EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


La Cascata di Fondo and Orion The Hunter

February 16, 2022

Orion and waterfall in Valchiusella

Photographer: Emanuele Balboni

Summary Author: Emanuele Balboni

This beautiful long-exposure photo features the starry night sky and a
roughly 30-foot (10 meter) waterfall located near Valchiusella, Italy.
The waterfall is locally called “ La Cascata di Fondo” or “the
waterfall of Fondo”, named after the nearby hamlet. The sky was
exceptionally clear on the night of November 28, 2021, which allowed
the Orion constellation to be clearly visible. Orion is known as
the hunter in Greek mythology and the constellation is most visible
from November to February each year. In the photo, Orion’s Belt and
sword appears to be approaching the waterfall, which could be due to
him being tired from the path made along the sky and wanting to immerse
himself in the waterfall to relieve his tired feet. This photo was
taken as a single exposure shot and was illuminated by the
moonlight and a bit of headlamp to lit up the shadows on the left.

Photo details: Canon 6D IR modified, Samyang 24 mm f/1.4, ISO-3200, 15
second exposure, Diffusion filter
* Valchiusella, Italy Coordinates: 45.5318, 7.6883

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Hydrology Links

* Current Sea Surface Temperature
* NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery
* Ocean Color
* What is hydrology?
* Tides and Currents
* Water Resources of the United States
* World Waterfall Database
* The USGS Water Science School
* World Water Database
* The World’s Water
* USGS Surface Water Information Pages

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
--- up 10 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 43 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Cloud Corona and Iridescence Above Curitiba, Brazil

March 16, 2022

EpodIMG_6693 - Copia

Photographer: Fabiano Belisário Diniz

Summary Authors: Fabiano Belisário Diniz; Cadan Cummings

In the late morning on December 12, 2021, I saw a group of
cirrocumulus clouds moving across the sky towards the Sun. I
quickly grabbed my camera and headed for an open area expecting some
beautiful cloud coronae and/or iridescences. Both coronae and
iridescences are phenomena produced by optical diffraction when
water vapor or ice crystals in the air unevenly scattered the incoming
light wavelengths, similar to a prism.

My first sight was fortunately a perfect corona with vivid colors. As
the clouds moved through the sky, sometimes the corona turned into an
iridescence. After around 20 minutes, the show come to an end. As a
note, it is always best practice to take precautions when viewing
or photographing near the Sun. During this event, I remembered to
shield myself against the intense sunlight close to the zenith, hiding
the sun behind the building or some trees.

Photo details: Canon 6D with Canon 28-135mm lens at f/9, ISO 100 and
1/3200s.
* Curitiba, Brazil Coordinates: -25.4372,-49.2700

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Over Rocky Mountain National Park Mountain Shadow Projected onto
Clouds
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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 2 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Archive - Fog Funnel

April 16, 2022

https://epod.usra.edu/.a/6a0105371bb32c970b01a511dd303b970c-pi

Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives.

This EPOD was originally published on July 25, 2014.

Photographer: Raymond Murphy
Summary Author: Raymond Murphy

Shown above is a photo of a fleeting funnel in the evaporating
morning fog observed on a small lake near Saranac Lake, New
York. This short-lived vortex was perhaps 15 ft (4.5 m) in height
and moved slowly to the left. Generally, these vortices last for only
for a few seconds. When the air is still and the warmth of the Sun
has burned off ( evaporated) all but the last bits of the morning
fog that often blankets this part of the Adirondack Mountains,
tube-like vortices can sometimes be detected in the mist. The
evaporating mist isn't uniform but tends to gather into small cloudlets
one to two feet high (about 0.5 m) that exhibit a surprising amount of
vertical motion and even slight rotation. There are nearly a dozen of
these cloudlets in the photo. Every once in a while, if the rotation is
just strong enough to spawn a tube of spinning air that extends higher
up, and if the temperature-humidity-pressure conditions are just right,
condensation occurs at the wall of the tube, making it visible in
the sunlight. Note also the crepuscular rays at right. Photo taken
on June 23, 2014.
* Upper Saranac Lake, New York Coordinates: 44.2925, -74.3256

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Over Southern Slovakia Moondogs and Paraselenic Arc
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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 6 weeks, 5 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Projection of the Full Moon

May 16, 2022


BIMG_2481-DeNoiseAI-clear-SharpenAI-Focus copie

Photographer: Jean-François Gely
Summary Author: Jean-François Gely
You’ve perhaps observed a solar eclipse projected onto a white
background; that is, the telescope was pointed at the Sun and its light
was projected onto a white sheet or board. I had never done this with
the Moon before, but the above is the result of my attempt to do so
on the night of February 16, 2022.

That evening, a few hours before the full Moon, I decided to point the
famous 62 cm telescope of the Saint-Véran Observatory at the Moon –
I used a 100 mm eyepiece. The telescope, with a focal length of 9 m,
was then fitted with a 90 x zoom, which allowed me to view the entire
Moon, or rather, a representation of the Moon. I needed to be patient;
however, I was finally able to obtain a 70 cm projection onto a wooden
board.

