One of the many joys of summer in central Arizona is warm weather that makes for comfortable night time stargazing. It's also a time of year when the Milky Way rotates across the celestial sphere in the early evening hours, making for an especially convenient time to see the cloudy effect that our solar system's nearest stellar neighbors paints across the sky.
As always the constellations of Sagittarius and Scorpio straddle the galaxy in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. And for at least part of this July, our sun's two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, joined that same area of the sky shortly after sunset. In addition, the end of the month brought a new moon, keeping Earth's natural satellite from adding a source of distracting light. The combination of bodies and timing created a tantalizing composition to photograph under most circumstances; if you're able to add a terrestrial landmark like Prescott's iconic Thumb Butte Mountain, it was an irresistible one.
While light pollution from the area's cities can interfere with astronomers enjoying their telescopes, it can create an illuminating effect on normally pitch-black subjects in landscapes. Add to the picture some low-hanging monsoon clouds and a thirteen second exposure tells a story that a naked eye could never imagine.
As always the constellations of Sagittarius and Scorpio straddle the galaxy in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. And for at least part of this July, our sun's two largest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, joined that same area of the sky shortly after sunset. In addition, the end of the month brought a new moon, keeping Earth's natural satellite from adding a source of distracting light. The combination of bodies and timing created a tantalizing composition to photograph under most circumstances; if you're able to add a terrestrial landmark like Prescott's iconic Thumb Butte Mountain, it was an irresistible one.
While light pollution from the area's cities can interfere with astronomers enjoying their telescopes, it can create an illuminating effect on normally pitch-black subjects in landscapes. Add to the picture some low-hanging monsoon clouds and a thirteen second exposure tells a story that a naked eye could never imagine.
 |
| Wide shot of Prescott's Thumb Butte below the Milky Way. Saturn is the brightest object to the left while Jupiter dominates the right half of the sky. Light on the horizon is from surrounding urban areas, even metropolitan Phoenix eighty miles away. |
 |
| Closer view of Thumb Butte below the Milky Way. Saturn shines brightest in the left half of the frame and Jupiter in the right. A short straight line close to Jupiter is a testament to local air traffic. |
 |
| Another view of Thumb Butte under the Milky Way. Jupiter appears especially large. |
 |
| Prescott's nighttime light illuminates Thumb Butte in this thirteen second exposure. |
Comments
Post a Comment