APOD: Southern Ocean Sky (2011 Jul 04)

[Ann]

That's a very beautiful vimeo.

Ann

[HTO]

The lights moving along the horizon have about the right timing for container vessels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_vessel. They are further out from the coast and so appear to move more slowly than fishing vessels.

[Damon]

Australia is in the pacific ocean so they wouldn't be transatlantics. Judging by the number of them and time of night my vote is fishing boats.

[anything]

Why so many video's nowadays? some of us have old computers, and most of the video's now won't play on any software that will run on windows 98.

All I can see on today's page is a black rectangle with a title above and the explanation underneath of what I'm missing.

I always thought of APOD as one of the few simple and clean webpages that is viewable on just about anything, it doesn't seem to be anymore :(

[owlice]

it doesn't seem to be anymore

It happens most days! In June, there were three videos -- out of 30 days, that's 10% video, so 90% stills (with one animated gif, which even old computers show perfectly well). In May, there were two videos, so 93.54% of the APODs in May were stills. In April, 97% were stills.

So I'd say APOD is doing extremely well in making images available to those with old equipment, and balancing that very nicely with fabulous APODs using newer (exceedingly common) technology.

[kneedragon]

I would think the moving lights are trucks, travelling across the Nullarbor Plain. In fact, I'm very sure that's what they are. It looks like the lights are at sea, but the coastline curves around, and while 'land' may be at or even fractionally below the horizon, light hugs the ground, and you'll see the lights. The famed Min Min lights of the Australian outback probably have a similar cause.

[neufer]

I would think the moving lights are trucks, travelling across the Nullarbor Plain. In fact, I'm very sure that's what they are. It looks like the lights are at sea, but the coastline curves around, and while 'land' may be at or even fractionally below the horizon, light hugs the ground, and you'll see the lights. The famed Min Min lights of the Australian outback probably have a similar cause.

Famous shoe tossing tree in the middle of the desert

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<<The Nullarbor Plain ( Latin: nullus, "no", and arbor, "tree") is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about 200,000 square kilometres.

Historically, the almost uninhabitable Nullarbor was used by the semi-nomadic Spinifex Wangai Aboriginal people.

European settlers were determined to cross the plain, despite the hardships created by the nature of the Nullarbor. Although Edward John Eyre described the Plain as "a hideous anomaly, a blot on the face of Nature, the sort of place one gets into in bad dreams", he became the first European to successfully make the crossing in 1841. Eyre set out from Fowlers Bay, South Australia on 17 November 1840 with John Baxter and a party of three Aboriginal men. When three of his horses died of dehydration, he was forced to return to Fowler's Bay. He departed with a second expedition on 25 February 1841. By 29 April, the party had reached Caiguna. Lack of supplies and water led to a mutiny, and two of the Aboriginal men killed Baxter and made off with the party's supplies. Eyre and the third Aboriginal man, Wylie, continued on their journey, surviving through bushcraft and some fortuitous circumstances, such as receiving some supplies from a French whaling vessel anchored at Rossiter. They completed their crossing in June 1841.

On 25 December 1896, after an arduous journey of thirty-one days, Arthur Charles Jeston Richardson became the first cyclist to cross the Nullabor Plain, pedaling his bicycle from Coolgardie to Adelaide. Carrying only a small kit and a water-bag, he followed the telegraph line as he crossed the Nullabor. He later described the heat as "1,000 degrees in the shade".

The Wangai Aboriginal people were forced to abandon their homelands during the British nuclear tests at Maralinga in the 1950s. Since then they have been awarded compensation and many have returned to the general area. In fact, many never left. Due to their isolation it was impossible to warn them all about the testing.

'Crossing the Nullarbor', for many Australians, is a quintessential experience of the 'Australian Outback'. Stickers bought from roadhouses on the highway show 'I have crossed the Nullarbor', and can be seen on vehicles of varying quality or capacity for long distance travel. The process of 'beating the crowds' on overbooked air services at the time of special sporting events can also see significant numbers of vehicles on the road. Crossings in the 1950s and earlier were significant as most of the road back then was unmade dirt track.

The Nullarbor Plain is a former shallow seabed, as indicated by the presence of bryozoans, foraminifera, echinoids and red algae calcareous skeletal that make up the limestone. The region is also the location of Nullarbor limestone and it has a reputation as a significant karst region with Oligocene and Miocene cave formations. One theory is that the whole area was uplifted by crustal movements in the Miocene, and since then, erosion by wind and rain has reduced its thickness. The plain has most likely never had any major defining topographic features, resulting in the extremely flat terrain across the plain today.

In areas, the southern ocean blows through many subterranean caves, resulting in blowholes up to several hundred metres from the coast. The Murrawijinie Caves in South Australia are open to the public, but most of the Nullarbor Caves can only be visited and viewed with a permit from the Department of Environment and Conservation.

The Nullarbor is known for extensive meteorite deposits, which are extremely well preserved in the arid climate. In particular, many meteorites have been discovered around Mundrabilla, some up to several tonnes in weight.>>

[jwrenn29]

I can't find that satellite no matter how many times I watch!

Is it the whole time from 1:31 to 1:52, or is it just part of the time (like at the end)?

[macahi]

This video is spectacular.
I'd assumed the lights were boats, but trucks? Cool.

[Richardo]

It's the sun; just the edge of the sun which is mostly below the horizon. The light appearing to go back and forth is its path of travel in one day.

[emiller]

I have to agree with the problems with video. I can't get this one to work no matter what. I rarely look at them because I have a slow connection. At least it's only 10%. If it gets to be much more I'll find another home page.

