Dawn Twilight Panorama with Planets (June 26, 2022)

A panorama of the morning twilight on June 26, 2022, with the waning crescent Moon in conjunction with Venus low in the north-east and with Mars and Jupiter above. This shows the transition of colours across the spectrum in the dawn twilight. There is a faint wisp of noctilucent cloud at top above the star Capella. This illustrates the line of the ecliptic. And the "big sky" of a prairie dawn. This is a panorama cropped from 8 segments, each 0.8-seconds with the RF28-70mm lens at f/2.8, and Canon R5 at ISO 100. Stitched with Photoshop as Camera Raw oddly refused to stitch all the segments.

Conjunction of the Moon and Venus at Dawn with NLCs (June 26, 2022)

A wide-angle view of the conjunction of the waning crescent Moon with Venus low in the northeast dawn sky on June 26, 2022, taken from home in southern Alberta, latitude 51° N. Earthshine is visible on the dark side of the Moon. And above are some wispy noctilucent clouds, with the star Capella at left. The sky exhibits the wonderful transition of colours from the orange at the horizon through the spectrum to the blues at top. This is a single 0.8-second exposure with the RF28-70mm lens at 28mm and f/2.8 on the Canon R5 at ISO 100.

The Planet Array at Dawn with Labels (June 26, 2022)

A 180° panorama of the array of the planets in the dawn twiliight on June 26, 2022, with the thin waning crescent Moon just above Venus low in the northeast at centre. At left is a display of wispy noctilucent clouds. The planets from left to right in their correct order out from the Sun are: Venus (low), Mars & Jupiter, and Saturn (at far right). The Pleiades is faintly visible in the twilight above the Venus-Moon pairing. The previous two mornings, when the Moon was between Venus and Mars in the correct order out from he Sun, was alas cloudy. This is a panorama of 11 segments, each 4 seconds at f/2.8 with the RF28-70mm lens at 37mm, and Canon R5 at ISO 100. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

The Array of Planets at Dawn on Summer Solstice (with Labels)

The array of four naked-eye planets at dawn on summer solstice morning, June 21, 2022, with Venus at centre low in the twilight; Mars and Jupiter at right of centre; and Saturn at far right, plus the waning last quarter Moon below Jupiter. Unusually, the planets appear from east to west across the sky in the same order as they are in distance out from the Sun. As a bonus, a fading display of noctilucent clouds appears at left in the northern sky. This was from home at latitude 51° North, where the bright sky and low altitude of the planets made it tough to capture them more distinctly. However, they were all easily visible to the naked eye. While Mercury was just rising at this time to the left and below of Venus, it does not appear here as it was too low and lost in the bright twilight. It was not visible in binoculars. This is a panorama of 10 segments, each 0.6-seconds, with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 35mm and f/2.8, with the Canon R5 at ISO 100. Stitched with Camera Raw. The original image is 29,400 pixels wide.

The Array of Planets at Dawn on Summer Solstice

The array of four naked-eye planets at dawn on summer solstice morning, June 21, 2022, with Venus at centre low in the twilight; Mars and Jupiter at right of centre; and Saturn at far right, plus the waning last quarter Moon below Jupiter. Unusually, the planets appear from east to west across the sky in the same order as they are in distance out from the Sun. As a bonus, a fading display of noctilucent clouds appears at left in the northern sky. This was from home at latitude 51° North, where the bright sky and low altitude of the planets made it tough to capture them more distinctly. However, they were all easily visible to the naked eye. While Mercury was just rising at this time to the left and below of Venus, it does not appear here as it was too low and lost in the bright twilight. It was not visible in binoculars. This is a panorama of 10 segments, each 0.6-seconds, with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 35mm and f/2.8, with the Canon R5 at ISO 100. Stitched with Camera Raw. The original image is 29,400 pixels wide.

Noctilucent Clouds Panorama (June 20, 2022)

A panorama of NLCs – noctilucent clouds – aka PMCs or polar mesospheric clouds, taken on June 20, 2022 about 11:40 pm MDT, from home in southern Alberta. After many cloudy nights and some clear nights with no NLCs, this was my first sighting since June 1. The bright luminous mesospheric clouds lit by sunlight at high altitude contrast with the dark tropospheric clouds to the left at low altitude. The bright star Capella in Auriga, low in the north and circumpolar from my latitude of 51° N, is left of centre. The stars of Perseus are at upper right. This is a panorama cropped from 9 segments of 5-second exposures, with the RF24-105mm lens at f/4 and 80mm, and with the Canon R5 at ISO 400. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Noctilucent Clouds Panorama (June 1, 2022)

A panorama of an early-season appearance of noctilucent clouds on the night of June 1-2, 2022. This is from home in southern Alberta, Canada at latitude 51° N, and taken at midnight, MDT. This was my earliest sighting of NLCs, three weeks before solstice. This is a panorama of 8 segments, each 25 seconds with the 24-105mm RF lens at 105mm, on the red-sensitive Canon Ra at ISO 1600. Stitched in ACR.

