• ES Picture of the Day 23 2022

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Sun Jan 23 11:01:04 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Archive - Panamint Delta

    January 22, 2022

    6a0105371bb32c970b0148c86a4537970c

    Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives.

    This EPOD was originally published February 10, 2011.

    Photographer: Wendy Van Norden
    Summary Author: Wendy Van Norden

    The photo above shows a portion of Panamint Valley, California,
    just west of Death Valley. One expects to see alluvial fans in
    a desert but not river deltas. This delta looms above the ghost
    town of Ballarat, California (in the midground at right) and is a
    testament to the fact that the Panamint Valley was not always a desert.
    Located in the Basin and Range province, the Panamint Valley is a
    pull-apart basin, similar to Death Valley. According to ancient
    shoreline data Panamint Valley was filled with water to about 1,820 ft
    (555 m) during the Pleistocene (1.8 million to 10,000 years ago).
    The delta above Ballarat deposited sediment into Lake Panamint, one of
    a string of Pleistocene lakes located in desert basins of California.
    This picture was taken from below Surprise Canyon. Surprise Canyon
    leads to Panamint City, yet another ghost town in the
    Panamints. Gold and silver were discovered nearby in 1874.
    However, the mother lode proved much more elusive than the alluvium
    that over time filled the lake. Photo taken on March 9, 2005.

    Photo details: Camera Maker: CASIO COMPUTER CO.,LTD.; Camera Model:
    EX-S600; Focal Length: 18.6mm (35mm equivalent: 114mm); Aperture:
    f/5.2; Exposure Time: 0.0040 s (1/250); Exposure Bias: none; Metering
    Mode: Matrix; Exposure: program (Auto); White Balance: Auto; Flash
    Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal; Color Space: sRGB.
    * Panamint Delta Coordinates: 36.24194, -116.8258

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    Geology Links

    * Earthquakes
    * Geologic Time
    * Geomagnetism
    * General Dictionary of Geology
    * Mineral and Locality Database
    * Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
    * This Dynamic Earth
    * USGS
    * MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
    * USGS Ask a Geologist
    * USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
    * USGS Volcano Hazards Program

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)
  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Wed Feb 23 11:01:22 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Steep Moki Steps

    February 23, 2022

    PeekABooSlotCanyonMokiStepsSteep

    Photographer: Stan Wagon

    Summary Author: Stan Wagon

    The Native Americans who inhabited the Colorado Plateau often
    constructed handholds and footholds (known as Moki steps) in
    sandstone to allow passage on steep slabs. The example in the photo
    above shows a remarkably steep collection of such steps from the bottom
    of a slot canyon ( Peek-a-boo Slot Canyon) to a shelf that perhaps
    contains a granary (small structure to store food). Such steps are
    often seen starting some distance off the ground. Perhaps the sandy
    bottom was higher when they were made; or perhaps a ladder was used.
    Photo taken on October 8, 2021.

    Photo details: SONY A6500 camera; 20 mm lens and tripod; ISO 400; f/13;
    0.8 second shutter speed.
    * Red Canyon Slot (north of Kanab), Utah Coordinates: 37.18282,
    -112.54845

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    Geology Links

    * Earthquakes
    * Geologic Time
    * Geomagnetism
    * General Dictionary of Geology
    * Mineral and Locality Database
    * Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
    * This Dynamic Earth
    * USGS
    * MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
    * USGS Ask a Geologist
    * USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
    * USGS Volcano Hazards Program

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 11 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)
  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Sat Apr 23 12:01:10 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Archive - Great Sand Dunes National Park

    April 23, 2022

    6a0105371bb32c970b015393cbfb9b970b

    Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives.

    This EPOD was originally published on December 9, 2011.

    Photographer: Ingrid Wood
    Summary Author: Ingrid Wood; Jim Foster
    The photo above shows the massive tan-colored dunes in Great
    Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado. Hikers in the
    foreground give scale to the immense size of these windblown sand
    dunes, which reach up to about 750 ft (230 m) above the surrounding
    landscape -- perhaps the tallest in North America. These dunes cover
    some 39 sq mi (100 sq km) and over thousands of years have settled up
    against the windward flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains,
    pushed by prevailing southwest winds across the San Luis
    Valley. The source of the sand was a widespread sand sheet, sand
    left behind when ancient lakes dried up, in the central portion of the
    San Luis Valley. Photo taken on August 22, 2007.

    Photo Details: Camera: Canon PowerShot A530; Focal Length: 9.8mm;
    Aperture: f/7.1; Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320).
    * Great Sand Dunes, Colorado Coordinates: 37.73287, -105.51212

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    Geology Links

    * Earthquakes
    * Geologic Time
    * Geomagnetism
    * General Dictionary of Geology
    * Mineral and Locality Database
    * Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
    * This Dynamic Earth
    * USGS
    * MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
    * USGS Ask a Geologist
    * USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
    * USGS Volcano Hazards Program

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 7 weeks, 5 days, 21 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)
  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Tue Aug 23 12:01:02 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Summertime Fireflies and Star Trails

    August 23, 2022

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    Photographer: Matthew Chin
    Summary Author: Matthew Chin
    Even though Hong Kong isn’t graced with many green spaces, in a few
    locations, such as Sha Lo Tung, we can see vast numbers of
    fireflies in late spring and throughout summer. Unfortunately,
    their environment is being increasingly destroyed because of various
    human activities. As shown above, the bioluminescent trails left by
    the little fireflies and the star trails of the summer
    constellations have been combined onto one image. Photo taken on August
    29, 2017.

