What is the most pressing topic in American federal politics today? It is none of the hot-button issues in any national or local media. It is a topic rarely discussed but should be at the forefront of all U.S. Presidential election cycles.
Fifth and Final Night of Comet A3
There is a saying that you need to know when to retire. This can apply to comet viewing as well. I decided after tonight’s session that it was time to call my time with Comet A3 as complete.
Fourth Night of Comet A3, of Clouds and iPhone
On my fourth consecutive night of photographing Comet A3, this one had by far the worst visibility. A thin layer of clouds was persistent across my West sky. And A3 is gradually dimming each night, presenting a challenge. I also used my iPhone instead of DSLR camera.
Third Night of Comet A3, with Constellations
Each night photographing Comet A3 has presented its own challenges. On this evening, the problem was focus. On the prior two evenings I was able to easily leverage the Moon to get decent focus. However, on this night the Moon was still well-hidden in my East sky.
What saved the night were all the airplanes going in, out, and around O’Hare International Airport. The planes are not exactly infinity focus, but they are sufficiently distant to get the needed focus into the right ballpark. This article’s accompanying picture was taken after focusing the lens on a plane.
Second Night of Comet A3
I almost did not get this session off. I originally had decided, after the prior night’s experiences photographing Comet A3, that for the remainder of its days I would use my best lens, the Sigma wide view. However, when I set up the lens minutes before going outside, I discovered I could not use the fine focuser. Worse, the camera would not snap images with it! Read on to learn what happened…
First Night of Comet A3
I photographed my first comet in over four years. This article explains how I found Comet A3 and the photography techniques used.
Why Hurricanes Cannot Be Manipulated
There is a fever movement currently, brought on by recent high-profile events in the American Southeast, that weather can be manipulated at hurricane levels on intensity, be it in creation, modification, or both. Is this truly possible? All of my experience and knowledge, combined with my understanding of the scientific method, tells me no. I explain my reasoning in this article.
Landing Back on WordPress.com, Compliments of Jetpack
I have been wandering in the virtual desert for the past three years with my self-hosted blog. Silly me did not realize you can connect into the WordPress.com community via Jetpack.
Best iPhone ISO and Exposure Settings for Moon Phases
This is a general guide to iPhone camera settings when taking pictures of the Moon. It covers recommended settings at each Moon phase.
53% Waxing Gibbous Moon, April 2024
I was able to photograph the Moon on back-to-back days this April. You can compare the 43% Moon to the 53% version 24 hours later.