Tonight, is the night of the full Flower Moon. See how it compares
to the representation above.
Photo details: Single exposure of 8 seconds; ISO 1600; and f/4.0;
unfiltered Canon 6D + Samyang 24mm f/1.4 lens.
* Observatory of Saint-Veran, Hautes-Alpes, France Coordinates:
44.698889, 6.908333

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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 11 weeks, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Cumulonimbus Montage Above Taipei, Taiwan

June 16, 2022


Anvil20210909

Photographer: Meiying Lee
Summary Author: Meiying Lee

The photo montage above shows the development of a thunderstorm in
Taipei, Taiwan, on a very hot, late summer afternoon. Initially, I
could see a large, cumulus cloud building to the southeast of my home,
and then a pileus hood formed atop it. Soon afterwards, this
cumulonimbus cloud rapidly expanded, eventually climbing to the
tropopause to form an eye-catching anvil. On the penultimate
photo (taken at 6:05 p.m. local time), the entire cloud is illuminated
by the setting Sun, and mammatus clouds appear beneath the anvil’s
golden glow. This mesmerizing storm complex was visible to almost
everyone in northern Taiwan. Photos taken on September 9, 2021. Click
here to see a video of the anvil cloud development.
* Taipei, Taiwan Coordinates: 25.0330, 121.5654

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Above Curitiba, Brazil
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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 15 weeks, 3 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


The Waning Crescent Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars as Observed from Taipei

August 16, 2022

20220529planets

Photographer: Meiying Lee
Summary Author: Meiying Lee

After several days of heavy rain in Taipei, the weather finally cleared
up on the morning of May 29, 2022. The eastern sky during the early
morning was very lively this past spring and early summer. Jupiter
and Mars were in proximity to each other, and shiny Venus was
just below them. At 4:19 a.m. (local time), the sliver of the
waning crescent Moon, with only 2.3% illuminance, rose above the
mountains at lower left. See the two insets for more detail. Click
here for other planetary alignments in 2022.


Taipei, Taiwan Coordinates: 25.0330, 121.5654


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The Waning Crescent Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars as Observed from
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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 24 weeks, 1 day, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Sylvanshine

September 16, 2022


SylvanshineWeb

Photographer: Marco Meniero

Summary Author: Marco Meniero

I finally managed to photograph an optical phenomenon that’s eluded me
for years, namely the sylvanshine, a faint reflection of light
produced by micro-drops of water on the leaves of trees. See slighter
brighter patches adjacent to the arrows on the above photo.
Essentially, dew drops on waxy leaves reflects beams of
sunlight back toward the observer -- a type of backscatter
mechanism.

The phenomenon was explained in 1994 by Professor Alistair Fraser,
an expert in meteorological optics. According to his analysis, the wax
on the leaves causes the water to form beads, which in effect become
micro-lenses, focusing the light to a spot on the leaf's surface.
The image at this spot is then directed in the opposite direction. This
effect can even make certain trees appear snow-covered on moonlit
summer nights. Photo taken from Viterbo Airport, on September 6, 2022,
at 09:38 a.m. local time.

Photo details: Nikon Z9 camera; Nikon S 14-24 lens; 2.8; 32 ISO; f /
3.2; 1/160 second exposure.


Viterbo Airport, Italy Coordinates: 42.436111, 12.061667


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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 28 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Dew Drops

October 14, 2022


IMG_8940

IMG_8941

Photographer: Marco Meniero

Summary Author: Marco Meniero

When my mother asked me to photograph the roses in her garden with my
iPhone11 Pro, I happened to notice these beautiful dew drops. The
temperature at which the air is saturated with vapor is called the
dewpoint. When the surface temperature falls to the dewpoint, the
water vapor contained in the atmosphere condenses to form drops
(dew drops) on leaves and other surfaces. This process distinguishes
dew from precipitation that forms directly in the air – raindrops.
Photos taken on October 10, 2022.


Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy Coordinates: 42.0924, 11.7954


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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Optic Picture of Day: Gruppo Astrofili Galileo Galilei
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 32 weeks, 6 days, 20 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Microbialites in Puna Argentina

November 16, 2022


Microbialitos

Photographer: Carlos Di Nallo
Summary Author: Carlos Di Nallo
In the lagoon shown above, in the Catamarca province of Argentina,
modern microbialites can be observed. These ecosystems are "living
rocks" formed by diatom microorganisms and by various minerals.
They’re among the oldest ecosystems on our planet and dominated it for
3-billion years, producing large amounts of oxygen and are even
responsible for helping to create the ozone layer.

Today, they’re found in remote areas of northwestern Argentina, an
environment similar to that of many regions on Earth millions of years
ago -- high solar radiation and salinity conditions. They were
discovered by the Argentine scientist Dr. Maria Eugenia Farias.
Photo taken on May 15, 2022.

Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca, Argentina Coordinates:
-26.066667, -67.416667


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Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 37 weeks, 2 days, 21 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Red Bar Natural Bridge, Utah

December 16, 2022

RedBarBridgeForEPOD

Photographer: Stan Wagon

Summary Author: Stan Wagon

Red Bar Bridge is a remarkable landform found at the head of a small
wash near the bottom of the Moki Dugway, a famously steep road near
Mexican Hat, Utah. This waterfall bridge forms a natural arch
caused by the tremendous flow of water and has dimensions of
approximately 85 feet (26 m) in length with an 8.5-foot (2.6 m) gap.
The arch is composed of sandstone from the Halgaito Sandstone
Formation, which underlies the massive Cedar Mesa Sandstone
Formation. These formations are part of the Cutler Geologic Group
that arose during the Permian period.

Photo details: Sony A6500 camera; 10 mm lens; f/13; 1/800 second
exposure; ISO 400 (first shot), 320 second shot.


Mexican Hat, Utah Coordinates: 37.1519, -109.8671


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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* MyShake - University of California, Berkeley
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 41 weeks, 4 days, 21 minutes
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