo da Assunção, última obra de Nanni di Banco.
Contudo, o problema da cúpula ainda não fora resolvido. Brunelleschi fez seu primeiro projeto em 1402, mas o manteve em segredo. Em 1418, a Opera del Duomo, a centenária empresa administradora dos trabalhos na Catedral, anunciou um concurso que Brunelleschi haveria de vencer, mas o trabalho não iniciaria senão dois anos mais tarde, continuando até 1434. A Catedral foi consagrada pelo Papa Eugênio IV em 25 de março (o Ano Novo florentino) de 1436, 140 anos depois do início da construção. Os arremates que ainda esperavam conclusão eram a lanterna da cúpula (colocada em 1461) e o revestimento externo com mármores brancos de Carrara, verdes de Prato, e vermelhos de Siena, de acordo com o projeto original de Arnolfo.
A fachada
A fachada original, desenhada por Arnolfo di Cambio, só foi começada em meados do século XV, realizada de fato por vários artistas em uma obra coletiva, mas de toda forma só foi terminada até o terço inferior. Esta parte foi desmantelada por ordem de Francesco I de Medici entre 1587 e 1588, pois era considerada totalmente fora de moda naquela altura. O concurso que foi aberto para a criação de uma nova fachada acabou em um escândalo, e os desenhos subseqüentes que foram apresentados não foram aceitos. A fachada ficou, então, despida até o século XIX, mas estatuária e ornamentos originais sobrevivem no Museu Opera del Duomo e em museus de Paris e Berlim.
Em 1864, Emilio de Fabris venceu um concurso para uma nova fachada, que é a que vemos hoje, um enorme e magistral trabalho de mosaico em mármores coloridos em estilo neogótico, com uma volumetria dinâmica e harmoniosa. Pronta em 1887, foi dedicada à Virgem Maria, e é ricamente adornada com estatuária de elegante e austero desenho. Em 1903 terminaram-se as monumentais portas de bronze, com várias cenas em relevo e outras decorações.
Interior
Sua planta é basilical, com três naves, divididas por grandes arcos suportados por colunas monumentais. Tem 153 metros de comprido por 38 metros de largo, e 90 metros no transepto. Seus arcos se elevam até 23 metros de altura, e o cume da cúpula, a 90 metros.
Suas decorações internas são austeras, e muitas se perderam no curso dos séculos. Alguns elementos acharam abrigo no Museu Opera del Duomo, como os coros de Luca della Robbia e Donatello. Subsistem também os monumentos a Dante, a John Hawkwood, a Niccolò da Tolentino, a Antonio d'Orso, e os bustos de Giotto (de Benedetto da Maiano), Brunelleschi (de Buggiano - 1447), Marsilio Ficino, e Antonio Squarcialupi.
Sobre a porta de entrada há um relógio colossal com decoração em pintura de Paolo Uccello, e acertado de acordo com a hora italica, uma divisão do tempo comumente empregada na Itália até o século XVIII, que dava o por-do-sol como o início do dia.
Os vitrais são os maiores em seu gênero na Itália entre os séculos XIV e XV, com imagens de santos do Velho e Novo Testamento. O crucifixo é obra de Benedetto da Maiano, a talha do coro de Bartolommeo Bandinelli, e as portas da sacristia são de Luca della Robbia.
Difficult to get this huge space in one shot. Having visited it's 'half brother' in Naples a couple of years ago it was nice to see the 'original' in Milan! It looks good in the daytime on a nice day but at night it's something else!
On westbound Westjet plane; unfortunately due to lack of map function in the plane, location difficult to determine
This rock hopper penguin was poised right in front t of me for a great shot. She was more interested in preening herself which she did at great length before I gave up.
Difficult target in Cygnus. More info and details in my blog: www.astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2014/11/sharpless-115-and-pl...
It's in a volcanic activity in high plain around here.
Please, made, big, small, various lakes and marshes.
I have that so that 100 is exceeded.
No lakes and marshes, in each, the feature, oh.
is attractive.
But there is a lot of cloud in this morning, the morning sun is hope.
seem, I give up mostly and it's.
was looking at the sky all the while.
Then the sun which is a morning from a sudden break in the clouds is strangeness.
It's mark-like, a moment face, a stock lake, comparing
no!
And what is wonderful of this moment!
is also difficult to change and it's felt divinely.
was an impressive morning.
It is difficult to convey the shocking immensity created by one of the greatest volcanic eruptions in history that took place here about 7,700 years ago. Erupting 50 cubic km of material, an 8 to 10 km diameter caldera was excavated. The original mountain rose almost 1,500 metres above the 1,883 metre lake and the peak would have rested between the two clouds in the centre of the image. Wizard Island ( www.flickr.com/photos/jeff_pj/14654841799/ and www.flickr.com/photos/jeff_pj/14880609972/in/photostream/ ) can be seen on the far shore. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crater_Lake
One of many flies that are difficult to identify.
It is similar to two other flies -
Eurithia anthophila - But this one does not have hairy eyes.
And
Polietes domitor - But the one pictured does not have a grey tip at the end of its abdomen.
Difficult to imagine / that the guy in the basement / who was in love / with the girl on the second floor / always quarrelled / with the two on the ground floor.
(Thessaloniki, abandoned building)
It would be difficult to place a date to this, but this was Bromyard in Herefordshire on Thursday 10 March 2016. The private 2ft gauge Bromyard and Linton Light Railway, just over one mile in length, is not widely known and is not generally open to the public for insurances purposes. It runs from the former Bromyard station goods yard, on what were originally the gasworks sidings, to Linton just beyond the A44 trunk road. There is also a 100 metre long 'branch' which originally served a tile works and connected the works with a transfer siding on the former G.W.R./B.R. line upon which the narrow gauge is laid. The Vale of Rheidol's 1918-built Kerr Stuart 'Wren' class 0-4-0 saddle tank paid a visit whilst en-route to Kew Pumping Station for the 2016 operating season. This was the first time in the line's history, since closure by B.R.in 1962 that a steam locomotive has run on this totally un-modernised and characterful line. I have been aware of this line for around 45 years and this was for me an opportunity not to be missed. Thanks are due to organiser David Williams for his 5 years of negotiations, owner Bob Palmer and all the volunteers at Bromyard and from the VoR who made the two days a great success and most enjoyable step back in time.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
Canon 5D.
On the beach in North Berwick, Scotland.
Narcissus in a Red Dress (The Like) www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRs6okNTpkU
Hope everyone stays safe at home to weather this virus outbreak. Several counties in the San Francisco Bay Area have already put in place a "shelter in place" order today. The current grave situation makes me wonder what would happen to this lady I came across on the street of San Francisco over a month ago. I pray that she would make it.