• ES Picture of the Day 13 2022

    From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Fri May 13 12:01:14 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Brocken Spectre Observed with Drone

    May 13, 2022


    Brocken spectre in Taiwan

    Chih_lung_Brocken spectre and tower

    Photographer: Chih-lung Lin
    Summary Authors: Chih-lung Lin; Jim Foster
    The colorful ringed structured featured above shows a glory and
    Brocken Spectre. It was observed via a drone from above a
    mountainous area near Miaoli, Taiwan and was only visible when the Sun
    was directly behind the drone, which was looking downward into a fog
    bank. The "spectre" in the middle of the rings, best seen in the bottom
    photo, is the drone's shadow. This phenomenon appears when sunlight is
    diffracted by minute cloud droplets. Note that I wasn’t able to
    detect this with the naked eye as I was below the layer of clouds/fog.
    Photo taken on February 6, 2022.

    Photo details: DJI Mavic3; 24 mm; f/2.8; 1/3200 second exposure.
    * Cloudhold Mountain, Miaoli County, Taiwan Coordinates: 24.573389,
    120.815247

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    More...

    Atmospheric Effects Links

    * Atmospheric Optics
    * Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
    * Color and Light in Nature
    * The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
    * Refraction Index
    * Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
    * What is a Rainbow?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 10 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
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  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Mon Jun 13 12:01:00 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Storm Deposits Snow Near Roque de los Muchachos Observatory

    June 13, 2022

    IMG-20220316-WA0015

    Photographer: David Herrera Marante

    Summary Author: David Herrera Marante

    The photo above shows a snowy landscape around the Roque de los
    Muchachos Observatory, just after storm Celia passed through in
    mid-March 2022. The observatory is located on the island on La
    Palma in the Canary Islands and is at an elevation of around 7,217 feet
    (2,200 meters). Combined, the site creates one of the most complete
    telescope batteries in the world. The largest single-aperture telescope
    on Earth stands at the center of the picture, the 34 ft or 10.4 m
    diameter Gran Telescopio de Canarias. Also visible are three
    telescopes used for gamma ray detection from interstellar high
    energy explosions as well as the Galileo telescope on the left.
    Snow occurs here typically once or twice a year, but it quickly melts
    under a subtropical Sun. Although short-lived, the snow cover is
    nevertheless spectacular. La Palma is known for its landscapes, its
    recent volcano eruption, but above all, for having one of the best
    dark skies on Earth. This photo was taken on March 16, 2022.
    * La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain Coordinates: 28.756, -17.887

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    Storm Deposits Snow Near Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
    Archive - Saas Valley Area of Switzerland Glass Bottle in the
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    Climatology Links

    * Aerosols: Tiny Particles, Big Impact
    * JetStream - An Online School for Weather
    * Climate History
    * National Centers for Environmental Information
    * Global Climate Animations
    * NOAA Climate Analysis Branch
    * Vital Climate Graphics

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Wed Jul 13 12:01:04 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Venus in Daylight

    July 13, 2022


    Venus in daylight with a plane - unsaltonelcielo

    Venus in daytime next to the cross of Basilica del Buon Consiglio
    in Naples - 8 january 2022

    Photographer: Paolo Palma

    Summary Authors: Paolo Palma ; Jim Foster

    The crescent shaped sliver of light you see here isn’t the Moon, rather
    it’s Venus as observed in daytime. Venus is in fact is so
    bright that you can see it even when the Sun is above the horizon
    -- if you know where to find it.

    The top photo was captured on December 31, 2021, at 12:35 UT. At the
    time, Venus was only 15° away from the solar disk. The sky was clear,
    and once I spotted our sister planet (with a binoculars) I noticed a
    jet aircraft passing close by. Because Venus was almost exactly
    between the Sun and the Earth on this late December day, it showed a
    slender curve, just like the crescent Moon. With a diameter of 1',
    Venus appeared quite big.

    The bottom photo was snapped near noon on January 8, 2022. Venus'
    inferior conjunction of 2022 had occurred a few hours earlier, so again
    it was almost exactly between the Sun and the Earth. On this day,
    however, Venus was only 5 degrees away from the solar disk. I was able
    to detect it and photograph it by hiding the Sun behind the statues
    placed atop the Church of Santa Maria del Buon Consiglio in Naples,
    (Italy). Venus is at far right.

    Note that if Venus is near maximum angular separation from the Sun
    as observed Earth it can be easily seen even without binoculars. The
    key is that you have to know exactly where to look for it. Always
    use extreme caution when looking anywhere near the Sun.

    Photo details (top photo): Nikon 42x camera; Coolpix 510; 4.3; 180 mm
    1:3-5.9; ISO 100; 1/1000 second exposure - single snap.