[BMAONE23]

For those with older equipment that can still view Youtube postings

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKWiPPgKY8M

I might suggest inserting hotlinks to additional video sources/formts like youtube

[owlice]

BMAONE23, thank you for posting that; I was glad to see it to share over on the APOD Facebook page.

[saturn2]

This time lapse video is very interesting.

Answer: refraction of ligth sun

[saturn2]

This time lapse is very interesting.

Answer: refraction of light sun

[Arpi]

HI Folks,

As a former Southern Hemisphere GEO observer, I first thought that the object that is not moving is not a GEO.
It could be a hot pixel on the camera sensor since it seemed fixed with respect to the frame.
Also, this image is looking West (i.e. along the southern coast). GEOs are mostly visible in the NORTHERN sky from Australia, remember?

Anyway I fired up my GUIDE software and tried to track it down a bit better.
It is apparent that it actually COULD be a GEO! I manage to work out that the area in question is near the Ecliptic (Pisces), and that the
bright object that moves down from top right is actually Jupiter, probably around May this year?
The GEO belt lies in this part of the sky as well, and the film is showing objects down to at least 7th magnitude.
From this latitude (southern Victoria, 38S) the GEO belt lies a few degrees north of the object seen, so I'm guessing it may be something like an
inclined GEO (e.g. Raduga). Did I also notice the object moving slightly south during the video?

The other thing to note is the large number of LEO satellites moving across the sky. If this was filmed late at night there most of the
objects above the horizon wouldn't be aircraft (there are also no flashing coloured strobes), and are likely satellites in low earth orbit.
I think I evn spotted an Iridium flare or two.

Regards
Arpi

[Locutus76]

If you look closely, you can make out a geosynchronous satellite from the 1:31 mark to about 1:52. It's faint, but you look about two thirds up from the horizon, and about 80% of the way from the left side, you'll see it remain still while all the other celestial objects pass by it. Because it's the only stationery thing in the sky, it actually appears to be moving 'against the grain'.

It took me awhile to find it but that's really cool.

Even more interesting is the small meteorite-like flash that appears about halfway. It looks like a meteorite, but it's rather slow. Considering its a time-lapse video, I'd guess its an iridium satellite becoming brightly visible for about 2 min or so. Any other ideas?

[Locutus76]

I can't find that satellite no matter how many times I watch!

Is it the whole time from 1:31 to 1:52, or is it just part of the time (like at the end)?

Took me a while too. You'll need a good pc monitor (19" or bigger) and the video in full screen to be able to see it. And even then it's very faint. Look for the meteorite-like trail at 1:50 towards the upper right corner for the general area. Trace a vertical line from the small v-shape split between the rocks in the water (not counting the one on the left that's a little farther out) and go up about 2/3rd. It's horizontal with the bright 'star' (probably a planet, but I don't know which one) at about 1:43, towards the right of the star. Hope you can find it now. Good luck.

[terrastro]

Hi All!

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.

The beginning of this time lapse was done just outside of Port Phillip Bay and the lights are cruise, cargo and/or fishing boats coming in and out of the Bay. There is a quite a bit of traffic there during daytime too. In the 12 Apostles and Gibsons Steps sequence at the end of the time lapse, where there is a bit of land in the shots, the lights are coming from cars on the Great Ocean Road.

As far as the bright green glow at 0:44 I don't know 100% but I am pretty certain it is an oil well in the Bass Strait as seen from Flinders, Victoria. I have seen the same light on images from another location on the Great Ocean Road, about 300 kms away.

The "geosynchronous satellite" look-a-like at 01:51 is a lens flare caused by the bright light of setting Jupiter. The Nikkor 14-24mm lens is quite prone to flare and I have seen it on numerous occasions.

Cheers,
Alex

[Guest]

The film is awe inspiring. I have no idea what the lights on the bottom are, but I will guess they are boats that have lighted.

[Indigo_Sunrise]

I may have said this before; in fact, very probably I have, but:

FREEKING AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[Indigo_Sunrise]

On second thought,



too cool for words!!!!!!!

LOL!

[raincrow]

Alien spacecraft, of course, sampling for marine life and unwary astronomers. Trawlers and other working ships are typically lit up like Christmas at night. In addition to above-water lights, some fishing boats also use underwater lights to attract catch.

[brianbarry]

macahi. If you look carefully at 0:30 you will see the two bright stars on the left of the screen which are the pointers and then to the left of that the coal sack and then Crux (upsidedown) is just to the left of that. Hard to see but you spot it just as the clouds go over it and the stars brighten up a little.

I love the meteorites

[Locutus76]

Hi All!

Thanks for the comments - much appreciated.

The beginning of this time lapse was done just outside of Port Phillip Bay and the lights are cruise, cargo and/or fishing boats coming in and out of the Bay. There is a quite a bit of traffic there during daytime too. In the 12 Apostles and Gibsons Steps sequence at the end of the time lapse, where there is a bit of land in the shots, the lights are coming from cars on the Great Ocean Road.

As far as the bright green glow at 0:44 I don't know 100% but I am pretty certain it is an oil well in the Bass Strait as seen from Flinders, Victoria. I have seen the same light on images from another location on the Great Ocean Road, about 300 kms away.

The "geosynchronous satellite" look-a-like at 01:51 is a lens flare caused by the bright light of setting Jupiter. The Nikkor 14-24mm lens is quite prone to flare and I have seen it on numerous occasions.

Cheers,
Alex

The less-than-a-second flare that you describe as a lens flare is not what I and others see as the geo-satellite. The satellite is a tiny little dot seemingly moving to the upper right and it is already visible from about 1:30. It is close to the flare at 1:50, slightly to it's right.