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Sparks Lake, Deschutes County. Walter, I and my two pampered pooches got to spend the night out at Sparks Lake last week. I got blue bird skies so I just waited for the stars to come out. This is a two exposure blend.
Called the "Mother Church" of Georgia, as its founding was a requisite part of the establishment of Savannah - the state's first city - in 1733.
It's occupied the same site since, although the current building is the third one built here, having been constructed in 1838. (This coincided with the splitting of the ever-growing congregation; those living in the southern end of the city became part of the new St. John's congregation).
Among the notable people associated with the church is John Wesley, who was rector here from 1736-37. This was a few years before his (and his brother, Charles') divergence from the prevailing doctrine of the Anglican Church led to their founding of Methodism - and, indirectly, its later offshoot of Wesleyanism.
Found in North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa, the Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) are striking birds. This is in large part due to their long ear tufts. These owls hunt on the wing over grasslands, a stark divergence from their roosting preferences of deep woodland. Indeed, this long-eared owl was tucked within branches about sixty feet off the ground. In the breeding season, they will sometimes form small, loosely-knit colonies, often usurping crows' nests for their own purposes.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are diurnal and often have brightly colored bodies. This bright coloration is correlated with the toxicity of the species, making them aposematic. Some species of the family Dendrobatidae exhibit extremely bright coloration along with high toxicity, while others have cryptic coloration with minimal to no amount of observed toxicity. The species that have great toxicity derive this feature from their diet of ants, mites and termites. However, other species that exhibit cryptic coloration, and low to no amounts of toxicity, eat a much larger variety of prey. Many species of this family are threatened due to human infrastructure encroaching on their habitats.
These amphibians are often called "dart frogs" due to the Native Americans' use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of blowdarts. However, out of over 170 species, only four have been documented as being used for this purpose (curare plants are more commonly used for Native American darts) all of which come from the genus Phyllobates, which is characterized by the relatively large size and high levels of toxicity of its members.
Most species of poison dart frogs are small, sometimes less than 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in adult length, although a few grow up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in length. They weigh 1 oz. on average. Most poison dart frogs are brightly colored, displaying aposematic patterns to warn potential predators. Their bright coloration is associated with their toxicity and levels of alkaloids. For example, frogs of the genus Dendrobates have high levels of alkaloids, whereas Colostethus species are cryptically colored and are not toxic.
Poison dart frogs are an example of an aposematic organism. Their bright coloration advertises unpalatability to potential predators. Aposematism is currently thought to have originated at least four times within the poison dart family according to phylogenetic trees, and dendrobatid frogs have since undergone dramatic divergences – both interspecific and intraspecific – in their aposematic coloration. This is surprising given the frequency-dependent nature of this type of defense mechanism.
Adult frogs lay their eggs in moist places, including on leaves, in plants, among exposed roots, and elsewhere. Once the eggs hatch, the adult piggybacks the tadpoles, one at a time, to suitable water: either a pool, or the water gathered in the throat of bromeliads or other plants. The tadpoles remain there until they metamorphose, in some species fed by unfertilized eggs laid at regular intervals by the mother.
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Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus
Juvenile
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).
The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.
The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,500 pairs
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=icarus
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Genus: Polyommatus
Subgenus:
Species: icarus (Rottemburg, 1775)
Subspecies: icarus (Rottemburg, 1775)
mariscolore (Kane, 1893)
Wingspan
29 - 36mm
Introduction
Living up to its name, this butterfly is the commonest blue found in the British Isles. While the male has bright blue uppersides, the female is primarily brown, with a highly variable amount of blue. This is the most widespread Lycaenid found in the British Isles and can be found almost anywhere, including Orkney. It is absent, however, from Shetland and the mountainous areas of Wales and Scotland. This butterfly forms reasonably discrete colonies measured in tens or hundreds, with individuals occasionally wandering some distance.
Subspecies: Polyommatus icarus icarus
The nominate subspecies was first defined in Rottemburg (1775) as shown here (type locality: Germany). In the British Isles it is found throughout England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. It may also be found in some parts Ireland, although there is some confusion regarding its status, as discussed under the subspecies mariscolore.