    Photo details (bottom photo): Nikon 42x camera; Coolpix 510; 4.3; 180mm
    1:3-5.9; ISO 100; 1/1250 second exposure - single snap. Camera wasn’t
    attached to telescope.
    * Naples, Italy Coordinates: 40.8518, 14.2681

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    Geography Links

    * Atlapedia Online
    * CountryReports
    * GPS Visualizer
    * Holt Rinehart Winston World Atlas
    * Mapping Our World
    * Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
    * Types of Land
    * World Mapper

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Sat Aug 13 12:00:34 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Distortion of the Setting Moon and Lower Mock Mirage

    August 12, 2022


    Lorenzo_IMG_20220517_095942

    Photographer: Lorenzo Busilacchi

    Author: Lorenzo Busilacchi

    As shown above, the atmosphere acts to flatten the apparent lunar
    disk when it’s on or close to the horizon. This photo was captured at
    Porto Ottiolu, Sardinia. Light emanating from the bottom of the Moon
    passes through more of our atmosphere when it’s closer to the
    horizon than does light from the upper reaches of the Sun. The Sun's
    bottom is thus refracted upwards a greater amount than at the top -
    this holds for all celestial objects as they approach the horizon. Note
    also the lower mock mirage, caused by a sharp temperature
    inversion, which further exaggerates the shape of the lunar disk. Photo
    taken on May 15, 2022.


    Porto Ottiolu, Budoni, Sardinia, Italy Coordinates: 40.7374, 9.7079


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    Atmospheric Effects Links

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    * The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
    * Refraction Index
    * Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
    * What is a Rainbow?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 23 weeks, 5 days, 20 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)
  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Tue Sep 13 12:01:08 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    iridescent Pileus Cloud Observed from Ashburn, Virginia

    September 13, 2022

    Lindsay_IMG_5010 (004)

    Photographer: Linsday Hank

    Summary Author: Lindsay Hank; Jim Foster

    The photo above showing a particularly colorful, pileus type cloud
    was taken from Ashburn, Virginia, as a thunderstorm approached just
    before 7:00 p.m. local time on August 9, 2022. The camera was facing
    west, in the opposite direction a rainbow would be seen. Though the
    pileus itself is mostly hidden by the darker storm clouds, the
    iridescent colors help to reveal it.

    In thunderstorm updrafts, rapidly rising air into a very humid
    layer may form a silky looking, rounded cloud, called a pileus cloud.
    If the cloud is in the vicinity of the Sun, and if the cloud
    droplets are similarly sized, then diffraction of sunlight will
    produce iridescence. Note that the colors typically observed aren't as
    attention getting as seen here. Always take care to protect your eyes
    when looking anywhere near the Sun.


    Ashburn, Virginia Coordinates: 39.0438, -77.4874


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    Atmospheric Effects Links

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    * Refraction Index
    * Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
    * What is a Rainbow?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 28 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
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  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Sun Nov 13 11:01:04 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Factors Determining Snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains

    November 11, 2022

    TomMC_EPOD.ColoradoRockiesSnowpack (004)

    TomMC_EPOD.60.ColoradoRiverConditionsJuly2022 (003)

    Photographer: Thomas McGuire

    Summary Author: Thomas McGuire

    Some 40 million people in the Southwestern United States depend, in a
    large part, on the Colorado River for agricultural and municipal
    water. About 90% of Colorado River water originates from melting
    snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains, such as shown on the photo above at
    Independence Pass, Colorado (taken in July 1977).

    2021-2022 was a relatively decent year for snowfall in the Rockies, yet
    both major reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are at
    dangerous and historic low water levels. And they’re expected to
    continue to go down in the coming year.

    With warming of the climate in the Southwest, the tree line has
    been creeping up mountain slopes. Trees lose water by transpiration
    from leaves and needles. Snow surfaces lose water by the process known
    as sublimation. Because trees absorb more sunlight than highly
    reflective snow, an early snowmelt exposes the dark soil, which absorbs
    more solar energy. Additionally, dust blown from the dry soil onto
    the snow makes the snow surface darker, absorbing even more sunlight
    and further contributing to earlier snowmelt -- see chart above. This
    confluence of factors is a challenge for the inhabitants of the
    Southwest. Fortunately, there are many alternatives allowing the
    residents to adapt to the “new normal.”


    Independence Pass, Colorado Coordinates: 39.1086, -106.5640


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    Climatology Links

    * Aerosols: Tiny Particles, Big Impact
    * JetStream - An Online School for Weather
    * Climate History
    * National Centers for Environmental Information
    * Global Climate Animations
    * NOAA Climate Analysis Branch
    * Vital Climate Graphics

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 36 weeks, 6 days, 21 minutes
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  • From Black Panther@21:1/186 to All on Tue Dec 13 11:01:02 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Twinned Rainbow

    December 13, 2022


    Doblearcojpg

    Photographer: Facundo Jauri
    Summary Author: Facundo Jauri

    The rainbow panorama above, composed of 4 photos, was captured over
    Quilmes, Buenos Aires. It was taken looking east at 17:29 (local time)
    on September 22, 2022. Notice how this bow appears to split along the
    highest portion of the arch, creating a different rainbow but with the
    same color pattern as the primary rainbow, unlike a normal double
    rainbow where the secondary outer bow has a reverse color pattern
    than the primary bow. This is known as a twinned rainbow. It's not
    known for certain just how these bows form, but model simulations
    suggest that rain showers having slightly different shaped and sized
    raindrops (spherical and oblate, for instance) could explain their
    formation.

    Photo details: Canon 6D camera; Canon lens 50 mm; f/8; 1/4000 exposure;
    ISO 800; stitched and processed in Photoshop.


    Quilmes, Buenos Aires Coordinates: -34.72441, -58.26049


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    Atmospheric Effects Links

    * Atmospheric Optics
    * Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
    * Color and Light in Nature
    * The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
    * Refraction Index
    * Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
    * What is a Rainbow?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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