Venus Transit

I am from Mars but I love Venus ;) Back to back to back astronomical events happened in the last few weeks, with Super Moon followed by Solar Eclipse followed by the June 5th, Venus Transit. I am not planning to be around for the next Venus Transit in the year 2117, just 105 years away :))

Slight hint of Venus at 1' o clock position. 3:20:31 pm

Just starting. 3:24:44 pm

4:17:50 pm

6:03:05 pm.

Tried couple of B&W shots, hoping for better contrast. 6:57:37 pm

Tried to get a tree in the Sun and ended up with at least some branches :)) 7:40:25 pm

With Sun setting behind a hill, Venus is still visible. 7:41:06 pm

@Night: Joshua Tree National Park

Night Sky Photography poses very unique challenges!. Dennis Mammana's workshop was very practical, packed with tips and real hands on experience followed by critiquing the fotos taken by the participants, the following day. For me, learning by doing mistakes has been the norm :))  With no nearby light pollution, the night sky at JTNP was brilliantly awesome with 1000s of stars you never get to see from a city or suburb. Of the many fotos I took at night, I like the following. All these fotos were taken at the Hidden Valley Picnic area of the Joshua Tree National Park.

The rest of the fotos I took....... fall in to the category of  "lessons learned" :))

Joshua Tree National Park

Dennis Mammana, my favorite Night Sky Photographer offered a workshop at Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP, about 3 hours drive from San Diego) over the Memorial Day weekend. The workshop was on Saturday afternoon, followed by photographing the night sky inside JTNP and reviewing and critiquing the photos on Sunday morning. I will post the night sky photos later on. Since all of us had already visited JTNP couple of years ago, Sheila, Swetha and Shreya stayed back to do "shopping"  while I went "workshopping" :))

JTNP is just south of the Mojave Desert and spreads over 800,000 acres. The (in)famous "San Andreas Fault" runs through the south side of the park. JTNP is a nature lovers' paradise and offers plenty of hiking trails, camping lots, unique rock formations, rock climbing and unpolluted night skies. The national park got its name from Joshua Trees, which grow all over the park. Early explorers named the tree after Prophet Joshua because the tree branches seem to outstretch in supplication. The Joshua Trees grow with odd twists and turns and  look like as if they are praying with their hands raised :))

From the 2009 visit. If you can't identify the rock climber in this foto, check your eyes ;)

I had all my meals at this highly recommended, family run restaurant.
Yummy Kabobs, juicy Shawarmas and outstanding Baklavas (:-P...

சூர்ய கிரகணம் (Solar Eclipse)

Warnings:

1. Never look at the Sun directly.
2. Never look at the Sun through a Telescope or Binoculars unless you have the
    proper Solar filters installed.
3. Never photograph the Sun (except Sunrises and Sunsets) through your camera.

#1 & #2 will cause permanent eye damage.
#3 will cause permanent camera damage.

Once I knew the Annular/Partial Solar Eclipse is on may 20th, I didn't want to miss it. The next one is 5 years away and may not be even visible from California. Good, this one fell on a weekend. Initially, I thought I will just watch it with everyone and enjoy it. As the date got closer and closer, the "shutterbug" started biting me more :)). I realized, I am completely unprepared to photograph the Eclipse.

I scrambled in the last minute and ordered 4 simple Solar Filters for us to look at the Eclipse safely.

I ripped out 2 of the filters and taped it to the old

Tele lens :))


















This is my first ever attempt to capture the Solar Eclipse. Enjoy :))

3:41 pm. Test shot, before the Eclipse began.

5:41 PM

5:50 PM

6: 03 PM

6:25 PM

6:37 PM

6: 48 PM

While the eclipse was progressing, Shreya  and I tried some simple experiments and had fun :))  If I was not able to rig up my lens, these are the only fotos you would have seen.

We made pin holes on an aluminum foil and projected the Sun's image

4:12 PM, befoe the Eclipse began.

6:09 PM

6:51 PM The peak of Eclipse.

Shreya's fingers formed a pin-hole camera :))

As the Sun started going down behind the houses, Sheila and I drove to the Hilltop Park nearby. The place was packed with people, watching and photographing the eclipse. One person had set up his telescope and projected the image of the Sun.

Projected image of the Sun

As we drove back, the Sun was setting behind the hills and offered a glorious view of the final stage of the eclipse :))

Super Moon

For 2012, the Moon was at its closest point to Earth (Perigee) yesterday night.   My plan was to go to a nearby location and capture the moon as it emerges from behind a mountain.  By the time I reached my destination,  the Moon has popped out already :))  The atmosphere was little bit hazy and the shots didn't come out that good.

Astounding Antelope Canyon

While Zion and Bryce canyons are very impressive, Antelope Canyon, though small, amazed me with its unique display of colors. Antelope Canyon, located in Page, Arizona, is just 2 hours south east of the Zion Mountain Ranch. Interestingly, the land where the canyon is located belongs to "Navajo" Indian tribe. You can only take a guided tour that is organized by the Indian Tribe. This type of very narrow canyon (you can touch both the walls with your hands),  is called a "Slot Canyon".  There are many 45 minutes tours available throughout the day, but to experience the dashing display of its brilliant colors and light play you must take the 11:30 midday tour. That is when beams of Sunlight strikes the canyon floor and the effect of scattered light puts on a colorful show. Our guide was very good and pulled us out to the right spots to take the fotos. Each turn, each rock, each curve carved out by flash floods through the canyon was a feast to the eye. We reached the other end of the canyon and returned through the same path. During the return, the Sunlight beams have disappeared and the canyon looked little dull.

Diana wanted to see the purple rocks of Antelope Canyon :))

On the way back, we stopped by "Horseshoe Bend" where the Colorado River makes a U turn :)

At the Horseshoe Bend, Suji was trying to flip Siva over the edge :))

Grottos and Hoodoos!

Bryce Canyon is north east of Zion and it took us just less than 2 hours to reach Bryce from Zion. The drive is beautiful, dotted with small villages and winding through mountains. Just before we reached Bryce, we drove through a much smaller Red Canyon.

Red Canyon

Bryce is a unique canyon with beautiful, vertical rock formations called Grottos and Hoodoos. You can walk along the nice walking trail along the rim of the canyon or drive to all the view points.

This is a horizontal panoramic shot. Don't miss the extended part on the right. 

Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon                                                                          

This is a horizontal panoramic shot. Don't miss the extended part on the right. 

Grottos @ Bryce Point                                                                        

There is no way my photos capture the beauty and splendor of Bryce. With the following fotos, I tried something new. While looking at "Thor's Hammer" formation,  some wheels in my brain cranked and I thought the only way to capture the beauty of Bryce is by taking vertical panoramic shots.

Thor's Hammer

Sunrise Point

Trail leading in to the canyon

Located at an elevation of  ~9000 feet, Snow can fall anytime @ Bryce

Weight lifting competition; Siva beat me up :))

As promised :))