Friday, September 07, 2007

The Dark Arts


Some time around stupid o’clock this morning I took the photo above. I make no great claims for it being great, it hasn’t been processed except to make it much smaller than the original meggerbites or whatever they are, but it is one of the first constellation shots with my new camera.
It shows Orion, Taurus and the Pleiades and mars all rising over Bob The Other Builders house. I had no idea that this was where they were stashed during the summer but there you go.
Now I am off for a big nap.
Cheers all.

21 comments:

Bittersweet said...

wow. it is a treat for me ... i get to see stars sometimes, but not from here .. too much interference.

Unknown said...

My flabber is gasted! You need the sleep!

meredic said...

bittersweet me - I am guessing that this comment is not meant to be tongue in cheek as women don't do puns.....

john.g. - looks like its going to be another bloomin stupendous night tonight mate. If you are up around 5, look east and you should see both the thin crescent moon and Venus side by side. Even better join me around three ish.

Unknown said...

Meredic, thanks for the invite, but my eyes will be firmly shut by then!

For you: make a story using the following words.

WALES,PERVERT,TOMATO,GUITAR,SLOPPY,
FUN,TEACHER,ALCOHOL,SH*T,MOUNTAIN.

Any amount of words, must be coherent(ish), must post!

Dave said...

Once I enlarged it I could se what you are on about. Very good. Apart form the Plough, Orion and the North Star I'm at a loss. Apparently Google Earth now does the Sky. What sort of camera did you get? I am toying with the idea of a DSLR but what keeps putting me off is the bulk and the need to change lenses. At the moment I am impressed with the write up of the Canon G7.

meredic said...

john.g. - dear me you don't know what you are missing. Ok I accept that challenge. Give me a few days.

DaveM - I got a Canon EOS 400D with one extra lens. The picture is 15 secs on ISO 1600 18mm lens setting and manual focus...ahem...whatever the heck that means...
Its a great toy. I have also invested in a small bag to bung it all in but may now get a designer rucksack to carry the tripod as well.
Have you considered the new Pentax k100? if I wasnt so in to astro stuff that would have been my first choice.

Unknown said...

Google earth is terrific, brilliant shots on sky. All free!!

meredic said...

Google may well have all the best bits but I bet google didnt get up at 4 this morning and then sit out waiting for the clouds to dodge.
Bloomin!

headless chicken said...

Wow....love stargazing but don't seem to get around to it much anymore.....

sallywrites said...

The only stars I ever see is when I bang my head whilst picking up the debris from under the table left by children or animals.

I have never been able to wrok out how to understand what is where in the galaxy.

Although the chocolate is very nice.

buffalodick said...

Kayla, a person who occasionally gets on my blog would go nuts for this-she loves astronomy!

Charlie said...

This is a great job on the stars! Got too much 'interference' here too really to see them but was in Monkey Mia in Jan (western oz) and had an 'awestronomy' talk. And boy, was it! Ive never felt so tiny and insignificant in all my life. was fab!

Thanks for getting up at silly o clock :)

startare said...

Wow, I don't know what impresses me more, the great photography or the dedication of staying out all night to catch the sight. Anyway, it must be lovely to have a really clear sky without light interference from civilisation at all.

Anonymous said...

Yes, if you enlarge it it's super. I'm not very good at astronomy but it reminds me of a day when the head walked in on my class and started talking about constellations for some reason. I piped up tnat Orion was visible at that time of year.
"Oh," he said, "and which direction do you look to see that?"
"Well,"I replied, "I usually look up."

meredic said...

headless chicken - that camper van of your should be perfect for it. Just drive off into some dark mid wales valley and once the kids are asleep you and K get out the deck chairs and hold hands on the roof?

sally - all you really need to know is that we are a speck of dust in a small insignificant corner. Then find a dark sky and look out for the pan and brush.

buffalodickdy - I shall keep my eye out for her. Do you have dark skies there or are you swamped out with sodium lights like so many others?

charlie - Find a dark space somewhere. A night under the stars is always good for putting our own concerns to the back for a few hours.

startare - you must have places like this near you? Are the mountains light polluted?

sablonneuse - LOL. Nowadays it would be a dodgy joke about 'somewhere near Uranus'....

Anonymous said...

It'd be lovely if I could see the stars. Unfortunately, my local area is covered with light. far too much light. Hotels, cars, streetlamps, general illuminations and believe it or not, christmas decorations. =/

Lori said...

Wow, that's really neat! The enlarged version of the photo is great. I wish I knew something about astronomy.

Stephanie Faris said...

Looks great!

What time is stupid o'clock, exactly?

meredic said...

Spangly_Goth - If you would like to have a proper look at the stars I am most willing.

lori - a compliment on a photo from you is worth a lot. Thanks.

stephanie - you need to be up just before four a.m. really to see this at present in the UK.

Tamara said...

Lovely pic and no crick in my neck from looking up. And no mosquitoes, and I got to sleep all night. What a tremendous public service! Thanks! ;)

Unknown said...

I like this picture came out pretty good for I too do not get to have a delightful sight to catch all of the stars together unless I go out to the dark country side, only problem is once I get out that far away I never get a chance to notice them for I am always too busy in the tent with my better half.