Nerdliness

Mountain and Crater on Dwarf Planet Ceres in 3D

Ceres in 3D

This image is cropped from a 3D Photo found on Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Get out your red/blue glasses and gaze across Ceres at mysterious mountain Ahuna Mons. Shown in a 3D anaglyph perspective view, the mosaicked image data was captured in December of 2015, taken from the Dawn spacecraft’s low-altitude mapping orbit about 385 kilometers above the surface of the dwarf planet. A remarkable dome-shaped feature on Ceres, with steep, smooth sides Ahuna Mons is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) in diameter at its base, rising on average 4 kilometers to a flattened summit. Similar in size to mountains found on planet Earth, no other Cerean surface feature is so tall and well-defined. It is not known what process shaped the lonely Ahuna Mons, or if the bright material streaking its steepest side is the same material responsible for Ceres’ famous bright spots.

Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, UCLA, MPS/DLR/IDA

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.

Gun-Shaped Cloud Hole

Gun-Shaped Cloud Hole

Verna looked out the front window today and saw this hole in the clouds that appeared to resemble a semi-automatic pistol. I went out front and took this photo of the phenomenon.

Recalling from an article we posted about eighteen months ago:

Pareidolia

Pareidolia (parr-i-DOH-lee-uh) is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant, a form of apophenia. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records when played in reverse.

Sunspot 2297

Sunspot 2297

I read that a large sunspot was transiting the solar globe, so I went out to the courtyard and shot a few images of the sun with the Canon SL1 and my cheapie Rainbow Symphony Solar Filter. While I can’t match the resolution of fancier equipment or space-borne solar observation platforms, I did manage to resolve the spot well enough to perceive the shadowy smaller parts of the group.

The camera settings were as follows: F8.0, focal length 300mm, 1/2500 sec., ISO 6400, Manual Program. Photo taken 2015-03-10 09:27:42 MST. The image has been derotated to an angle where ecliptic north is approximately up. Click on the image to enlarge.

Trailer Awning in 3D

Trailer Awning in 3D

A couple of weekends ago I grilled a Santa Maria Tri Tip Roast for dinner. Before that, I set up the awning on the trailer to provide shade for the grill and me. After getting it set up, I stood by the patio door and snapped an image pair which I later processed into the 3D image seen above.

You will need your free pair of 3D glasses to view the image (click image to enlarge). As usual, I have posted the 2D image here.