Solar System - Sun
The Shifting Sunset Through the Seasons
This demonstrates the shifting sunset point through the seasons. This is a 3-image blend of images taken at the March 20, 2019 Equinox (centre), the June 22, 2019 Summer Solstice (at right, or technically the day after solstice), and at the December 21, 2019 Winter Solstice (at left). All were taken from the same location and with the same camera and lens. The composite shows the changing position of the sunset point, from far to the northwest at right in summer, to due west at centre at the equinoxes, and far to the southwest at left at the winter solstice. Snow covered the field in March and December but was green field in June with the crop just starting to grow. This is from a latitude of 51° N from southern Alberta. From farther north the shift would be even more pronounced. Here at this latitude ther change in azimith is about +/- 40° — i.e. 40° south of due west at the winter solstice and 40° north of due west at the summer solstice. The Sun sets due west only at the two equinoxes. I shot the March vernal equinox for this demo, as the sky was too cloudy to include the September autumnal equinox Sun. As it was, clouds on the horizon prevented a clear view of the setting Sun at the two solstices, but the bright sunset points are still apparent. All were with the Nikon D750 and Sigma 14mm Art lens, blended in Photoshop with gradient masks.
The Shifting Sunset Through the Seasons (with Labels)
This demonstrates the shifting sunset point along the horizon through the seasons. This is a 3-image blend of images taken at the March 20, 2019 Equinox (centre), the June 22, 2019 Summer Solstice (at right, or technically the day after solstice), and at the December 21, 2019 Winter Solstice (at left). All were taken from the same location and with the same camera and lens. The composite shows the changing position of the sunset point, from far to the northwest at right in summer, to due west at centre at the equinoxes, and far to the southwest at left at the winter solstice. Snow covered the field in March and December but was green field in June with the crop just starting to grow. This is from a latitude of 51° N from southern Alberta. From farther north the shift would be even more pronounced. Here at this latitude ther change in azimith is about +/- 40° — i.e. 40° south of due west at the winter solstice and 40° north of due west at the summer solstice. The Sun sets due west only at the two equinoxes. I shot the March vernal equinox for this demo, as the sky was too cloudy to include the September autumnal equinox Sun. As it was, clouds on the horizon prevented a clear view of the setting Sun at the two solstices, but the bright sunset points are still apparent. All were with the Nikon D750 and Sigma 14mm Art lens, blended in Photoshop with gradient masks.
Sunset Trail in Forest Fire Smoke
The Sun setting into a pall of forest fire smoke over Alberta from fires in B.C. and elsewhere, on August 17, 2018. This shows the dimming and reddening of the Sun as it set, with it disappearing from view long before it reached the horizon. This was from home in southern Alberta, and is a Lighten blend mode stack of 20o images taken at 1-minute intervals, and shot on Auto Exposure with the Canon 6D MkII and 35mm lens. Stacking was with the Advanced Stacker Plus actions in Photoshop.
The Sun setting into a pall of forest fire smoke over Alberta from fires in B.C. and elsewhere, on August 17, 2018. This shows the dimming and reddening of the Sun as it set, with it disappearing from view long before it reached the horizon. This was from home in southern Alberta, and is a Lighten blend mode stack of 20 images taken at 10 minute intervals, and shot on Auto Exposure with the Canon 6D MkII and 35mm lens. The frames are part of a larger 200-frame timelapse processed with LRTimelapse.
Big Sunspots on the Sun (Sept. 4, 2017)
Particularly large groups of sunspots on the Sun on September 4, 2017. The group at bottom is AR 2673, the group at top is 2674. The small spot at left on the emerging limb is AR 2677, while the groups disappearing at right are AR 2675 (top) and AR 2776. I shot this through the 130mm Astro-Physics refractor with a 2x Barlow lens for an effective focal length of 1500mm and with the Canon 60Da camera for an image that just filled the frame.
The setting Sun at the Twelve Apostles sea stacks and cliffs on the Great Ocean Road, on April 12, 2017. This is an HDR stack of 7 exposures from long to short to compress the dynamic range from bright Sun and dark foreground. This nicely demonstrates the Rule of Thirds framing and composition. Merged in Adobe Camera Raw.
Sunset colours over Deadhorse Lake in southern Alberta, on July 8, 2016. The waxing crescent Moon shines amid the colourful clouds. I shot this as part of a 900-frame motion control time-lapse sequence.
Sunset at Deadhorse Lake with Abandoned Farmstead #2
Sunset at Deadhorse Lake, in southern Alberta, with an abandoned farmstead building at the foreground element. The waxing crescent Moon is at left amid the sky colours and clouds. Taken July 8, 2016 as part of a 1000-frame time-lapse sequence.
A cloudscape of a thunderstorm and rainbow fragment in the light of the low Sun from home in southern Alberta, July 3, 2016. A wonderful sky of colours, shades, and shapes. Certainly a Turneresque sky. This is a panorama stitch of 8 segments with the Sigma 20mm lens and Nikon D750.
