Comet in 3-D

Jim R 7 Comments

As comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) quickly makes its way through our part of the solar system, some astronomers are getting nice views of it. I found this version in 3-D on Spaceweather Image Gallery. Details on the site point out that David Elmore recorded the images, each about 2 minutes. The images are nearly 3 hours apart in time allowing for some movement of the comet across the starfield.

Paul Robinson placed the images side-by-side about the width of separation of ones eyes. By staring through the images as though looking through clear glass into the distance, the two should merge into one central image giving the impression of 3-D. This viewing technique might be difficult for some. With practice, you can achieve it. It is best done on a screen larger than a phone.

Original images by David Elmore.

Playing With Guitar Playing

Jim R 8 Comments

During a recent session playing guitar, I set the camera to photograph me 4 times 15 sec apart. That way my hands would be in different places and the guitar body would move some. Each photo looked quite similar. But, there were differences. I used editing software and copy/pasted the 4 photos on top of each other with some transparency setting allowing them to each be seen. I noticed the things across the room that didn’t move between exposures all lined up perfectly. My hands and the guitar showed a lot of movement between images.

Next, I wondered what it would look like if I aligned the four images so the guitar was always overlapped in the same place. That was more challenging since I had to rotate each image a little and adjust for dimensions due to guitar movement while I played. This composite caused the things across the room to be shifted between images. How we see the world depends on our frame of reference.

Dial-a-Moon | 2023

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What will the Moon look like on any date in 2023? What will it look like on your birthday? Find out at NASA Dial-a-Moon. An example of what you will see is pictured below for 10 January 2023. Set dates and see views for readers in the northern hemisphere and for southern hemisphere by following either link. Enter any month and day to see a high definition image. You may leave the universal time (UT) hour at the default value.

After visiting Dial-a-Moon, scan down that web page for a wealth of additional information about the Moon’s motions and appearance. The images of Dial-a-Moon are made from those of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in low altitude orbit around the Moon since 2009.

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Spanish Dancer | Astro-Image NGC 1566

Jim R 17 Comments

Located about 40 million light years away in the constellation of Dorado (The Dolphinfish), this galaxy is classified as a grand design spiral. It was discovered over 200 years ago by James Dunlop, a Scottish astronomer. The two prominent spiral arms are traced by bright blue star clusters and dark dust lanes. This image was colorized by Leo Shatz from three greyscale Hubble images. It appeared in the 2 July 2019 Astronomy Picture of the Day. What follows this image are three more examples all oriented the same to make easier visual comparisons.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble; Processing & Copyright: Leo Shatz
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