Please help analyze this.

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Apollo XX
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Please help analyze this.

Unread post by Apollo XX »

This time lapse video is from the second half of the imaging session I conducted on the 12th of September in an effort to capture aurora. I took 150 images in the sequence, and the 1st half of that session was rife with aircraft travel, but the second half captured something interesting. You'll note some streaks in the sky that appear to fan up from the right side, while the general cloud movement is of the more common west to east kind. I'm curious if the streaks may represent auroral activity. I've yet to identify the source of the blue smudge, but I suspect it is a lens reflection from the rising moon, which was just to the east of the field of view. You'll note that the blue spot moves with the sky, but not quite as quickly, which makes me suspect that it is in fact the moon. One other interesting feature is the comings and goings of the fog banks as the session progressed. This particular segment represents the latter 50 minutes of a 90 minute session.

Your input is welcome.

http://vimeo.com/106134251
"The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens." - Anaxagoras
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WCGucfa
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Re: Please help analyze this.

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Hi Mike,

First of all, your video is facinating!
You are right about the blue smudge (also facinating); it is a lens flare from the rising Moon. You can actually see it rising at the same rate as Luna.
If you could have played God and moved the Moon horizontally to the right, the blue smudge would have moved toward the center
of the screen and changed shape to a longer horizontal smudge.
The rays at the high right of the frame are fragmented remnants of wind blown cirrus clouds, about to fade into oblivion.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for this post, Mike! I love solving (or not) mysteries in nature; especially the sky!!

Bill G.
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
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Apollo XX
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Re: Please help analyze this.

Unread post by Apollo XX »

Bill, thanks for your input on this sequence! You've confirmed my suspicions, and your experienced assessment is appreciated. 8)
"The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens." - Anaxagoras
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