Not Quite White-Knuckle Driving, but Close...

 

The return home from a family Christmas gathering in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, December 14, 2024 was not a recommended one for most drivers--temperatures hovering around 33-32 degree F with freezing rain falling, at times heavy. The above image from 2:34 pm, shows an icicle-draped speed limit sign while eastbound on US Highway 30, in eastern Benton County.

2:35 pm. A closeup of iced highway signs in Benton County.

2:41 pm. Entering Linn County along US Highway 30.

2:45 pm Radarscope capture, showing heavier precipitation behind us. We were fortunate to stay ahead of it.

2:47 pm. Electronic sign warning of snowplows in use on the highway.

2:49 pm. ADM plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa shrouded in freezing rain and its own emissions as seen from US Highway 30. We would make it home safely, but not without our share of stress! Nikon Z6ii camera.

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The Year in Review: The Best of 2024

 

The year 2024 offered me some significant photo opportunities, and the following list, in my opinion, stood out for review. The year's events started with the above picture of a sundog seen from Marion, Iowa on Sunday, January 14. Air temperature was -16 F.

Not wanting to drive solo farther south and east to witness the second total solar eclipse in 7 years, I instead chose a location for a partial eclipse near Mount Union, Iowa on Monday, April 8. The above image is a sequential composite of the eclipse at that location.

This rapidly rotating EF3 tornado northwest of Harlan, Iowa on Friday, April 26 was one of 8 tornadoes we personally witnessed that day out of the total of 25 that spun up in the states of Nebraska and Iowa.

A G4-rated geomagnetic storm produced aurora like that seen in this image northeast of Marion, Iowa on the evening of Friday, May 10.

An intense severe-warned storm approached this truck stop location near Toddville, Iowa from the southwest during the evening of Tuesday, May 21.

A shelf cloud with a QLCS tornado at its leading edge blew through Linn County north of Marion, Iowa during the afternoon of Monday, May 27.

The core of the Milky Way glowed spectacularly from Cottonwood Camp in the Grand Canyon, Arizona during the early hours of Monday, June 17. The image was captured during our group's four-day backpacking hike from the North to the South Rim.

A gust front shelf cloud kicked up dirt and debris as it blew through this truck stop near Ainsworth, Iowa during the evening of Tuesday, July 2.

The blue lights of the High Trestle Bridge over the Des Moines River in Boone County contrasted well with a colorful sunset during the evening hours of Friday, August 16.

The rare combination of a partial lunar eclipse with a Supermoon was striking as it shone over the reflective Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, September 17.

A powerful G4-G5 geomagnetic solar storm produced vivid red and green aurora such as those seen in this view from northeast of Marion, Iowa on Thursday evening, October 10.

One of the brightest comets in several years (Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas 3) made its appearance in October, with this view of the icy celestial visitor in the western sky near Marion, Iowa during the evening of Sunday, October 13. Nikon Z6ii camera.

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Mammatus? Well, Close.

A line of showers was approaching the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metro area on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, and there were turbulent winds aloft associated with it. The above view, looking northwest from the Interstate 380 off-ramp at Boyson Road in Hiawatha, Iowa at 3:06 pm CST, shows the approaching quasi-mammatus clouds over a construction site located there. iPhone 11 camera.

3:32 pm. Looking west from Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids.

3:37 pm. Another view looking west. The spine-like formations reminded me of a giant trilobite fossil in the sky!

Radarscope image of the line of clouds.

3:39 pm. Looking north. The clouds in this area are very turbulent. Not what you usually see in the skies of Iowa in November! Nikon Z6ii camera.

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Hunter's Supermoon or Super Hunter's Moon

 

The full moon during the evening of Wednesday, October 16, 2024 was the biggest and brightest of the year, also being classified as a "supermoon." A supermoon is a full moon at its closest approach--or perigee--to Earth. Full moons in the month of October are also known as "Hunter's Moons." The following images of the moon look east beside or over the old First Methodist Episcopal Church at 8th Avenue and 12th Street in Marion, Iowa. The above foreground image was captured at 7:02 pm CDT and is a 3 second exposure at f/7.1, ISO 125, 49mm focal length. The moon is a 1/400 second exposure, f/5, ISO 100, 70mm focal length.

6:56 pm. 1.6 second exposure at f/7.1, ISO 125, 70mm focal length.

6:54 pm. 1/320 second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 125, 70mm focal length. Nikon Z6ii camera.