Noctilucent Clouds in Twilight (July 8, 2021)

A mix of noctilucent clouds with tropospheric clouds in the twilight over a ripening canola field, July 8, 2021. This is a single exposure with the Canon 15-35mm L series lens on the Canon R6 camera at ISO 100.

Circumpolar Star Trails with Noctilucent Clouds

An extensive display of noctilucent clouds blended with a star trail sequence of the circumpolar stars of the northern sky. This is a stack of thirty 30-second exposures taken at the end of a sequence of 450 shots, taken when the sky was darkest with the most stars visible, blended with a shorter exposure taken earlier in the night when the noctilucent clouds were more extensive across the twilight sky. So this is a "time-blend" of frames taken from a set shot for a time-lapse. All with the TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens at f/2.8 and on the Canon R6.

The Prismatic Colours of Noctilucent Clouds

A superb showing of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) on June 27, 2021, with the colours very prominent, even to the eye. The colours transition from the red and oranges of the solstice twilight, through to yellows and even greens above (these were obvious to the eye), then to the cyan and electric blue of the clouds themselves. The tops of the clouds fade to a deep red as they are being illuminated there by the setting Sun at their altitude and latitude and so appear red, with that red edge decreasing in altitude as the evening progressed as the Sun set lower below the horizon. A widespread area of very clear sky locally and far to the north may have contributed to the better visibility of the colours as the light from the Sun had a clearer path through the atmosphere. This was June 27-28, 2021, in a particularly widespread display that started the evening with the clouds filling the northern half of the sky,. This was from home and is a panorama stitched from 9 segments, each with the 24-105mm f/4 RF lens at 67mm, and Canon R6 camera.

Selfie with Noctilucent Clouds v2

A selfie with a grand display of noctilucent clouds on June 27, 2021, shot from home. This is a single shot with the 24-105mm f/4 RF lens and Canon Ra camera.

Selfie with Noctilucent Clouds v1

A selfie with a grand display of noctilucent clouds on June 27, 2021, shot from home. This is a single shot with the 24-105mm f/4 RF lens and Canon Ra camera.

Noctilucent Clouds With Red Rimmed Top (June 27, 2021)

An extensive display of noctilucent clouds starting the evening nearly up to the zenith and covering all of the northern half of the sky on June 27, 2021. This frame is from later in the evening and shows the tops of the clouds starting to turn red as they enter into Earth's shadow and are illuminated only by the red light of the setting Sun as seen from that high altitude in the atmosphere. I shot this from home in southern Alberta, as part of a time-lapse sequence. The camera is aimed almost due north here. Polaris is at upper centre. This is a single shot with the TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens at f/2.8 and on the Canon R6.

Noctilucent Clouds Over the Northern Sky (June 27, 2021)

An extensive display of noctilucent clouds nearly up to the zenith and covering all of the northern half of the sky on June 27, 2021, shot from home in southern Alberta. The camera is aimed almost due north here. This is a single shot with the TTArtisan 11mm full-frame fish-eye lens at f/5.6 and on the Canon R6.

Noctilucent Clouds in Deep Twilight at Crawling Lake

A panorama of noctilucent clouds in the waning stages of a great display, as they retreated to a low but bright band across the northwest and northern horizon, here over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get for us at my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs, with a slight reddish tinge at the tops of the clouds where the Sun is setting. This is a 5-section panorama with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Fragment of Bright NLCs (June 20, 2021)

A short panorama taking in the brightest central portion of the noctilucent clouds display of June 20, 2021 in the deepening colours of solstice twilight. This is over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get for my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs. But some greens always show up in such images. This is an 3-section panorama with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6 oriented in landscape mode (i.e. horizontally), stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Noctilucent Clouds Panorama at Crawling Lake

A 150° panorama showing the full sweep of the noctilucent clouds display of June 20, 2021, in its later stages, as the clouds retreated to a low but bright band across the northwest and northern horizon, here over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get for us at my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs, with a slight reddish tinge at the tops of the clouds where the Sun is setting. This is an 11-section panorama with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6 oriented in landscape mode (i.e. horizontally), stitched with Adobe Camera Raw. There is a version shot just before this one with the camera min portrait mode, and that takes in more sky.

