Sky Objects, Mostly Moon Shots

The pix in my YouTube collection are from having used mostly two point-and-shoot cameras. Incidentally, smart-phone cameras also have capabilities for taking similar sky pix.

For people who haven't considered photographing sky objects, look, up in the sky. It could be Supermoon! Build your own pic collection for day or night moons! Also, pick other sky objects that catch your fancy.

I recently perused my cloud account for pix I've uploaded there within maybe 10 years. One folder that caught my eye—"NearSkyObjects-Canon PowerShot ELPH 190 IS". It consisted of eight images from 2020 and six in 2021. I poked through my computer listings, seeing additional sky images I could include in my slide show.

Most images are of the moon—day, night, various phases. Several are in plant views. The final item is my time-lapse slide show of May 16 2022 lunar eclipse. Final tally of my sky objects for this blog topic is 23. (The count does not include YT videos from 2023 and 2024.)

Want additional astronomy-themed articles? Click for "astro topic" search results in my blog. Related: Sky/Astronomy Items YouTube playlist

Related: 4-sky-objects video—
Sky Objects, Mostly Moon Shots (Minute Teaser)"

GIMP-adding Newest Saturn to 3-Saturn .xcf File

My previous topic, "2-Saturn Composite, Anticipating Future Edge-on Rings" inspiration came from my curiosity about Saturn's upcoming rings edge view, anticipated in March 2025. Because of Saturn's position behind the sun at that time, however, we won't be able to view or capture images of it then.

That article includes basic Saturn info and resources. The video "2-Saturn Composite Image, GIMP Revisit" shows numbered steps for creating the composite comparing Saturn images taken 9/2/2021 and 11/22/2023.

This time around, the topic is about having found a GIMP-editable (.xcf) 3-Saturn composite with images from 2015 and 2018 as well as 2021, then adding the image from November. The video shows the steps in using GIMP for the process. Main GIMP tools for setups and usage are layers, measurement, grid, move, and draw. Saving and exporting are must-do's for successful outcome.

Want additional astronomy-themed articles? Click for "astro topic" search results in my blog. Related: Sky/Astronomy Items YouTube playlist

2-Saturn Composite, Anticipating Future Edge-on Rings

We recently pic'd Saturn, then recalled another imaging session (from about 26 months before. I wanted to compare images, then create a composite. The 2-Saturn composite image shows Saturn on 9/2/2021 and 11/22/2023. The orientations differ, and the newer Saturn's set of rings angle narrower than the rings of the earlier Saturn. During the image creation process, I had became curious about when Saturn's rings might "flatten", maybe disappear from view.

I thought about the steps I used in my process. Having used GIMP recently, and PaintShopPro earlier, I decided to make a slide show of the steps.

 

Some Saturn Resources

To acquaint myself with my orb target, I ran across a few basic resources. NASA's "Saturn: Facts" provides good overview. EarthHOW's "7 Planet Saturn Facts: Beyond its Signature Rings [Infographic]" includes more details and tantalizing images, especially the infograph. "How long does it take Saturn to orbit the Sun?" states "approximately 29.46 Earth years, or 10,755.7 Earth days, to complete one orbit around the Sun". This site provides a nice list of q/a's. Saturn has an unusual feature besides its rings: NASA's "Saturn’s Strange Hexagon" explains "a bizarre six-sided hexagon feature encircling the entire north pole".

"Saturn’s Rings Will Temporarily Disappear From View in 2025" (published November 13, 2023) explained the rings' next "disappearing act".

In 2025, Saturn’s rings will be invisible from Earth for several months. ... Saturn’s rings are so thin that they seemingly vanish when viewed edge-on. And as Earth and Saturn travel around the sun on their respective orbital paths, our planet reaches this particular vantage point like clockwork, roughly every 13 to 16 years. ... the rings will disappear from sight in March 2025.

The following image represents three Saturn images, the existing duo, and a phantom representation for March 2025. The last image indicates planet tilt and edge-on rings. FWIW, Saturn is not in the night sky around that time frame, and the sun's angular alignment to Saturn WRT Earth's position endangers eyesight.

Want additional astronomy-themed articles? Click for "astro topic" search results in my blog. Related: Sky/Astronomy Items YouTube playlist