Random Photos

[collinsmark]

But it was captured by Hubble:
View attachment 353877

It looks rather different though :)

The observation with the spitzer telescope comes closer:
View attachment 353878

Here some more and a comparison:
https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/videos/1102-Video

Part of it was done by Hubble (i.e., HST). But I don't think the whole thing was. I'm pretty sure the rest was done with a wider field telescope.

Here's an an article from Hubblesite.org:
https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2003/news-2003-11.html?news=true

"The composite picture is a seamless blend of ultra-sharp images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope combined with the wide view of the Mosaic Camera on the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Ariz."

I'm pretty sure the reason they referenced Hubble in the link you gave, is not to say that HST imaged the whole thing, but rather that they were comparing visible to infrared, and Hubble (HST) is in the visible.

[Edit: By the way, I have new data from my backyard telescope (C14 EdgeHD) of The Helix Nebula in the queue to be processed. It was shot in the visible spectrum, of course, but with narrowband filters. I'll post it in a few weeks in the "Our Beautiful Universe" thread." So far, it looks very promising. It's amazing what you can do with a backyard telescope these days.]

 

[Tom.G]

It's amazing what you can do with a backyard telescope these days.

... and high-end software, a knack for artistry, and weeks of free time!

Nice work @collinsmark.

 

[pinball1970]

The Lass O'Gowrie

 

[jtbell]

If you look carefully, you can also see geese on the far shore of the pond.

 

[pinball1970]

Hyde

Evergreens and deciduous

 

[pinball1970]

This hill beat me, I failed to get a decent Manchester skyline behind me. Next time.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Just got back from a vacation at Disneyworld, (IMO) an ideal location to use wide angle lenses; perfect for capturing big things in small spaces:

Zeiss 15/2.8 on Nikon D810. Straight jpg files from the camera.

 

[WWGD]

Maybe not quite random, but good news nonetheless. The restauration of Notre Dame:

 

[morrobay]

Seafood market today

 

[berkeman]

Pretty amazing and inspiring...

 

[jtbell]

I passed this place in Alma, Georgia today.

Could this be where George Jetson does his banking?

 

[jtbell]

Nice view of Venus last night.

 

[WWGD]

Nice view of Venus last night.

View attachment 354145

I love Venus' Hampton Inn !

 

[jtbell]

I re-lived a quintessential coastal Florida experience today: getting stuck in a traffic jam waiting for a drawbridge (far left) to come back down.

 

[jtbell]

North Beach Park in Fernandina Beach FL yesterday:

 

[jtbell]

The Monument of States in Kissimmee FL, today:

 

[berkeman]

The Monument of States in Kissimmee FL, today:

Dat's weird...

 

[jtbell]

Dat's weird...

Dat's Florida for ya...

 

[jtbell]

In DeLand FL, today: the mansion of John B. Stetson, the Western hat guy.

No, that's not me.

I also wanted to visit the university in DeLand that bears his name, but traffic and parking downtown were completely messed up because of the city's Christmas parade today.

 

[jtbell]

Today I did a day-trip to Tampa FL. As I was entering town, heading to the place where I've parked before, I ran into closed streets and detours. Another Christmas parade? No, it was the Ybor City Cigar Festival!

 

[jtbell]

Ybor City is also known for its free-range chickens.

Why didn't the chickens cross the road?

Because they were having too much fun hanging out in the middle of it.

 

[Flyboy]

If you’ve ever seen in flight refueling before, how hard do you think it is?

It’s harder than it looks, that’s for sure.

Lots of fine adjustments needed to stay in position, both in terms of flight control surfaces and throttles. I think the longest I stayed connected was maybe 10 seconds at a stretch, which for a first try isn’t bad. But hey, I spent enough cumulative time on the boom that I left with more fuel than when I started.

 

[jack action]

If you’ve ever seen in flight refueling before, how hard do you think it is?

It’s harder than it looks, that’s for sure.

View attachment 354331

Lots of fine adjustments needed to stay in position, both in terms of flight control surfaces and throttles. I think the longest I stayed connected was maybe 10 seconds at a stretch, which for a first try isn’t bad. But hey, I spent enough cumulative time on the boom that I left with more fuel than when I started.

Seems pretty easy to me:

 

[berkeman]

the longest I stayed connected was maybe 10 seconds at a stretch, which for a first try isn’t bad.

Have you tried other aircraft? That F4 is a flying brick, as you know...

 

[gmax137]

Seems pretty easy to me:

View attachment 354339​

Which way is the flow? Presents to the flyboys or veggies to the reindeer?

 

[Borg]

Which way is the flow? Presents to the flyboys or veggies to the reindeer?

I thought that it was a milk or hot cocoa delivery.

 

[Flyboy]

Have you tried other aircraft? That F4 is a flying brick, as you know...

I have, actually, but only probe and drogue in an A-4E Skyhawk. That’s a whole different critter, especially when you have to raise the seat and put your head to the left or right to actually see the probe (canopy frame blocks it) but at least DCS doesn’t have the basket wiggling around like IRL.

The Skyhawk is a twitchy little thing, too. Light fuel load and no ordinance lets you hit up to 720°/second roll rates. The heavier Phantom is actually noticeably more docile in formation because of it being so heavy. I am expecting much more trouble with the Phantom once I start packing bombs and external fuel tanks… reports from both IRL and DCS indicate that you need to put one engine into afterburner to stay on the boom when fully loaded up and nearly full of fuel.

 

[jtbell]

I thought that it was a milk or hot cocoa delivery.

Maybe eggnog?

 

[phinds]

The Monument of States in Kissimmee FL, today:

Reminds me of the family that went through Kissimmee and, having stopped for lunch, were guessing whether it was KISS-A-ME or KA-SEE-ME.

They didn't really much care but as the dad was paying for the food, he asked the guy at the cash register, "Hey, how DO you pronounce the name of this place?"

Guy gave him SUCH a look and very clearly articulated "BURR GERR KING"

 

[jtbell]

"Hey, how DO you pronounce the name of this place?"

Guy gave him SUCH a look and very clearly articulated "BURR GERR KING"

The version I heard took place in Hawaii, at a TAH KOH BELL.

 

[jtbell]

Need any Florida agricultural products? The "Nuthouse" on US-1 at I-95 south of St. Augustine seems to have most of them.

 

[phinds]

The version I heard took place in Hawaii, at a TAH KOH BELL.

How else do you pronounce Taco Bell ?

OOPS ... never mind

 

[jtbell]

On my way home from Florida, I stopped in Claxton, Georgia, which has been called the "Fruit Cake Capital of the World".

Of course, I had to buy some.

When I was a kid, my mother always bought some as Christmas approached. At the college where my wife I used to teach, the faculty/staff Christmas luncheon always included handing them out to attendees.

 

[phinds]

Drool. I've been eating that same loaf every Xmas season for decades. No one in my family likes it except me, so I get it all to myself. Since I've been told that I'm one of the only 3 people in North America who actually likes the stuff, you must be one of the other two

 

[Borg]

I thought that people only used it for a door stop.