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Waxing Gibbous Moon and Craters

Clickable image: The image taken slightly past first quarter lunar phase makes craters near the light to dark region more pronounced. Leo-AI explains:

Lunar craters are depressions on the Moon’s surface formed by asteroid, meteoroid, or comet impacts. They are a record of the Moon’s impact history, providing valuable information about the early solar system’s asteroid-pummeled past. The Moon’s surface is relatively preserved due to the lack of liquid water and wind, making it an ideal location to study impact craters.

During the first quarter phase, the Moon is illuminated from the right, making it visible from Earth. This phase is characterized by a half-illuminated Moon with a right half visible and a left half in shadow. Many notable lunar craters are visible during this phase, including:

  • Tycho crater: A complex crater with a central peak complex, terraces, and a flat floor.
  • Giordano Bruno crater: A complex crater with a central peak and terraces, formed about 10 million years ago.
  • LinnĂ© crater: A young simple crater, thought to be less than 10 million years old, with a smooth floor and a diameter of about 1.4 miles.

These craters are just a few examples of the many impact craters visible on the Moon’s surface during the first quarter phase. The Moon’s surface is constantly changing due to meteoroid impacts, and studying these craters helps scientists understand the Moon’s history and the early solar system’s asteroid-pummeled past.

August 31, 2025 by Astronomy Nerdliness Photography Something Shiny

Desert House in 3D

It has been a while since I posted any 3D photos, so here is an image pair I took this morning with the Samsung Galaxy S23 camera phone. It was a little after nine AM and the sun and shadows were nice at this camera angle.

If in case you don’t have a pair of red/cyan 3D glasses, here is the 2D image:

Click on either image to enlarge in a new tab.

June 7, 2025 by Arizona Bob's 3D Stuff Nerdliness Photography

Panoramic Images

Panoramic Image of Our House

Earlier this month, I retired my venerable Canon Powershot A710IS Camera and started using my newer Kodak PIXPRO FZ152 Camera. The older camera had roughly 18 years on it and after it got retired, I started using the newer camera. The newer camera, it turns out, had more features that I didn’t know about because I used it so seldom. Lo and behold, there is a “panoramic image” mode.

To make panoramic images using the FZ152, one must select the proper mode and shooting left to right (other direction optional) snap three or four images as you move the camera. There is a “ghost” image of the preceding image that helps the user to align the camera. When done, select the “SET” button and the camera begins to “stitch” the images into a single elongated image — a panoramic image.

I am still learning how to use the panoramic image mode, although some of the image results from following the procedure have been disappointing, with visible disconnects in the continuity of the image. I thought I was using the proper procedure and got the result seen below:

Discontinuity example

As you can see, the right half of the panned image jumps from a place in the middle of the house to repeating (in a distorted fashion) the same image segment going to the right. The image is not useful except to demonstrate the problem.

I guess I am spoiled by having had a really good Canon Utility in the past that would render panoramas from several images with very good results, even with marginally acceptable images. Unfortunately, that utility stopped being supported and did not work with later versions of Windows subsequent to about seven years ago or so.

I will keep trying to get panoramas with the Kodak Camera in the future, but I may opt for a Photoshop ($$$) utility to do the things I used to do with ease and for free with the Canon App.

February 24, 2025 by Nerdliness Panoramas Photography

Sliver Moon

After the new moon phase Wednesday (01/29/2024), I managed to get this photo of first lunar light in the waxing crescent phase just after sunset last night. The first quarter Moon is about a week away when it looks as it does in the image above — just a tiny “sliver” of light visible.

My camera is a Canon EOS Rebel SL3 using a Canon EF 55-250mm zoom lens set to 250mm focal length. Click on the image to open the viewer.

January 31, 2025 by Astronomy Nerdliness Photography

Winter Solstice

Today marks the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is also the shortest day for us with only nine hours and fifty-six minutes of daylight.

In Wickenburg, we’re enjoying a nice sunny day and expecting a high temperature today in the mid-70s Fahrenheit. It is also The Sabbath, God’s Day of Rest. We will be preparing our feast of “Gumbolaya,” which is a combination of Gumbo and Jambalaya, two very favorite Southern (Cajun) stews. If we add okra to the Jambalaya, it becomes Gumbolaya.

Tomorrow, for Sunday Dinner, we will be having Crockpot Roast Top Round of Beef. Check the Food Blog for photos of the eats.

Image above: Waning Gibbous Moon over the big Saguaro Cactus in front of the Garage.

December 21, 2024 by Arizona Climate Food and Dining Nerdliness

Portuguese Bend in 3D

This is a repost of an old 3D photo that has been recaptured to get a better and larger view of the image. Both the 3D and 2D images shown below were taken from Google Earth™ and processed to produce the 3D and 2D images here.

It is tragically interesting to note that the landslide at Portuguese bend has taken out many homes and other properties in the area, most notably the Wayfarer’s Chapel which will be restored pending several complicated moves to another location.

Here’s the 2D image of the aerial view of Portuguese Bend:

Click on either image to enlarge.

December 22, 2024 update: The description of the bell tower removal and other progress information is available on the Chapel’s Instagram Account — https://www.instagram.com/p/C9jJ1vJNSzy/

November 4, 2024 by Bob's 3D Stuff California Nerdliness

Avalon 1998

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