Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Starry Night over Dubai

NASA ^ | July 13, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: A starry night over the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is really not so starry. In fact, the Moon is the only celestial beacon to come close to competing with city lights in this night skyscape, a situation all too familiar to urban skygazers. The futuristic looking scene is dominated by the 800 meter tall Khalifa Tower, presently the tallest free standing structure on planet Earth. But for now you should also be able to make out a few of the very brightest stars in Earth's night sky. Capella is left of the tower and Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Rigel, and stars in Orion's Belt can just be identified in the heavily light-polluted skies.

[SunkenCiv]

[Image Credit & Copyright: Babak Tafreshi (TWAN)]

[SunkenCiv]

Four+ years ago, FReeper petuniasevenused this in her APoD ping messages: join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[cripplecreek]

I’m still waiting on pics of Vesta from the Dawn spacecraft. It was supposed to insert into orbit at 1 AM this morning but will apparently take a couple of days to be sure.

[the invisib1e hand]

one word: GARISH.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

They released a picture taken from 26,000 miles a couple of days ago.

Initially the craft will hover about 9,000 miles from the surface. Then, in mid-August, Dawn’s ion propulsion system will reduce the separation to about 2,800 miles, and then to only 110 miles early next year. The resolution of the pictures will increase from about 500 m per pixel in late July to about 30 m per pixel in 2012.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/125649563.html

[tlb]

Nice shot. It’s so difficult to get good night time photographs in Dubai because local atmospheric conditions cause heavy condensation on the camera lens. This technically is called the Sinatra Effect, or sometimes Dubai Dubai Dew.

[TheOldLady]

Wow. That looks like a computer-generated Elvis painting on black velvet, but without the Elvis.

You know, kind of attractive and pretty, but tacky as all get out.

I like it.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks tlb. The Sinatra Effect — Dubai Dubai Du?

[SunkenCiv]

Yes, it does look processed at the very least, one of the blessings of our digital age. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks LiM. I’m sure it’s going to be soon.

[SunkenCiv]

Just be glad we didn’t have to look at any interior shots. :’)

[cripplecreek]

It was the first thing I checked on this morning but the last update was from the 14th.

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/

[newfreep]

LOL!

“Doobie, Doobie Do!

As a BIG fan of Sinatra with many laser burned CDRs from the master studio tapes, that was the post of the day!

[SunkenCiv]

Whoops, yesterday, I managed to give the wrong link (blush).

http://129.164.179.22/apod/ap110716.html

[the invisib1e hand]

Just be glad we didn’t have to look at any interior shots. :’)

OMG that's a very good point.

[the invisib1e hand]

This technically is called the Sinatra Effect, or sometimes Dubai Dubai Dew.

L. O. Freaking. L.

moonlight...on the Ganges....my little Hindu!

[SunkenCiv]

NASA Probe to Uncover Secrets of Brightest Asteroid Vesta
(’Dawn’ probe to orbit protoplanet)
SPACE.com | 7/15/11 | Charles Q. Choi
Posted on 07/15/2011 12:31:35 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2749153/posts