APOD: Observatory, Mountains, Universe (2014 Dec 30)

[APOD Robot]

Observatory, Mountains, Universe

Explanation: The awesomeness in this image comes in layers. The closest layer, in the foreground, contains the Peak Terskol Observatory located in the northern Caucasus Mountains of Russia. The white dome over the 2-meter telescope is clearly visible. The observatory is located on a shoulder of Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, with other peaks visible in a nearby background layer. Clouds are visible both in front of and behind the mountain peaks. The featured three-image composite panorama was taken in 2014 August. Far in the distance is the most distant layer: the stars and nebulas of the night sky, with the central band of the Milky Way rising on the image right.

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[Boomer12k]

Awesomeness indeed....

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[Ann]

I like that picture. The observatory looks so small and white against the dark, majestic mountains, and the universe and the Milky Way glitters even more majestic behind the dark, almost evil-looking clouds. That's the Lagoon Nebula there at 2 o'clock, pink and blue and purple and lovely. To the lower left is the yellowish Sagittarius Star Cloud, a part of our galaxy's old star-studded large bulge, and to the upper right of the Lagoon is the bluish Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, dominated by young stars and recent star formation.

That's a lovely picture.

Ann

[Czerno o]

Beautiful ! That mountain is in Asia, not Europe though...

[geckzilla]

Beautiful ! That mountain is in Asia, not Europe though...

The borders of continents are not so easily defined.

While there are differing authorities on how the Caucasus are distributed between Europe and Asia, most relevant modern authorities define the continental boundary as the Caucasus watershed, placing Elbrus in Europe as its highest mountain.[9]

[BDanielMayfield]

Beautiful ! That mountain is in Asia, not Europe though...

The borders of continents are not so easily defined.

While there are differing authorities on how the Caucasus are distributed between Europe and Asia, most relevant modern authorities define the continental boundary as the Caucasus watershed, placing Elbrus in Europe as its highest mountain.[9]

Eurasia. Borders are so divisive.

[Chris Peterson]

Eurasia. Borders are so divisive. :ssmile:

Really. Every other continent makes geological sense. But Europe and Asia are the same continent, distinguished only by historical accident.

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

I will never complain about my drive to work through rural Idaho again. Bet they can't get a pizza delivered there. Maybe a "Flying" Pie?

flying-pie-pizzaria-patch.jpg

It has got to be quite the addition to "job description" when becoming an astronomer. I would doubt they run this observatory remotely.

[Chris Peterson]

I will never complain about my drive to work through rural Idaho again. Bet they can't get a pizza delivered there.

I can't get pizza delivered where I live in Colorado. Seems normal to me.

It has got to be quite the addition to "job description" when becoming an astronomer. I would doubt they run this observatory remotely.

Actually, astronomers are not normally present during their use of instruments like this one. It is typically remote operation for them. A facility like this will have a few technicians and operators who are resident (or live nearby), and are responsible for keeping things running smoothly. But the actual astronomers don't need to be there.

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

I will never complain about my drive to work through rural Idaho again. Bet they can't get a pizza delivered there.

I can't get pizza delivered where I live in Colorado. Seems normal to me.

It has got to be quite the addition to "job description" when becoming an astronomer. I would doubt they run this observatory remotely.

Actually, astronomers are not normally present during their use of instruments like this one. It is typically remote operation for them. A facility like this will have a few technicians and operators who are resident (or live nearby), and are responsible for keeping things running smoothly. But the actual astronomers don't need to be there.

I forgot to mention the perks – being able to go to work in a place like this. Or for your venue in Colorado and mine in Idaho; rural life has it's "ups". But some "ups" are bigger than others. The techs in Caucasus Mountains would verify that.

[Chris Peterson]

I forgot to mention the perks – being able to go to work in a place like this.

Yes. And I have attended observation sessions for no other reason than to visit an interesting place. The same applies to many other astronomers I know. But people who do a lot of observation tend to stop going. The travel eats up too much time, and cuts too deeply into the budget.

[LocalColor]

I will never complain about my drive to work through rural Idaho again. Bet they can't get a pizza delivered there. Maybe a "Flying" Pie?

Oh my, I have not seen the Flying Pie for years. Wish they would deliver up here, but it takes 5 hours from Boise.

Oh topic: a very beautiful image, evokes a sense of awe and wonder (and a few shivers!)

[Ron-Astro Pharmacist]

I will never complain about my drive to work through rural Idaho again. Bet they can't get a pizza delivered there. Maybe a "Flying" Pie?

Oh my, I have not seen the Flying Pie for years. Wish they would deliver up here, but it takes 5 hours from Boise.

It's our favorite! The funny thing is that they apparaently made a movie about their deliveries ??http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419062/

The teaser from yesterday had me going in many directions to anticipate which way the APOD would be heading today.
Physical http://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/facts.html
Philosophyhttp://www.bottomlayer.com/
Physicshttp://phys.org/news/2013-07-complexity ... ation.html
Religioushttp://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ngier/gre13.htm
Astronomyhttp://www.astronomy.com/news/2011/01/p ... e-universe
Geologyhttp://www.windows2universe.org/earth/g ... fault.html
Cosmologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse
Chris's Birthday - Layer of years (Happy Belated)
On top of a mountain would not have been my guess but you came up with a vantage not on my list (geography)! To get to the point - Boris must also be a good climber besides his skill as a photographer.

[SouthEastAsia]

As for 'Flying pies'... perhaps a drone UAV-delivered Pizza will in fact be coming to a rural hilltop house near you soon!

@ Ann: very eloquently said!

@ Chris: thanks for the genius insight and feedback always.

[DavidLeodis]

It's an awesome image but a shame about the 'watermarks' being so intrusively obvious.

I had a when looking through the 3 page gallery of images of photographers on the Night Scape website to see that of Трифонова Любовь. She is pretty but the photo of her seems so out of place .