Subspecies: Polyommatus icarus mariscolore
This subspecies was first defined in Kane (1893) as shown here (type locality: Ireland). The distribution of the subspecies mariscolore is a confusing one. Nash (2012) suggests that both mariscolore and icarus are found in Ireland, Riley (2007) suggests that mariscolore is the only subspecies found in Ireland and Thomas & Lewington (2010) suggests that mariscolore is found both in Ireland and in north-western Scotland. It is certainly true that not all Irish Common Blues conform to the description of mariscolore. Specifically, mariscolore is characterised by the amount of blue in the female, but many female Irish Common Blues are brown with a variable amount of blue. The subspecies mariscolore differs from the subspecies icarus as follows:
1. Generally larger in size, especially the female.
2. The upperside of the female has extensive patches of blue, with large and bright orange marginal spots.
Polyommatus icarus mariscolore (Kane, 1893)
The Irish butterfly usually considerably exceeds in size that of England, varying from about 1 inch 2 lines to 1.5 inches in the June emergence; but the individuals of the second emergence are much smaller, and generally conform much more nearly to the usual English type in both sexes. Mr. South notes that the Irish and Scotch icarus are similarly characterised by their large size, and the brilliant blue of the female bordered with bright orange marginal ocelli.
The female offers the most conspicuous divergence from the normal English and Continental type, in which the basal half only is dusted with blue scales, the brown of the upper side being widely replaced by a violet or occasionally wholly by the bright blue of L. bellargus. These forms are not uncommon in Ireland, in Galway, Sligo, Donegal, Antrim, Down, Westmeath, Waterford, &c., and are accompanied by a series (often almost confluent) of very bright orange peacock-eye markings on the outer margins of all wings, so that some specimens (if not too brilliant) would pass muster as the var. ceronus of L. bellargus (fig. 12); another most interesting testimony to the genetic affinities of this species.
It may be that the acquisition of more brilliant colours in the female may be of advantage under less sunny skies, where the sun-loving Rhopalocera have less opportunities of selecting their mates, and cannot afford to indulge in long engagements.
Phenology
This species has 2 broods in the southern counties of England, and 1 brood further north. There may be a 3rd brood in favourable years. Time of emergence is highly variable. In good years, adults may be seen as early as the middle of May on more southerly sites. These peak at the end of May, giving rise to a second generation that emerges in the second half of July, peaking in the middle of August. Colonies in northern England and Scotland typically have a single brood that emerges in June, reaching a peak in July.
Habitat
This species is found in a wide variety of habitats, including unimproved grassland such as roadside verges and waste ground, downland, woodland clearings, heathland and even sand dunes.
Larval Foodplants
The primary larval foodplant is Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). Black Medick (Medicago lupulina), Common Restharrow (Ononis repens), Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), Lesser Trefoil (Trifolium dubium) and White Clover (Trifolium repens) are also used.
Nectar Sources
Adults feed primarily on Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.), Thyme (Thymus polytrichus), Vetches (Vicia spp.) and White Clover (Trifolium repens).
Imago
This species is most active in sunshine and is a frequent visitor to flowers. Males are the more active of the two sexes and set up territories which they patrol in search of females. The female is less conspicuous, spending most of her time nectaring, resting and egg-laying. When egg-laying, the female makes slow flights, low over the ground, searching out suitable foodplants on which to lay. When a suitable plant is located, a single egg is laid on the upperside of a young leaf.
In dull weather this species roosts head down on a grass stem. As for similar species, such as the Brown Argus, this species roosts communally at night, with several individuals occasionally found roosting on the same grass stem.
Larva
The larva emerges after a week or two. On emerging from the egg the larva moves to the underside of the leaf, where it feeds, by day, on the lower surface without breaking through the upper leaf surface. This leaves characteristic blotches on the foodplant that can give away the presence of a larva. More mature larvae feed more extensively on the leaves. Those larvae that overwinter do so in leaf litter at the base of the foodplant, changing from green to olive, resuming their green colouring in the spring.
Like many other species of blue, the larva is attractive to ants, although only in its last instar. There are 4 moults in total. If the larva does not overwinter, then this stage lasts around 6 weeks.
Pupa
The pupa is formed on the ground or, occasionally, at the base of the foodplant, under a few silk strands. The pupa is attractive to ants which may bury it in earth. This stage lasts around 2 weeks.
Buffalo Bur fruit. One is open showing a seed.
Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) is native to the United States and northern and central Mexico. Common names include buffalobur nightshade, buffalo-bur, spiny nightshade, Colorado bur, Kansas thistle, bad woman, Mexican thistle, and Texas thistle.
It is an annual, self-compatible herb that forms a tumbleweed. Individual plants reach 1–1.5 m (3.3–4.9 ft) tall, and have abundant spines on the stems and leaves. It produces yellow flowers with pentagonal corollas 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.38 in), which are pollinated by medium- to large-sized bees including bumblebees.