    Photo details: Nikon D750 camera; 18 mm lens.


    Sha Lo Tung, Hong Kong, Coordinates: 22.4794, 114.1823

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    Animal Links

    * Animal Diversity Web
    * ARKive
    * BirdLife International
    * Bug Guide
    * Discover Life
    * Integrated Taxonomic Information System
    * Microbial Life Resources
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
    -
    Universities Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Fri Sep 23 12:01:10 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Celestial Parade of the Planets in June 2022

    September 23, 2022

    0623PlanetsandMoon-3 (1)

    DSC_1140s2 (1)

    Allineamento Planetario Tranego 7-4

    Photographers: Matthew Chin; Meiying Lee; Alessandra Masi

    Summary Authors: Meiying Lee; Matthew Chin; Alessandra Masi

    Featured above are views of the visible planets in our solar
    system, and the crescent moon, as seen from Taipei (top), Yuen
    Long, Hong Kong (middle) and the Dolomite Range of Italy (bottom,
    note that Neptune and Uranus are also visible here). Such an
    unusual alignment can be observed only about once every 20-years.
    Top and middle photos were taken on June 23, 2022, and the bottom photo
    was taken on June 25, 2022. All photos were captured looking east, just
    before dawn.


    Yuen Long, Hong Kong Coordinates: 22.4445, 114.0222

    Taipei, Taiwan Coordinates: 25.0330, 121.5654

    Dolomites Mountains, Italy Coordinates: 46.433334, 11.850000


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    Night Sky Links

    * Space Weather Live
    * Space Weather Live Forum
    * About the Moon
    * American Meteor Society
    * Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
    * Global City Lights
    * Heavens Above Home Page
    * The International Meteor Organization
    * Lunar and Planetary Institute
    * MoonConnection
    * NASA Eclipse Web Page
    * Understanding The Moon Phases

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

    --- up 29 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)
  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Wed Nov 23 11:01:08 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Saturn's Rings in 2020, 2021 and 2022

    November 23, 2022


    Astro_by_sona (5)
    Photographer: Sona Shahani
    Summary Author: Sona Shahani

    Shown above is a compilation of images featuring Saturn and its
    ring system in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The most recent image was taken
    on June 25, 2022. Saturn’s axial tilt is 27 degrees, and from our
    perspective we see the rings present themselves differently every
    year. Reflection from Saturn’s rings slightly increases how bright
    Saturn appears to us. However, even when the “ringed planet” is at
    maximum tilt, we’re unable to detect the rings with the naked eye. All
    photos observed from New Delhi, India.

    Photo details: 8" Skywatcher Flextube Dobsonian telescope; ZWO
    ASI178MC; 2.5X; Televue Powermate; EQ Platform; SvBony UV/IR Filter;
    Captured in Shaprcap; stacked in ASi3; Wavelets in Registax and fine
    tuning in Photoshop.

    New Delhi, India Coordinates: 28.6139, 77.2090


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    Night Sky Links

    * Space Weather Live
    * Space Weather Live Forum
    * About the Moon
    * American Meteor Society
    * Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
    * Global City Lights
    * Heavens Above Home Page
    * The International Meteor Organization
    * Lunar and Planetary Institute
    * MoonConnection
    * NASA Eclipse Web Page
    * Understanding The Moon Phases

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)
  • From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Fri Dec 23 11:02:32 2022
    EPOD - a service of USRA

    The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
    captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
    community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
    relevant links.


    Halo Display Observed from Graubunden, Switzerland

    December 23, 2022


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    Photographer: Sean Lybrand
    Summary Author: Sean Lybrand

    Shown above is a portion of halo display I had the pleasure to
    observe over the Swiss Alps on October 11, 2022. Ice crystals in
    clouds or free falling through the atmosphere can create a medley of
    beautiful halos; some very obvious and some quite faint.

    Conspicuous here are the 22-degree halo, both sundogs or
    parhelia, the parhelic circle, the upper tangent arc (tangent
    to the 22-halo) and the suncave Parry arc (just above the upper
    tangent arc). Not nearly as evident are the rarely seen upper and lower
    Lowitz arcs (in the vicinity of the parhelia).


    Sent, Graubunden, Switzerland. Coordinates: 46.81016, 10.34032


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    Atmospheric Effects Links

    * Atmospheric Optics
    * Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
    * Color and Light in Nature
    * The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
    * Refraction Index
    * Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
    * What is a Rainbow?

    -
    Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
    Space Research Association.

    https://epod.usra.edu

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