APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5344
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am
Contact:

APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by APOD Robot » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:08 am

Image Orion Spring

Explanation: As spring comes to planet Earth's northern hemisphere, familiar winter constellation Orion sets in early evening skies and budding trees frame the Hunter's stars. The yellowish hue of cool red supergiant Alpha Orionis, the great star Betelgeuse, mingles with the branches at the top of this colorful skyscape. Orion's alpha star is joined on the far right by Alpha Tauri. Also known as Aldebaran and also a giant star cooler than the Sun, it shines with a yellow light at the head of Taurus, the Bull. Contrasting blue supergiant Rigel, Beta Orionis, is Orion's other dominant star though, and marks the Hunter's foot below center. Of course, the sword of Orion hangs from the Hunter's three blue belt stars near picture center, but the middle star in the sword is not a star at all. A slightly fuzzy pinkish glow hints at its true nature, a nearby stellar nursery visible to the unaided eye known as the Orion Nebula.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>
[/b]

ta152h0
Schooled
Posts: 1399
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:46 am
Location: Auburn, Washington, USA

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by ta152h0 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:24 am

nicely framed, two APOD's in a row
Wolf Kotenberg

daddyo
Science Officer
Posts: 114
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:48 am

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by daddyo » Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:34 am

I like the crimson tree as much as the constellation, always nice to blend the near and far to ground you and extend what may be out there

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13372
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Ann » Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:06 am

This is a fantastic image. The wonderful power of life on Earth - reined in during winter, ready to explode in spring - is contrasted with the amazing beauty and power of the brilliant stars of Orion.

Is there a planet somewhere in the direction of Orion where there is also spring, and new powerful seasonal vegetation?

Ann
Color Commentator

Mike A

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Mike A » Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:02 am

Looking at this picture of Orion I realise that the image of Orion as a Hunter is entirely different for residents of the northern and southern hemispheres. To see how Orion appears from Australia, for example, you need to turn this picture upside down. Living in the southern hemisphere, I have always seen Orion' sword raised to the heavens rather than hanging from his belt!!

User avatar
Nitpicker
Inverse Square
Posts: 2692
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:39 am
Location: S27 E153

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Nitpicker » Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:02 am

Mike A wrote:Looking at this picture of Orion I realise that the image of Orion as a Hunter is entirely different for residents of the northern and southern hemispheres. To see how Orion appears from Australia, for example, you need to turn this picture upside down. Living in the southern hemisphere, I have always seen Orion' sword raised to the heavens rather than hanging from his belt!!
At this time of year, from the temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere, Orion, never really looks upside down by comparison. He looks more like he's face planting.
Orion setting over Brisbane.
Orion setting over Brisbane.

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13372
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Ann » Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:24 pm

Nitpicker wrote:
Mike A wrote:Looking at this picture of Orion I realise that the image of Orion as a Hunter is entirely different for residents of the northern and southern hemispheres. To see how Orion appears from Australia, for example, you need to turn this picture upside down. Living in the southern hemisphere, I have always seen Orion' sword raised to the heavens rather than hanging from his belt!!
At this time of year, from the temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere, Orion, never really looks upside down by comparison. He looks more like he's face planting.
orion_setting_over_brisbane.PNG
Orion is defeated! He is eating dust, at least cosmic dust!

Ann
Color Commentator

SteveH

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by SteveH » Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:07 pm

This is definitely a beautiful frame; I'll soon be using it as desktop wallpaper on my computer. Did anyone notice the firefly traces in and amongst the branches of the tree on the left (dotted yellow line)?

-Steve

the1andonlydjt
Asternaut
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:49 pm

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by the1andonlydjt » Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:23 pm

Very nice. Oh how I wish I could see stars like this from my back yard. Or from my front yard. Or even from some place clsoe to home! :cry:

henrystar
Ensign
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 11:40 am

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by henrystar » Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:37 pm

The bright Orion stars seem almost TOO bright....has there been any "enhancement," as in that "big dipper" not long ago?

