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Sep 8, 2014
Sep 7, 2014
West side of May Lake in Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS). by usinterior
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Moonbow Beach Moonbow Beach
Like a rainbow at night, a beautiful moonbow shines above the western horizon in this deserted beach scene from Molokai Island, Hawaii, USA, planet Earth. Captured last June 17 in early morning hours, the lights along the horizon are from Honolulu and cities on the island of Oahu some 30 miles away. So where was the Moon? A rainbow is produced by sunlight internally reflected in rain drops from the direction opposite the Sun back toward the observer. As the light passes from air to water and back to air again, longer wavelengths are refracted (bent) less than shorter ones resulting in the separation of colors. And so the moonbow is produced as raindrops reflect moonlight from the direction opposite the Moon. That puts the Moon directly behind the photographer, still low and rising over the eastern horizon, a few days past its full phase. via NASA http://ift.tt/1tbIhm1
Sep 6, 2014
Olympic National Park is a land of beauty and variety. A day's exploration can take you from breathtaking mountain vistas with meadows of wildflowers to colorful ocean tidepools. Nestled in the valleys are some of the largest remnants of ancient forests left in the country. Olympic is like many magical parks in one. Take some time to explore its different faces! Photo of Cape Flattery: Christopher Stephens (http://ift.tt/18oFfjl) by usinterior
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A Sagittarius Starscape A Sagittarius Starscape
This rich starscape spans nearly 7 degrees on the sky, toward the Sagittarius spiral arm and the center of our Milky Way galaxy. A telescopic mosaic, it features well-known bright nebulae and star clusters cataloged by 18th century cosmic tourist Charles Messier. Still popular stops for skygazers M16, the Eagle (far right), and M17, the Swan (near center) nebulae are the brightest star-forming emission regions. With wingspans of 100 light-years or so, they shine with the telltale reddish glow of hydrogen atoms from over 5,000 light-years away. Colorful open star cluster M25 near the upper left edge of the scene is closer, a mere 2,000 light-years distant and about 20 light-years across. M24, also known as the Sagittarius Star Cloud, crowds in just left of center along the bottom of the frame, fainter and more distant Milky Way stars seen through a narrow window in obscuring fields of interstellar dust. via NASA http://ift.tt/1rC83l4
Sep 5, 2014
Cloud, Clusters and Comet Siding Spring Cloud, Clusters and Comet Siding Spring
On October 19th, a good place to watch Comet Siding Spring will be from Mars. Then, this inbound visitor (C/2013 A1) to the inner solar system, discovered in January 2013 by Robert McNaught at Australia's Siding Spring Observatory, will pass within 132,000 kilometers of the Red Planet. That's a near miss, equivalent to just over 1/3 the Earth-Moon distance. Great views of the comet for denizens of planet Earth's southern hemisphere are possible now, though. This telescopic snapshot from August 29 captured the comet's whitish coma and arcing dust tail sweeping through southern skies. The fabulous field of view includes, the Small Magellanic Cloud and globular star clusters 47 Tucanae (right) and NGC 362 (upper left). Worried about all those spacecraft in Martian orbit? Streaking dust particles from the comet could pose a danger and controllers plan to position Mars orbiters on the opposite side of the planet during the comet's close flyby. via NASA http://ift.tt/1CspU2s
Sep 4, 2014
Following Rocky Mountain National Park on Instagram? They are trying to reach 100K photos with #RMNP to capture 100 years of Rocky using their Instagram account @RockyNPS. They will then select 100 photos to create an @instagram art gallery which will be on display during their re-dedication ceremony in September 2015. by usinterior
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Frogs love a rainy day to explore new ponds. Many small young frogs have been seen lately on Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. Here's a unique find on the refuge - an albino wood frog. This 43,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge includes over 20 lakes, three rivers and hundreds of marshes and woodland ponds. The Refuge is host to over 250 birds, including nesting bald eagles, scarlet tanagers, golden-wing warblers, and ruffed grouse. Tamarac is a premier site for a growing trumpeter swan population. Visitors can search for white-tail deer, porcupine, beaver, river otter, black bear, or the elusive gray wolf along the scenic auto tour route. Observation platforms with spotting scopes enhance your viewing opportunities. An attractive visitor center offers a spectacular vista of the marshes and trees that are typical of Tamarac Refuge. A theater presentation provides orientation to the life and legends of this unique area. Your purchase at the small gift shop of wildlife books and locally made crafts serves as a fund-raiser of the Friends of Tamarac for educational programs and habitat enhancements. Enjoy hiking trails, historic sites, hunting and fishing. The Visitor Center is open weekdays year round 8am-4pm as well as summer and fall weekends 10am-5pm. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) by usinterior
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