Ever-Changing Autumn Weather Conditions in Iowa

Large contrasts in Iowa weather are common in short time segments during the fall. Above, a weak shelf cloud approaches from the west as seen from Tower Terrace Road, about .65-mile east of North Center Point Road in Hiawatha, Iowa at 3:17 pm CDT, Monday, October 24, 2022. Along the line of clouds, which would soon bring much needed rain, were low hanging scud clouds. Scud clouds are condensed as the warmer and moist air ahead of the line is saturated and pushed outward from the storm. They are often erroneously identified to the untrained eye as funnels. 

3:19 pm. Looking west at weak shelf cloud from North Center Point Road, about .15-mile south of Tower Terrace Road in Hiawatha. Air temperature was a balmy 72 degrees F, winds were out of the southeast. iPhone 11 camera.

Fast forward one day following the passing of the cold front and now the winds are out of the northwest, and temperatures are a chilly 44 degrees F. Clouds from the previous day were breaking up, producing this stunning sunset image from Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids. Image captured at 6:19 pm CDT.

Panoramic version of same scene and time. Clouds and color almost have the appearance of a giant regal crown. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Hunting the Hunter's Moon

I sought a tranquil rural setting to best capture the "Hunter's Moon" on Monday evening, October 10, 2022. The moon was actually one day removed from being 100% full (98.3%), but it still promised to be quite showy. I chose a location along North Marion Road, about one-tenth mile north of County Home Road, north of Marion, Iowa. I used the Photo Pills app to gage exactly where the moon would be rising to frame it ahead of time. The image above looks east and shows the moon creeping upward from behind a grove of trees at 7:18 pm CDT. Moonrise was at 7:08 pm. Image is a 1/30 second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 400, 300mm focal length.

This is a composite image, with the foreground captured at 7:06 pm, and the moon at 7:20 pm. Foreground image is a one second exposure at f/4.8, ISO 200, 36mm focal length. Moon is a 1/30 second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 500 and 300mm focal length. Air temperature was 58 degrees F. A "Hunter's Moon" is defined as the first full moon after the September "Harvest Moon." The name "Hunter's Moon" was adopted because of settlers using the light of the full moon to hunt fatted deer. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Full Moon, Bright Jupiter

A bright and full moon rises in the eastern sky accompanied by the bright planet Jupiter as seen through the trees on Brentwood Drive NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The -2.91 magnitude Jupiter was not at all washed-out by the close glare of the moon. Time and date for this capture was 6:58 pm CDT, Saturday, October 8, 2022. It is a 1/500 second exposure at f/5.6, ISO 640, 122mm focal length. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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Dark Sky Captures Among the Creepy Crawlies

I thought I would take advantage of a crisp early morning on Saturday, October 1, 2022 to capture some nice dark sky shots, including the dazzling Jupiter. The location was from White Road at North Marion Road, about 2.5 miles north of Marion, Iowa. The night was not still--the entire time I was there the sounds of creeping raccoons and opossums were evident, one of which descended face first down on a nearby telephone pole. The image above was captured at 3:30 am CDT, and looks southeast at the Orion Constellation (top center). The bright object at center lower is the brightest star in the sky--Sirius--at magnitude -1.47. Image is a 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 400, 16mm focal length.

3:36 am. Looking west down White Road. At upper left is the -2.93 magnitude planet Jupiter. Splotchy areas are drifting clouds. Image is a 15 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 400, 16mm focal length. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

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