Arc of Noctilucent Clouds (June 20, 2021)

A 150° panorama showing the full sweep and arc of the noctilucent cloud display of June 20, 2021, in its later stages, as the clouds retreated to a low but bright band across the northwest and northern horizon, here over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get at my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs, with a slight reddish tinge at the tops of the clouds where the Sun is setting. This is a crop of a 24-section panorama with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6, in portrait orientation (moving the camera 10° between segments), stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Fish-Eye View of Noctilucent Clouds (June 20, 2021)

A single wide fish-eye view showing the full sweep of the noctilucent clouds display of June 20, 2021, in its later stages, as the clouds retreated to a low but bright band across the northwest and northern horizon, here over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get for us at my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs, with a slight reddish tinge at the tops of the clouds where the Sun is setting. This is a single image with the 11mm TTArtisan full-frame fish-eye lens and Canon R6.

Noctilucent Clouds Panorama at Crawling Lake with 50mm Lens

A 150° panorama showing the full sweep of the noctilucent clouds display of June 20, 2021, early in its appearance, with the clouds still high in the north, though 20 minutes or so before this the clouds reached up to the zenith in the brighter twilight sky. This is over the wind-rippled waters of Crawling Valley Reservoir near home in southern Alberta. The wind prevented the ideal reflection. This was June 20, 2021, the evening of summer solstice this year. So this was the shortest night of the year with the Sun the least distance below the horizon it would get for us at my latitude of 51° N. The colours blend the blue, yellow and orange of the solstice twilight with the blue-white of the NLCs. This is an 11-section panorama with the 50mm Sigma lens and Canon R6 oriented in landscape mode (i.e. horizontally), stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Noctilucent Clouds at Dawn (June 17, 2021)

A 180° panorama of the massive display of noctilucent clouds at dawn on June 17, 2021 from home in southern Alberta. This display was bright and extensive at dusk on June 16, and re-appeared over much of the northeastern sky at dawn. It reached up to the zenith as the sky brightened. This is a panorama of 11 segments with the 24mm lens and Canon R6, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop.

Noctilucent Clouds at One Tree Hill (June 16, 2021)

A single image of the brightest section of the massive "grand display" of noctilucent clouds at dusk on June 16, 2021 from "One Tree Hill" (my name for it!) near home in southern Alberta. This display was bright and extensive at dusk on June 16, and re-appeared over much of the northeastern sky at dawn on June 17. Note the colours — with the NLCs having a reddish tinge at the top where sunlight is reddened as the Sun sets from that altitude and location of the clouds. The lower areas of NLCs often appear green as well. But the main colour of NLCs is electric blue, very much so this night when they were so bright. This is a single image with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6.

Noctilucent Clouds at Dusk with 85mm Lens (June 16, 2021)

A 45° panorama of the massive "grand display" of noctilucent clouds at dusk on June 16, 2021 from "One Tree Hill" near home in southern Alberta. This display was bright and extensive at dusk on June 16, and re-appeared over much of the northeastern sky at dawn on June 17. Note the colours — with the NLCs having a reddish tinge at the top where sunlight is reddened as the Sun sets from that altitude and location of the clouds. The lower areas of NLCs often appear green as well. But the main colour of NLCs is electric blue, very much so this night when they were so bright. The sharp dark edge in the clouds at left is real; it is not a stitching artifact. Capella is the brightest star to the right of the lone tree. This is a panorama of 6 segments with the 85mm Samyang lens and Canon R6, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.

Arc of Noctilucent Clouds (June 16, 2021)

A 90° panorama of the massive "grand display" of noctilucent clouds at dusk on June 16, 2021 from "One Tree Hill" near home in southern Alberta. This display was bright and extensive at dusk on June 16, and re-appeared over much of the northeastern sky at dawn on June 17. This shows the arc of the NLCs, defined at the top by the edge where sunlight is no longer illuminating the clouds, an edge that drops in altitude as the Sun itself drops farther below the horizon. Capella is at centre, Leo and Regulus at far left, and Perseus at right of centre. The main colour of NLCs is electric blue, very much so this night when they were so bright. This is a panorama of 10 segments with the 50mm Sigma lens and Canon R6, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.