Corn, Lightning, Aurora, Ice and Stars

September 15, 2011 3:52 PM

The ever-lower cost of motion control technology is allowing amateurs to create increasingly spectacular films of timelapse astrophotography: the latest work from Randy Halverson, Eric Hines and Ágúst Ingvarsson. (Full-screen viewing is highly recommended).

Music is by Clint Mansell, Death is the Road to Awe, from The Fountain; Tempest, by Simon Wilkinson and a piece by Mondkopf [FB link]. Post intended as something of a sequel to this.

posted by Bora Horza Gobuchul (24 comments total)

Wow Openmoco is just incredibly cool! The motion control setups of yesteryear had to keep a 20lb camera steady. The hardware that is needed to keep a 0.5lb DSLR that can capture an image at the quality level of a 35mm film camera is somewhat less.
posted by sammyo at 4:03 PM on September 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

i have literally never seen the milky way with the naked eye, i don't think.
posted by empath at 4:12 PM on September 15, 2011

Yes, you can see the Milky Way!

Requirements:
1. Dark skies - no moonlight, no city lights, no headlights, no streetlights
2. At least one eyeball - no telescopes, no binoculars, (just eyeglasses if you're near sighted)
3. A little bit of timing - late summer or winter evenings are good.

More details in the link, but that's the most of it.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:20 PM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

My understanding is that you need not only an exceptionally dark place to view from, but also special filters to get a view of the Milky Way of any significant quality.
posted by feloniousmonk at 4:22 PM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Also of note, from a comment on the Bad Astronomy blog: I think a lot of people don’t understand that we’ll never see it with our eyes the way it looks in pictures, simply for the fact that our eyes don’t take 20-second exposures!
posted by filthy light thief at 4:24 PM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

For what it's worth, if you're in the Mid-Atlantic area, New River Gorge National River and associated parks are easy to get to and in that large dark swathe in WV you will see in the above link. I highly recommend it both as a place to watch a meteor shower, look at the stars in general, or just have a good time camping.
posted by feloniousmonk at 4:24 PM on September 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

Drive for 20 minutes outside of our small city (across from Orcas Island on the Saanich Peninsula), and it's possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:40 PM on September 15, 2011

That all y'all think that it's "exceptionally dark" when the Milky Way is visible are making me sad.

Exceptionally dark is when the stunning infinity that isn't the Milky Way becomes visible. If you can ever make it to a mountain peak observatory, do so! Even w/o telescope access it'll blow you away.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:42 PM on September 15, 2011 [3 favorites]

Thanks for these. The family and I just sat in front of the computer for the last 9 minutes without saying a single word...
posted by kuanes at 4:58 PM on September 15, 2011

It makes me sad too, for what it's worth. It's so bright where I live that I'm pretty sure the Milky Way of taking long-exposure photos of us.
posted by feloniousmonk at 5:09 PM on September 15, 2011

Timelapse videos are so cool, and if you have a DSLR, a tripod or a firm place to rest it and an internal or IR intervalometer, and a copy of gimp or many other programs, very easy to make. I am in no way on the level of these guys, but was quite happy with my own effort from Tokyo Harbour at the start of the year. So far as fun photo projects go, timelapse has a low barrier to entry and a high tolerance for mistakes. :)

I confess, I often find the extremely bombastic music choices in these videos a bit overwhelming for the subject matter.
posted by smoke at 5:22 PM on September 15, 2011

My understanding is that you need not only an exceptionally dark place to view from, but also special filters to get a view of the Milky Way of any significant quality.

Mountain.Boat.
posted by cmoj at 5:49 PM on September 15, 2011

How do I favorite this post more than once (this was great!)?
posted by postel's law at 5:54 PM on September 15, 2011

Mountain > Boat. Less atmospheric haze = more stars. In true dark the starry skies are mind-blowing. Above alpine, hundreds of miles from Big Light…omgwtfbb. The expanse of universe is beyond comprehension.

The lightbulb killed god, IMO.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:17 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Exceptionally dark is when the Milky Way casts a shadow.
posted by dirigibleman at 12:47 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

You won't be able to see as much colour in the milky way with the naked eye, but even in my outer suburban backyard it is very easily visible.
posted by bystander at 6:18 AM on September 16, 2011

Mountain > Boat. Less atmospheric haze = more stars. In true dark the starry skies are mind-blowing. Above alpine, hundreds of miles from Big Light…omgwtfbb. The expanse of universe is beyond comprehension.

Not to mention, for longer exposures, boats move a bit too much to get crisp shots.

Thanks for this post, Bora - makes me want to try this out myself.
posted by antifuse at 6:36 AM on September 16, 2011

Although, $900 for a timelapse dolly still falls WELL out of this amateur's budget :)
posted by antifuse at 7:50 AM on September 16, 2011

Another place is solidly frozen lake. You can walk out away from lights, suited up against the cold, and feel like you're on the moon. Added benefit, the air tends to be very dry and therefore clear. Thanks for the tip on the filters, feloniousmonk. I guess we're a couple weeks away from new moon? ;-)
posted by Goofyy at 9:21 AM on September 16, 2011

And for those of you who don't want to spend $900, here's a dude that built his own timelapse dolly
posted by antifuse at 11:08 AM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

Even on a moonless clear night, you can see faces by starlight alone.
Exceptionally dark requires overcast skies that hide even the stars.
posted by nixt at 11:30 AM on September 16, 2011

It's not really related to the night sky, but it's another space-themed Vimeo that totally floored me so I thought I'd share: Cassini Mission.
posted by feloniousmonk at 1:16 PM on September 16, 2011 [1 favorite]

One of my most unforgettable memories of growing up (if not THE most unforgettable) is laying in the back of my grandmother's station wagon in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming with my head on the tailgate, staring up at the sky as the Milky Way gradually revealed its AWESOMENESS.

Thanks Grandma.
posted by Cats' Concert at 11:42 PM on September 16, 2011

My goodness, I overlooked the link for Ágúst Ingvarsson before, but that's a stunning video of aurora borealis, if a shade fast. I wonder if it could have been shot with more frames and still get the same depth of color.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:33 AM on September 21, 2011