Sky Wide (Anti) Crepuscular Rays 26.06.2011

[Alec Jones]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post on the forum. I have been observing atmospheric phenomena now for about a year and as a beginner still find there is much to see and learn. I was recommended this forum some time ago by Les Cowley who runs Atmospheric Optics and who has bee a constant source of inspiration to me.

I try to observe every day if I can and usually see something worthwhile each time I go out. For my first post I thought I would share with you a composite photograph I took last week of some sky-wide (anti) crepuscular rays, shortly before sunset. Although I had seen photos of these before, this was the very first time I had personally observed them,

http://theboltonhalotriangle.blogspot.c ... -anti.html

I apologize that I do not know any German so I will have to post in English. I hope this is ok?!

Regards,

Alec

[Elmar Schmidt]

Hello Alec,

a warm welcome! We're glad you joined, and if you blog in English you will usually get answers in your mother tongue.

As a systematic AO observer you might be feeling inclined to send in monthly reports. The instructions and forms for these are only available in German, I fear

http://www.meteoros.de/akm/material.htm

but I think there are observers from the U.K. yet, who might help get you started. Ask Claudia or Wolfgang Hinz through a personal message.

Your skywide crepuscular rays remind me of similar images by Michael Großmann posted here:

http://blog.meteoros.de/ [go back through the postings!]

A minor suggestion: you might try to change the projection of the panorama so as to produce a straight horizon, by which your photo should gain even more.

Cheers

Elmar

[wolfgang hamburg]

Welcome Alec,

nice first posting. It should be possible to made a "smoother" panorama from your pictures.
Have you ever tried Hugin for panorama stitching?
http://hugin.sourceforge.net/
It gives me good panoramas, also from problematic picture series.
Like this:
http://wha.mburg.org/wh/NLC/20070628/zoompano2345UT.jpg

Best regards,
wolfgang

[Alec Jones]

Thank you for the warm welcome, it's very much appreciated!

I shall certainly take on board your suggestion about a monthly round-up of my observations. Most of the things I observe are quite mundane and have been seen many times before and probably wouldn't be of much interest to members of this forum. There are only so many 22 degree halos a person can take!

Thank you also for the suggestions regarding panoramic stitching. I shall certainly be investigating the software you recommend. From a technical point of view, things are a little difficult insofar as I only have a very old digital compact camera and very basic image processing software (Preview) and I don't even own a tripod which makes life extremely hard at times! I am trying to do the best I can with the limited equipment at my disposal and hopefully create a useful, interesting body of work.

As a relative newcomer to the field of Atmospheric Phenomena I readily admit that I sometimes struggle with the correct identification of some of the things I observe. If you feel I have mis-identified something, please feel free to correct me. I very much look forward to learning a great deal from the more experienced members of this forum.

Kind regards,

Alec