The Harvest Moon of September 16, 2016, rising over the badlands of the Red Deer River valley from Orkney Viewpoint, north of Drumheller, Alberta. The blue arc of the rising shadow of the Earth projected onto the upper atmosphere curves across the sky, mirroring the curving arc of the river below. A photographer at far right captures the scene of the moonrise over the Badlands. This is a 7-section single-tier panorama with the 20mm Sigma lens and Nikon D750 at ISO 100. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.
The waxing gibbous Moon, two days before full and the true Harvest Moon, rising over a just-swathed (that afternoon!) wheatfield near home in southern Alberta. The blue arc of the Earth’s shadow is rising almost due east at the end of the windrows which are oriented east-west. The pink Belt of Venus above the shadow arc was not obvious tonight. Some very subtle anti-crepuscular rays converge toward the anti-solar point where the Moon will be on Full Moon night. This is a 6-segment panorama with the 24mm lens and Nikon D750, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.
The August 24, 2016 conjunction of Mars (in the middle) and Saturn (above Mars), with both planets above the star Antares in Scorpius, all low in the southwest over the Bow River, at Blackfoot Crossing, Alberta. The site is overlooking the Bow River valley and the traditional meeting place on the Bow for the Blackfoot Nation, and where Treaty Seven was signed in 1877. Today, just behind where I stood for this image is the impressive Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park and museum run by the Siksika Nation. The Milky Way is to the left and the last glow of sunset twilight to the right. Clouds added the natural glows around the planets and stars. Unfortunately, light pollution discolours the horizon. This is a panorama of two images, with the Nikon D750 and 24mm Sigma lens, for 20 seconds at f/2 and ISO 1600, taken prior to starting a time-lapse sequence. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.