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Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS--With a Short Window

Optimists for the Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS were predicting brightness surpassing the planet Venus and possibly being visible during the daylight. Reality was that the comet shone at a magnitude of about 3.3 for the northern hemisphere in late September (2024), and was viewed low in the eastern sky before dawn. It shifted to the evening sky on October 10 and made its closest approach to Earth on October 12---which was to be its brightest and best viewing evening. Alas, on October 11, 12 and 14 in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metro area skies were overcast, precluding any possibility of seeing it on those dates. October 13 offered a brief opportunity to finally see it. On October 13 the comet was beginning to dim (magnitude 3), but I was still able to locate it with the naked eye after the sky began to darken. I had seen a locational graphic on the internet, showing its position roughly between the -3.97 magnitude planet Venus and the -0.07 magnitude star Arcturus. This proved to be very helpful as I had expected it to be closer to Venus. The image above, captured at 7:13 pm CDT, looks west from Lowe Park in Marion, Iowa  (42° 4'5.11"N,  91°36'17.06"W), and is a 5 second exposure at f/4, ISO 125, 37mm focal length. The identical image below contains helpful descriptions of the celestial bodies.

7:28 pm. Growing darkness reveals more of the comet and its tail. 3 second exposure at f/4, ISO 400, 59mm focal length.

7:32 pm. 4 second exposure at f/4, ISO 400, 59mm focal length. By 7:45 pm, the comet became more diffuse and dimmer as it dipped lower toward the horizon and its thicker atmosphere.

Cropped version of the image above it. I would view this comet as slightly less impressive than the Comet Neowise (2020). The best and brightest comet I have ever witnessed was Hale-Bopp in 1997, which peaked at magnitude -1.8, and coming in second was Comet Hyakutake, which peaked at magnitude 0 the year before. Major busts to the eye were the comets Kohoutek in 1973-74 and Halley in 1986. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS continues to be visible in the evenings, but dims with each day. I won't wait around for it to return with a possible better appearance because that won't happen again for another 80,000 years! Nikon Z6ii camera.

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Severe Weather Over Eastern Iowa--From Space

 

During a time of active solar activity, a predicted event for Thursday, October 10, 2024 looked to be even better. The notification shown above from spaceweather.com on October 9, hinted at G4 to even G5 geomagnetic severe storm levels, which could produce communication disruptions and vivid auroral diplays (Northern Lights). 

6:49 pm CDT, Thursday, October 10, 2024. Evening is coming with clear skies, and I selected my aurora viewing location--about 1.1 miles east of Highway 13 northeast of Marion, Iowa (42° 4'18.79"N,  91°32'7.19"W) on Tower View Road. iPhone 11 camera.

7:03 pm. Solar wind data and auroral forecast the Auroral Alerts application, showing promising readings.

7:21 pm. Looking north. The faint shapes of aurora are starting to materialize, despite light disruption from a half-moon. 8 second exposure at f/4, ISO 320, 24mm focal length.

7:32 pm. Looking north. Light pillars from the brightening aurora are becoming evident. 15 second exposure at f/4, ISO 320, 24mm focal length.

7:46 pm. Looking north. Some violet pillars form (left). 13 second exposure at f/4, ISO 500, 24mm focal length.

7:52 pm. Solar wind data and auroral forecast. Note the area of severity in the right panel (red).

8:08 pm. More pillars are forming as the aurora intensifies. 10 second exposure at f/4, ISO 500, 24mm focal length.

8:32 pm. Solar wind data and auroral forecast. Severe red areas have penetrated the northern tier states of the U.S.

8:34 pm. Looking northwest. Red aurora are beginning to form in the geomagnetic storm. Red auroras are caused when solar particles "excite" oxygen atoms at higher altitudes--indicating strong activity, while greens are from oxygen atoms at lower altitudes. 13 second exposure at f/4, ISO 500, 24mm focal length.

8:43 pm. Looking northwest. 20 second exposure at f/4, ISO 200, 24mm focal length.

8:46 pm. Looking north. Brighter auroras beginning to form as storm intensifies. 15 second exposure at f/4, ISO 320, 24mm focal length.

8:52 pm. Looking northwest. Reds, violets and greens showing. 20 second exposure at f/4, ISO 250, 24mm focal length.

8:51 pm solar wind data and 9:04 pm auroral forecast.

8:55 pm. Similar view looking northwest. 20 second exposure at f/4, ISO 200, 24mm focal length.

8:57 pm. Similar view. Red auroras intensifying. 20 second exposure at f/4, ISO 160, 24mm focal length.

9:00 pm. Looking northeast. Reds and greens in bright aurora display. 20 second exposure at f/4, ISO 160, 24mm focal length. 6 second exposure at f/4, ISO 500, 24mm focal length.

9:04 pm. Looking north. Blends of reds and greens. Aurora is exhibiting a "curtain" look. 13 second exposure at f/4, ISO 200, 24mm focal length.

9:09 pm. Looking northwest. Note the Big Dipper at right. 15 second exposure at f/4, ISO 160, 24mm focal length.

9:16 pm. Looking northwest. Storm intensity is beginning to subside. Shortly after this image was captured, I returned home. This geomagnetic storm was comparable to the April 23, 2023 event, but since this time there was a half-moon disrupting the dark skies, I was not able to witness what I called in 2023 "ripples in the atmosphere phenomena." The storm continued at diminished levels through the night. 15 second exposure at f/4, ISO 125, 24mm focal length. Nikon Z6ii camera.

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