Comments on: Incredible all-sky picture

By: Chief

Chief — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:41:08 +0000

The darkest place I’ve been on the Earth is darker than these pics. Middle of the Pacific, below the Equator, New Moon, in an area experiencing an effect known as the “Doldrums.” There was no wind, no clouds, and the sunrise and sunset landed on a mirror-smooth ocean surface. The ship’s hull made the only wave/wake/ripple on the ocean’s surface, as well a phosphorescent algae ‘sparks.’ We were steaming silently, with absolutely 0-light-emission. No light pollution from civilization was possible. We were in the absolute middle of the night, so no atmospheric ducting/refraction of the sun’s ray’s occurred. The sky was an absolute of white pin-pricks. The lumination was greater than the light given by the closest full moon. We were playing catch on a Aircraft Carrier flight deck as if it were pre-sunset. It was shocking to see the sky as one complete blanket of white, with absolutely no black spots/portions. It looked like a snow blizzard of sharp white pinpricks. If you have a ceiling finished with that ‘popcorn’ texture, then you would have an idea of the density and completeness of stars. At this time, I had been a Mariner on the world’s ocean with 6 combined years of actual ocean travel time and this was the only time the conditions conspired to open an unaffected window to the Universe. Possibly there are mariners out there who have experienced this. However, your vessel would have to be steaming under a completely 0% light-emitting condition, which is very difficult/dangerous, unless military. There also has to be %0 cloud-cover for 360 degrees all of the way to their horizons. So, when there is a complete lack of direct/reflected sunlight in the environment, the ‘white’ Universe is uncovered. The Universe’s starlight will cast shadows, just as the brightest full moonlight does, which is a silvery-type of light, with a metallic effect when it shines on water. The ocean looked like a pool of mercury.

By: Free for All Friday , vol. 2 no. 15 | Sarah Et Cetera

Free for All Friday , vol. 2 no. 15 | Sarah Et Cetera — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:03:19 +0000

[...] out this picture of the whole night sky taken from the darkest place on Earth. I think Homer Simpson speaks for all us of when he says, “Oh, glory of glories. Oh heavenly [...]

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:56:21 +0000

@2. Bjoern Says:

Excuse me, but in the sentence “At that latitude, and at that time of year, the Milky Way — usually seen as a band of light across the sky — circles the horizon!”, don’t you also have to include “and at that time of the night”? Don’t the stars in the Milky Way rise and set during the night…?

Depends on your latitude.

At the equator all the stars rise and set.

Equally at each pole – north or South – the stars will all be circumpolar, circling the sky and neither rising nor setting just wheeling about.

Betwixt those extremes some stars will be circumpolar whilst others will rise and set.

By: Excelente site para explorar e ver o céu em fotos | PostMania

Excelente site para explorar e ver o céu em fotos | PostMania — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:31:32 +0000

[...] via Compartilhe:Recommend on FacebookBuzz it upBuzz it upShare on LinkedinShare on OrkutTweet about itTell a friend [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:15:02 +0000

Neat. Now do the Northern hemisphere. Please.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 12:14:04 +0000

Superb!

Marvellous!

Outstanding!

Brilliant!

Erm . . . starting to run out of words now.

Oh, no, not quite : Ooh! Shiny!

By: Gote Flodqvist

Gote Flodqvist — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:33:59 +0000

Not only is the picture a proof of an excellent sky, but also a message that Your naked eye can detect this phenomenon easily, if You are at the right place at the right time, with direct vision. No binocular/telescope needed at all!

By: Yeebok

Yeebok — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:25:48 +0000

This comment is a brash expletive expressing wonder and awe at how great that image is. This sentence commends the photographer for yet another inspiring, well presented image.

By: Klaus

Klaus — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:43:30 +0000

Oh yes, please! A full-size downloadable version of this, which we could also resize as background!
Possibly even a screensaver-version, showing the rotation… it is so very beautiful

Thank you, Stéphane, for creating this. And thanks, Phil, for showing it to us!

By: peter

peter — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:36:45 +0000

these photos are truly astonishing! I’ve been looking at them for quite some time now and can’t get enough. thank you stéphane