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18111
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA
Contact:

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Chris Peterson » Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:07 pm

the1andonlydjt wrote:Very nice. Oh how I wish I could see stars like this from my back yard. Or from my front yard. Or even from some place clsoe to home! :cry:
You probably can. There are few places on Earth more than an hour from dark skies. And this image was taken in the middle of some of the most light polluted skies in the U.S.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

starsurfer
Stellar Cartographer
Posts: 5306
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:25 pm

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by starsurfer » Thu Mar 26, 2015 2:18 pm

henrystar wrote:The bright Orion stars seem almost TOO bright....has there been any "enhancement," as in that "big dipper" not long ago?
I think this is an effect of camera optics caused by really bright stars, the illusion of the brighter stars looking larger than they actually are.

User avatar
Ron-Astro Pharmacist
Resistored Fizzacist
Posts: 889
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:34 pm
AKA: Fred
Location: Idaho USA

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Ron-Astro Pharmacist » Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:38 pm

With the foreground colors included it almost looks like Bill was able to complete the color wheel when you take into account the purplish sky with it's variety of colorful stars. That presents us with quite a balanced image very pleasing to gaze upon.
Colorful Tree.jpg
Colorful Tree.jpg (7.43 KiB) Viewed 2729 times
Colorful trees come in handy as well as some ground lighting as noted in the yellows reflected from the branches below. The slight curve of the belt stars is surely hinting at the smile on the authors face today. :)

Well deserved. No bull - though it's" hyading" close by ready to spring. Y'all knew that was coming. :roll: In fact it's here!
Make Mars not Wars

User avatar
geckzilla
Ocular Digitator
Posts: 9180
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:42 pm
Location: Modesto, CA
Contact:

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by geckzilla » Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:39 pm

starsurfer wrote:
henrystar wrote:The bright Orion stars seem almost TOO bright....has there been any "enhancement," as in that "big dipper" not long ago?
I think this is an effect of camera optics caused by really bright stars, the illusion of the brighter stars looking larger than they actually are.
I'm convinced that these are mostly effects added with graphics software later on, but I can't rule out the possibility that there is some kind of setup that would allow it to happen at exposure time.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.

User avatar
Nitpicker
Inverse Square
Posts: 2692
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:39 am
Location: S27 E153

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Nitpicker » Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:06 am

geckzilla wrote:
starsurfer wrote:
henrystar wrote:The bright Orion stars seem almost TOO bright....has there been any "enhancement," as in that "big dipper" not long ago?
I think this is an effect of camera optics caused by really bright stars, the illusion of the brighter stars looking larger than they actually are.
I'm convinced that these are mostly effects added with graphics software later on, but I can't rule out the possibility that there is some kind of setup that would allow it to happen at exposure time.
I sometimes get (unwanted and unexpected) "auras" showing around the brighter stars in some of my raw images, which tend to be enhanced by stacking and processing. I've never really understood if this is caused by image saturation, high gain/ISO, moisture in the atmosphere, or something else entirely. The ones in this APOD do seem more deliberate and selective, however.

Not sure if this is the same thing we are seeing in the APOD, and this has a much narrower field, too, but here is what I am talking about, with a comparison of stacking 8 subs on left, with a single sub on the right:
stacked_vs_raw.jpg

User avatar
geckzilla
Ocular Digitator
Posts: 9180
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:42 pm
Location: Modesto, CA
Contact:

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by geckzilla » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:26 am

Yes, sometimes a very thin layer of fog can scatter the brighter stars strikingly and similarly, but it can only go so far. There are special filters designed just for astrophotography for adding things like glow, reducing stars to smaller points, or diffraction spikes. They're much better than what I can come up with in Photoshop using the filters and tools that came with it by default.

(edit: I don't know what is causing the glow in your picture. Fog maybe, but didn't mean to say fog definitely.)
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.

User avatar
Nitpicker
Inverse Square
Posts: 2692
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 2:39 am
Location: S27 E153

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by Nitpicker » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:45 am

Do you mean software or hardware filters? I can get my stars sizes down to zero, just by keeping the lens cap on. :wink:

User avatar
geckzilla
Ocular Digitator
Posts: 9180
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:42 pm
Location: Modesto, CA
Contact:

Re: APOD: Orion Spring (2015 Mar 26)

Post by geckzilla » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:55 am

You know, if hardware filters exist, I don't know about any of them. I know that was a joke but now I'm curious if they really do exist.
Just call me "geck" because "zilla" is like a last name.

Post Reply