Solanum rostratum flowers exhibit heteranthery, i.e. they bear two sets of anthers of unequal size, possibly distinct colouration, and divergence in ecological function between pollination and feeding. This species represents one of the latter scientific interests of Charles Darwin, who just over a week prior to his death had ordered seeds from a colleague in America, so as to investigate their heteranthery, a topic he was interested in.
The fruit, a berry, is enclosed by a prickly calyx. The seeds are released when the berries dry and dehisce (split apart) while still attached to the plant.
Solanum rostratum is the ancestral host plant of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, but this pest adopted the potato, Solanum tuberosum as a new (and more succulent) host, a fact first reported in eastern Nebraska in 1859. (Wikipedia)
Only a short distance into the field, I came to a "crossroads" in the lines in the field. One set heading to the house on the hill, one set heading towards Scrabo Tower. The clouds in the distance look a bit long exposure but they weren't. Just kinda streaky but it looked the part :)
A Hmong woman walks across a rice terrace in Mu Cang Chai, north Vietnam. This area has several villages with amazing rice terraces, and I'm told that if you come here in September the fields turn a bright yellow color.
Abstracted crop of a larger image - a plant in a nearby garden that happened to be largely backlit by the sun.
Anolis pulchellus, the Puerto Rican bush anole,[1] snake anole, or sharp-mouthed lizard is a small anole lizard of the family Dactyloidae. The species is among the most common lizards in Puerto Rico, and also native to Vieques, Culebra, and the Virgin Islands (except St. Croix).
The sharp-mouthed lizard measures approximately 35 to 43 mm (1.4 to 1.7 in) in length from snout to vent. The species has a yellow-brown color with males having a purple dewlap that blends into crimson near the tip.
The anoles of the Greater Antilles have been extensively studied since they represent an interesting case of adaptive radiation. Species are more closely related to other species within the same island than to species of adjacent islands. Even though species divergence occurred independently on each island, the same set of ecomorphs (habitat specialists) have evolved on each island.[2] Anolis pulchellus is considered a grass-bush anole, occurring primarily in bushes or grass.
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Las Navas de Tolosa, Jaen, Andalusia.
Here, the Caliph al-Nasir and 20-30.000 almohads in his camp. The Christian kings on the hills, about 14.000 men, advancing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Las_Navas_de_Tolosa
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Arab history as the Battle of Al-Uqab. took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the Reconquista and in the medieval history of Spain. The Christian forces of King Alfonso VIII of Castile were joined by the armies of his rivals, Sancho VII of Navarre, Peter II of Aragon and Afonso II of Portugal, in battle against the Almohad Muslim rulers of the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Caliph al-Nasir (Miramamolín in the Spanish chronicles) led the Almohad army, made up of people from the whole Almohad empire. Most of the men in the Almohad army came from the African side of the empire.
Alfonso crossed the mountain range that defended the Almohad camp, sneaking through the Despeñaperros Pass, being led by Martin Alhaja, a local shepherd who knew the area. The Christian coalition caught the Moorish army at camp by surprise,
According to legend, the Caliph had his tent surrounded with a bodyguard of slave-warriors who were chained together as a defense.The Navarrese force led by their king Sancho VII broke through this bodyguard. The Caliph escaped, but the Moors were routed, leaving heavy casualties on the battlefield.
The crushing defeat of the Almohads significantly hastened their decline both in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Maghreb a decade later. That gave further impulse to the Christian Reconquest and sharply reduced the already declining power of the Moors in Iberia.
Harry Harrison's 1972 alternate history/science fiction novel “Tunnel Through the Deeps” depicts a history where the Moors won at Las Navas de Tolosa and retained part of Spain into the 20th century.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_Through_the_Deeps
In an alternative history, the United States lost the American Revolutionary War and George Washington was executed for treason. Thus, America in 1973 is still under the control of the British Empire.
The divergence point between this world and our own occurred far earlier, however, when the Moors won the battle of Navas de Tolosa on the Iberian peninsula, on July 16, 1212.
Thus it was that Spain was unable to become unified, owing to the survival of an Islamic presence in its territory, and therefore could not finance the expedition of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Instead, it was John Cabot who discovered America, just a few years later.
37407 Blackpool Tower leads the "Off the Beaten Tracks" mini-tour part of the UK Railtours "Carols at Norwich Cathedral" special along the "Acle Straight" between Acle station and the Branch Road overbridge at Stracey Arms. This section of the tour was the Norwich to Great Yarmouth leg of 1Z40 12.10 Norwich - Lowestoft (via Great Yarmouth), and 20142 Sir John Betjeman and 20189 were on the rear (standing in for 37423, which had failed the previous day with flat batteries). [Pole, 5/6 sections (~6.8m)]
The full tour ran as follows:
1Z39 07.22 King's Cross - Norwich via the East Coast Main Line, Peterborough (reverse) and the Ely West Curve;
1Z40 12.10 Norwich - Lowestoft via Acle, Great Yarmouth (reverse), Berney Arms, Reedham (reverse), Lowestoft Yard (reverse) and Oulton Broad North Jn. (reverse);
1Z42 15.26 Lowestoft - Norwich;
1Z43 16.10 Norwich - King's Cross via the Ely West Curve, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Grantham and the East Coast Main Line.