A cloudscape of a thunderstorm and rainbow fragments in the light of the low Sun from home in southern Alberta, July 3, 2016. The clouds exhibit mammatiform cells from downdrafts. The Sun is also casting some anti-crepuscular cloud shadows converging on the centre of the rainbow arc, the anti-solar point. This is a panorama stitch of 8 segments with the Sigma 20mm lens and Nikon D750.
A very red Sun in the west amid smoke from forest fires, on August 27, 2015, from southern Alberta.
The Sun in smoke from Washington State forest fires obscuring skies in southern Alberta, August 25, 2015. The Sun was dim enough to observe naked eye and throigh binoculars at times. A large sunspot group, #AR2403, was just visible naked eye. This is a compopsite two exposures taken with no filter: a short exposire (for the Sun disk to show the sunspot) and a longer exposure (for the sky), both taken through a 200mm telephoto lens with 1.4x extender on the Canon 60Da, to replicate the view through binoculars.
Sunset Panorama at Monument Valley
A 6-section panorama of Monument Valley from the main viewpoint near The View hotel, overlooking the West and East Mittens and Merrick Butte. I shot this with the Canon 60Da and 24mm lens, stitching the segments in Photoshop.
Iridescent Clouds at Chaco Canyon
Iridescent clouds near the Sun in the afternoon sky over the Pueblo Bonito ruins at Chaco Canyon at the Chaco Culture National Hiistoric Site.
Rising Red Sun over Wheatfield
The rising Sun coming up very red amid hazy skies, at dawn on Aug 8, 2014, shot from home in Alberta. Shot with the Canon 6D and 200mm lens, handheld, with metered exposure.
The red setting Sun in haze, casting shadows across the sky – crepuscular rays - and lighting the clouds, over a ripening wheatfield near home in Alberta. This is an HDR stack of 5 exposures, handheld, with the 24mm lens and Canon 6D, at 2/3rd stop intervals, and composited with Photomatix Pro. Taken August 6,, 2014.
The setting Sun on June 30, 2014 as it set into a hazy or dusty sky and turned deep red/magenta, above the horizon clouds. I shot this through the 66mm William Optics apo refractor with the Canon 60Da camera at ISO 100. This is a composite of two exposures: longer for the sky and shorter for the Sun and details on the disk. A large sunspot group is on the eastern limb. This was shot without a filter -- atmospheric extinction dimmed the Sun enough naturally.
Iridescent Clouds at White Sands #3
Iridescent clouds near the Sun, December 10, 2013, taken from White Sands National Monument, New Mexico prior to shooting the sunset. Taken with the 135mm telephoto and Canon 5D MkII, metered and hand held. The effect did not last long as the clouds drifted off the area of sky near the Sun.
Iridescent Clouds at White Sands #1
Iridescent clouds near the Sun, December 10, 2013, taken from White Sands National Monument, New Mexico prior to shooting the sunset. Taken with the 135mm telephoto and Canon 5D MkII, metered and hand held. The effect did not last long as the clouds drifted off the area of sky near the Sun.
Harvest Moon Panorama (Sept 19, 2013)
A panorama of the rising Harvest Moon and setting Sun on September 19, 2013, taken from the hill near home. This is a 12-section panorama covering 360°, with each frame taken with the Canon 5D MkII and 50mm Sigma lens. The dark arc of the Earth's shadow is at left, with the Full Moon embedded in it. Each frame was 1/50 sec at f/5.6 and ISO 100.
Horseshoe Canyon Sunset (August 11, 2013)
Sunset at Horseshoe Canyon, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, Alberta, on August 11, 2013. This is a 7-image HDR stack at 2/3rds stop increments, stacked in HDR Pro in Photoshop. Shot with the Canon 60Da and 135mm lens at f/6.3 and ISO 100.
Sunrise on June 4, 2012, the morning of a partial lunar eclipse. This is an HDR stack of 3 exposures 1 f-stop apart, with the Canon 60Da at ISO 160 and the 18-200mm Sigma lens at 42mm, taken from home in southern Alberta.
Equinox Sunset (Sept 23, 2011)
Sunset at autumn equinox, Sept 23, 2011, taken from Highway 1 at the Cluny/Highway 842 intersection, looking west. This is an HDR stack of 6 exposures 2/3rd stop apart, with 200mm lens at f/8 and ISO 100 with the Canon 7D. The de-ghosting did not get rid of all the extra cars on the highway.
Solar Prominences (June 5, 2011)
This is a composite of two exposures, a short 1/13s second shot to record the disk detail, and a long 1/2 second shot to record the limb prominences. There were three very large prominences this day. This was taken with the little Sony DSC-V1 (2003 vintage) point and shoot camera and a Scopetronix 40mm eyepiece and and afocal adapter, looking into the little Coronado PST H-alpha solar scope, undriven. A DSLR would be better but does not reach focus with the PST scope. It is tough to focus the stack so it is a bit of a guess. A crude system but in a pinch it does work.