Verna and Bob's Weblog

Planet Pluto in 3D

Planet Pluto in 3D

Astronomy Picture of the Day posted a stereo card (like for old-time stereoscopes) of the planet Pluto as seen by the New Horizons mission spacecraft. I took the stereo card image and combined the left and right-eye images into the anaglyph (red-cyan) image above.

This is the original text from APOD:

Explanation: These two detailed, true color images of Pluto were captured during the historic New Horizons flyby last month. With slightly different perspectives on the now recognizeable surface features they are presented in this first high quality stereo pair intended for viewing by denizens of planet Earth. The left hand image (left eye) is a mosaic recorded when the spacecraft was about 450,000 kilometers from Pluto. The right single image was acquired earlier, a last full look before the spacecraft’s closest approach. Despite a difference in resolution, the pair combine for a stunning 3D perception of the distant, underworldly terrain.

You will need your free pair of 3D glasses to view the image (click image to enlarge). If you don’t have a pair, I have posted the original stereo card here.

August 6, 2015 by Bob's 3D Stuff Nerdliness

Announcing Our New Grandson – Baby G

Meet Baby G! Dad JJ and Mom Sara’s first baby. He’s a little boy, only five pounds two ounces at birth, but is a strong and healthy baby. Being he was a little earlier than expected, the staff held him in the hospital while they did some standard tests to see if he could be cleared to go home, which he passed easily.

JJ sent us the video seen on the right of Baby G sleeping, but active. We already have received a lot of still photos of him which we posted on Facebook and other places.

We are currently making plans to go see the new little guy who is staying with his mom and the other set of grandparents who live about three and a half hours drive from here. We sure are looking forward to meeting our new grandson very soon.

August 4, 2015 by Family Retirement

Goldfinch on Red Bird of Paradise

Goldfinch on Red Bird of Paradise

A curious goldfinch perched on one of the racemes growing on the red bird of paradise shrubs in the courtyard. Sort of like a yellow bird on a red bird.

The finch was probably attracted to the feeder I have just outside of the courtyard wall, but was momentarily distracted by the flower bearing shoots. It perched on several before lighting on this one. Shortly after this photo was taken, the finch returned to the feeder.

July 29, 2015 by Arizona Critters Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Queen of the Morning

Queen of the Morning

The Arizona Queen of the Night Cactus on the east side of our house had two open flowers last night. If you catch them early enough the morning after, these flowers are still quite beautiful before they fade away in the sunlight.

Last evening was good for night-blooming cacti in the area; the flowers above (two of them) opened east of the house and the Argentine Giant had three flowers still open this morning. It’s a one-night-stand with both of these flower types. Click on the image to enlarge.

July 26, 2015 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Cactus Cousins and Their Flowers

Star Cactus Bishop’s Cap

Two of my favorite cacti were in bloom today; the Star cactus flower on the left is the third flower that has opened this summer on my astrophytum ornatum. The flowers on the right are on my old reliable Bishop’s Cap cactus, astrophytum myriostigma. Both cacti are in the genus astrophytum of which there are five major species and a bucketload of variations.

The latter cactus above gets clusters of flowers on a monthly basis it seems, all spring summer and fall. The other flower is only the third one to open on that cactus, but there are more buds and I expect others to open as the summer progresses. Click on either image to enlarge.

July 24, 2015 by Arizona Flowers Home & Garden Photography

Casandro Dam Basin

Casandro Dam Basin

The afternoon after our big monsoon thunderstorm and record-breaking rainfall, Verna and I drove up the road to a vantage point near US 60 where the Casandro Dam catch basin can be seen. I caught this panoramic image of the basin with the water level at just about the ten percent full point. If you click on the image to enlarge, you can see the high water mark came up to the top of the spillway. There was a LOT of water that fell on our desert town.

We were OK since our house is protected by retention walls that divert the runoff around the house, but there were a couple of places where the muddy mess piled up on the concrete. That was easily fixed with a shovel, wheelbarrow and hose.

In the panoramic view above, the red arrow points to the approximate place where our house is located below the houses beyond. Click on the image to enlarge.

July 22, 2015 by Arizona Climate Panoramas

Avalon 1998

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