The train was operated by Rail Adventure, with 37407 supplied by Europhoenix, and the coaches by West Coast Railways (which had acquired the assets of Riviera Trains a few months earlier, hence the blue and grey mark 2 coaches). 37407 is, of course, no stranger to this line as it was one of the DRS-owned 37s hired to Greater Anglia to operate the "short set" a few years ago.
I'd photographed 1Z39 west of March with the 20s leading, and had planned to chase it to somewhere near Prickwillow, given the schedule included 43 minute wait on the Ely West Curve. However, with the train being 40 minutes late leaving Peterborough, I expected I'd not make it in time, and decided to drive straight to the other side of Norwich via the A47. I'd never been to this location before, but arrived in plenty of time to park in a nearby layby on the A47, walk a short distance back along the road and then down the path to the crossing.
The cloud was clearing from the north-west, and weather forecasts suggested it wouldn't break here until about midday, and then there would still be some cloud about for the rest of the day - and, as can be seen, this was the case. Those of us stood here were very lucky, because as the train passed Acle the sun was heading towards a cloud, and it began to run along its upper edge - but at the critical moment the sun had hit a "dip" and came out completely on almost the entire train (there's a slight shadow on some of the coaches towards the rear). The train had passed Acle four minutes late.
After this, I headed for the classic spot on the Berney Arms line very close to the former Breydon Jn., where a large gallery was gathering (in fact, it was quite tight parking and I had to tell someone they could block me in). Unfortunately, the train left Great Yarmouth two minutes late, and the sun went behind a cloud as it approached the divergence, but began to clear the cloud seconds before we began to press the shutter - meaning the leading locos were fully lit, the first couple of coaches partly in cloud, and the rest of the train in shadow.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
Not 100% sure what to think about this one so I'm just going to put it out there. It's hard to find a new way to shoot something that's been shot to death. So here was one attempt at Deadvlei.
Ancient acacia trees cast shadows in the morning light, Deadvlei, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia.
This is a copyrighted image with all rights reserved. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, facebook, or other media without my explicit permission. See profile page for information on prints and licensing.
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The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.
The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.
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Common buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia Hubner
is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Its original ancestry has been traced to Africa, which then experiences divergence in Asia.
Caterpillars of these butterflies appear to prefer plants that produce iridoid glycosides, which are bitter compounds that release a hormone called gastrin that activates the digestive system (i.e. hunger); therefore, iridoid glycoside producing plants stimulate and attract their appetites particularly when found in plants like Plantago lanceolata.
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The sparsely loaded 4L67 10.20 Trafford Park to Felixstowe North liner photographed a few yards to the north of the DIRFT complex.
The divergence of the Northampton loop from the WCML can be seen at the top left of the image.
Above the train is the new village of Houlton.
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching up to 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). As is typical for bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males.
The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species.
The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.
Although its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will sometimes hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.
The peregrine falcon is a well-respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large. It has also been used as a religious, royal, or national symbol across multiple eras and areas of human civilization.
This was one of two Peregrine Falcons on board the Ambassador Cruise Line "Ambience" as it sailed from Canada to Iceland, and we were in the Irminger Sea, south of Greenland at the time the image was taken, many miles from land.
'Explored' 2022-11-18 (#417)
IMG_6172GPPcSq(lft&mdl&rgt)3exHDRCompoRlIlln
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The Lorenz attractor is, without a doubt, the emblematic figure of chaos theory and probably one of the most popular mathematical figures. It was at the beginning of the 60s when the mathematician Edward Lorenz discovered in his laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston that small variations in the initial conditions of a system of differential equations that simulated the state of the climate in a certain region, produced large divergences in the results. What he had discovered is what later became known as the "Butterfly Effect": a flap of a butterfly's wings would be enough to trigger a cyclone. The Lorenz attractor is the representation in space, through numerical methods, of the solution curves of the system of three differential equations with three variables studied by Lorenz.
This is a photograph showing the Lorenz attractor generated with a simple code from the free software Octave.
Photograph of the monitor taken with Nikon D5600, 55 mm.