Lunar Eclipse at the Castillo Fort In St. Augustine

 

A vacation for a family member's wedding near St. Augustine, Florida provided a more exotic foreground element setting than my Iowa location for the total lunar eclipse event early in the morning of Friday, March 14, 2025--the Castillo de San Marcos fort along the shores of St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in America. With warm overnight temperatures (60 degrees F at the time of capture), clear skies and minimal insect interference, the setting was ideal. The image above, which looks south, is a composite of the foreground element and separate shot of the moon. The foreground is a 10 second exposure at f/7.1, ISO 640, 24mm focal length. The moon, captured near totality at 2:54 am EDT, is a 1/10 second exposure at f/4.5, ISO 2500, 70mm focal length. The Castillo fort is a national monument and is illuminated at night. 

Individual shot of the moon with nearby star at 2:35 am EDT--23 minutes before totality. Image is a 1/3 second exposure at f/4.5, ISO 800, 70mm focal length. Nikon Z6ii camera.

Read more...

Ash Wednesday Snowstorm

 

Right behind a system of heavy rain (and severe weather in states to the south) on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 came heavy and blowing snow on March 5--Ash Wednesday. The wintry system in eastern Iowa produced white-out and near blizzard conditions. All Nikon Z6ii camera images posted here were 1/320 exposures at f/7.1, ISO 100 and 24mm focal length. Air temperature was 31 degrees F. The image above looks southeast at 8:40 am CST, March 5 from a parking lot in Lowe Park near Marion, Iowa.

8:46 am. Looking south from the roundabout at Tower Terrace and Alburnett roads in Marion.

8:47 am. Southbound on Alburnett Road near 29th Avenue in Marion. Despite the dangerous energy of the storm, only a few inches fell here, and the snow base began melting in 40 degree F temperatures the following day (March 6).

Radarscope image for 8:37 am, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Snow system in progress. The white target icon is my position.

Read more...

Crescent Moon, Venus Conjunction---A Beautiful Thing

 

7:07 pm CST, Saturday, March 1, 2025. Looking west at the beautiful crescent moon and -4.72 magnitude planet Venus over the illuminated Chatham Road NE neighborhood as seen from Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Earthshine on the moon is very apparent. Air temperature was 21 degrees F. 1/3 second exposure at f/4.5, ISO 1000, 49mm focal length. Nikon Z6ii camera.

Read more...