Star Captures

The top image is a stacked composite of 86 separate images taken from 8:44-9:30 pm CDT, Saturday, March 28, 2015. Each image is a 30-second exposure at f/5, 200 ISO and 18mm focal length. The camera was allowed to shoot continuously by locking the remote cord to "on." The images looks north along Jordans Grove Road NE of Marion, Iowa. A half-moon and light pollution from the foreground made achieving a dark sky very difficult. The star Polaris can be seen at top center. The middle image is one of the 86 images shot from above. Across the bottom image from left can be seen: the constellations Orion and Taurus, the star cluster Pleiades and the -4.01 magnitude planet Venus. This image was captured at 9:34 pm and is a nine-second exposure at f/5, 800 ISO and 18mm focal length. The horizon glow is from the city of Marion. Air temperature during this time was 32 degrees F with a brisk 25-degree wind chill.

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Venus-led Celestial Love Triangle

The planets Venus, Mars and a crescent moon formed a celestial right triangle in the western sky at dusk on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Venus (upper left) blazed at magnitude -4.0, while Mars (right of the moon) appeared much less bright at magnitude 1.34. Both of these images were captured from the Bowman Meadows housing development in Marion, Iowa, the top at 8:12 PM CDT and the bottom at 8:19 PM. Nikon D5000 DSLR images were captured with automatic settings. Air temperature was 45 degrees F. This clear sky opportunity was replaced by a winter mix a little over 24 hours later. The waxing moon was one day removed from creating a solar eclipse in various parts of the world.

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Grain Bins And Night Sky

The afterglow of sunset, a brilliant planet Venus and the aesthetic silhouette of a cluster of farm grain bins provided these striking images Tuesday evening, March 17, 2015. The location was Jordans Grove Road, about .6-mile north of Radio Road, approximately between the towns of Marion and Whitier Iowa. Air temperature was a brisk 35 degrees F. The top two images face west and were captured at 7:46 and 7:49 PM CDT, respectively. The bottom image looks NW at 7:53 PM. A chance to view Northern Lights from a strong geomagnetic storm this night was quickly eliminated by encroaching clouds. Nikon D5000 DSLR images achieved using automatic settings.

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Evening Planetary Companions

The planets Venus and Mars were prominent in the western sky at 8:07 PM CDT, Wednesday, March 11, 2015 with the fading glow of the sun still on the horizon. Venus (upper right) shone like a brilliant jewel at magnitude -3.98, with Mars (below and right of Venus) at 1.31. This image was captured as an eleven second exposure at f/9, 1000 ISO and 26mm focal length. Nikon D5000 DSLR. The location was Alburnett Road (W58), .3-mile north of County Home Road, just north of Marion, Iowa. Foreground illumination provided by the tail lights of my vehicle. Air temperature was 42 degrees F.

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