Thursday, October 30, 2008

Sky Watch No.16


Hello one and all.... what a journey this as been for me. Each week for a while now I have had the pleasure to start the ball rolling here at Sky Watch HQ.. Each week was a journey around the world to look at your Sky pictures... and very enjoyable it was, too. It is said that all good things come to an end, and in my case it as ..... this will be my last posting for Sky Watch and blogging in general. I have got to the stage where I need to step back from blogging, and manage my free time better. I have a winter project to start shortly which will keep me busy and away from the PC.. Our beloved 1968/9 Land rover is having a bit of a rebuild and a 'recon engine' fitted. I will find this hard going but it is something that means a great deal to Jane and I. We towed it to the workshop today and it now awaits mine and Jane's tender loving care...

Thank you all for being out there, thanks for your contact, your comments and concern when I've been ill.... and most of all thank you all for your friendship. I'm sure I'll pop up from time to time to comment and to say hello.

Now it's time to hand you over to the very capable hands of the Sky Watch Team.... keep posting and enjoying.

Tom

I think I speak not only for the Team, but also for all who take part in Skywatch Friday, when I say that you will be sorely missed. It always has been a pleasure and you have become a friend.
It's an honor, that you hand the reigns over to me. The Team and I will do our best to keep Skywatch Friday, what you made it. A fun place where people share their unique views of skies all over the world. And let's not forget IMAC, who did also "retire" - his input and help was very
valuable for each and everyone of us. So - for the both of you - enjoy your retirement! Be healthy and stick your head through the door from time to time to say "hi!".
Klaus

Thank you, for being part of the Skywatch Community!

Your Skywatch Team:
Klaus | Sandy | Ivar | Wren | Fishing Guy


Thursday, October 23, 2008

Skywatch Friday No. 15

Hi Skywatchers!
Tom - our Headhoncho is sitting this one out - he is taking a well deserved break. Now the rest of the team - without adult supervision will go totally crazy today and we will do irresponsible stuff, like - let's say - have Dewdrop post another of her wonderful Sky Lessons - and then we will just go out and wildly visit your sites! That'll teach Tom a lesson or two, to let us be with out supervision! ;)

Lesson prepared and photograph taken by
Dewdrop
(aka Jennifer Bilak)

Time for another post for the Skywatch 101 Series... Here's lesson four. I have chosen my favorite sun dog shot.

Sun dogs

A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously. Sundogs typically, but not exclusively, appear when the sun is low, e.g. at sunrise and sunset, and the atmosphere is filled with ice crystal forming cirrus clouds, but diamond dust and ice fog can also produce them. Sometimes they exhibit a spectrum of colours, ranging from red closest to the sun to a pale bluish tail stretching away from the sun.[1] White sundogs are caused by light reflected off of atmospheric ice crystals, while colored sundogs are caused by light refracted through them.

~source

This shot was taken close to sunset a few days after Thanksgiving back in 2006.

Thank you!
The Sky Watch Team
Tom, Sandy, IMAC , Klaus, Ivar, Wren & Fishing Guy

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Skywatch Friday No. 14

A lot of news today! For one - two more Team Members have joined the team - most of you do know Fishing Guy and Wren! With so many participants coming up week after week, more eyes are always a good thing to have. So welcome both!

The other news is even more exiting.

Skywatch has a Sibling!

PJoin MyWorl Tuesday

The same crew of people that bring you Skywatch are adding a second meme. MY WORLD Tuesday.
As limitless as Skywatch, the idea behind MY WORLD is simple. Show us your world! Your Necks of the woods. Show us what makes the area you are living in, interesting. Be our Tourist Guide.
While we don't expect long articles, it would be nice if you would write some words in your post, describing what we are seeing. Your Halloween rites, the landmarks of your area, your celebrations, your home, your neighborhood, your state - all is fair game in MY WORLD Tuesday.

The inaugural Issue will start on Monday, October 20th, 8pm GMT ( 3pm EST ).
The URL is: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/
Head over and let us know how you like the idea - and if you have some of your own - don't hold back! Let us know. Procedures will be the same as in Skywatch, Badges for your site are available for download, Help is available - so no new tricks to learn. ;)
Just one. Since it is about Your World, we ask you to sign in to Mr. Linky with your name and country (and of course your URL). Like so: Jane Doe, Netherlands or John Doe, Australia.

The Team (Tom, Sandy, Imac, Klaus, Ivar, Wren & Fishing Guy) hopes that you will stop by, take a look, leave us your thoughts and suggestions and join us Monday Evening!

But now - without further delay - let's get the Skywatch Baby on the road!
And I do that with a wonderful Sunset, that happens over several "States" at the same time. The image shows Disney's Epcot "World's Showcase" in Orlando, Florida. From left to right:

United States, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico.


Skywatch is brought to you by:
The Sky Watch Team
Tom, Sandy, IMAC , Klaus, Ivar, Wren & Fishing Guy

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Sky Watch No.13

I get all the good jobs at Sky Watch.... like this one today where I get to introduce our latest Sky Watch Team member... So without more ado I shall hand you over to Ivar......
TOM

First of all I must say thank you to the Team. They wanted me as a new Team member and I couldn't say no.
I shot this picture from the top of a small mountain. The clouds are very low and this makes it special I think.


I started blogging this summer and I find SWF very interesting. Now it is "a must" every week. Blogging has changed the way I look at things. Every day I say to my self....' will this be a good shot.. can I post this....? '. When I look up to the sky I am having SWF in my mind. It is a pleasure to visit other SWF posts around the world. Many great photos every week. Keep up the good work bloggers :-)

Have a very nice SWF and a beautiful weekend.

Ivar Ivrig Norway

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Sky Watch No. 12

Continuing with the Skywatch cloud formation lesson... it's over to our very own Storm Chaser Dew Drop

I have chosen a shot with Crepuscular Rays (sun rays, God's rays or fingers of God).

Crepuscular Rays Crepuscular rays, in atmospheric optics, are rays of sunlight that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. These rays, which stream through gaps in clouds or between other objects, are diverging columns of sunlit air separated by darker cloud-shadowed regions. The name comes from their frequent occurrences during crepuscular hours (those being dawn and dusk), when the contrasts between light and dark are the most obvious. Various airborne compounds scatter the sunlight and make these rays visible, due to diffraction, reflection, and scattering. Crepuscular rays are near-parallel, but appear to diverge because of linear perspective. They often occur when objects such as mountain peaks or clouds partially shadow the sun's rays like a cloud cover. ~source

My daughter once told me that these were a sign of souls of the deceased being lifted up into Heaven.
Lesson prepared and photograph taken by Dewdrop