Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Namibian Nights

NASA ^ | February 04, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Namibia has some of the darkest nights visible from any continent. It is therefore home to some of the more spectacular skyscapes, a few of which have been captured in the above time-lapse video. Visible at the movie start are unusual quiver trees perched before a deep starfield highlighted by the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy. This bright band of stars and gas appears to pivot around the celestial south pole as our Earth rotates. The remains of camel thorn trees are then seen against a sky that includes a fuzzy patch on the far right that is the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy to the Milky Way. A bright sunlight-reflecting satellite passes quickly overhead. Quiver trees appear again, now showing their unusual trunks, while the Small Magellanic Cloud becomes clearly visible in the background. Artificial lights illuminate a mist that surround camel thorn trees in Deadvlei. In the final sequence, natural Namibian stone arches are captured against the advancing shadows of the setting moon. This video incorporates over 16,000 images shot over two years, and won top honors among the 2012 Travel Photographer of the Year awards.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Marsel van Oosten; Music: Simon Wilkinson]

[SunkenCiv]

Sometimes I wonder if someone's trying to turn Astronomy Picture of the Day into Dancing with the Stars.

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[cyn]

lovely time lapse ( http://vimeo.com/57130400 )

thanks — it helps put things in perspective at the end of another day in obamaland.

[Cicero]

Incredible. Everyone should be sure to read the summary explanation, as well.

[bigheadfred]

Look on the bright side.

Now you never have to visit Namibia.

[chuckles]

Well, we don’t have anything in Space to take a picture with, so they have to go from desert to desert taking pretty pics as long as the NASA credit card holds out. Namibia,.....hmmmm,....is that a Muslim country? We are supposed to be snuggling up to them with the NASA budget now.