Editing 2463: Astrophotography
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{{comic | {{comic | ||
| number = 2463 | | number = 2463 | ||
− | | date = May | + | | date = May 15, 2021 |
| title = Astrophotography | | title = Astrophotography | ||
| image = astrophotography.png | | image = astrophotography.png | ||
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a BACKFLIPPING ASTROPHOTOGRAPHER. Title text needs to be outlined as the main explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
{{w|Astrophotography}} is the practice of taking pictures of astronomical objects. Sometimes it is specified as a hobby, as opposed to the work of professional astronomers. Astrophotographers like to take pretty pictures of all sorts of objects in the sky, but photographing the {{w|Sun}} is a popular subgenre within the field, especially if something is transiting in front of it. Typical things include planes, the {{w|International Space Station}} (ISS), and the {{w|Moon}} ({{w|Solar eclipses}}). | {{w|Astrophotography}} is the practice of taking pictures of astronomical objects. Sometimes it is specified as a hobby, as opposed to the work of professional astronomers. Astrophotographers like to take pretty pictures of all sorts of objects in the sky, but photographing the {{w|Sun}} is a popular subgenre within the field, especially if something is transiting in front of it. Typical things include planes, the {{w|International Space Station}} (ISS), and the {{w|Moon}} ({{w|Solar eclipses}}). | ||
− | + | During the [[:Category:Total Solar Eclipse 2017|Total Solar Eclipse 2017]] visible across US it was possible to see the ISS pass in front of the Sun during a partial part of the Eclipse (from a site that was later in the total Eclipse zone.) This was [https://www.smartereveryday.com/eclipse photographed] and filmed by Destin from Smarter Every Day and can be seen in his video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lepQoU4oek4&feature=youtu.be Space Station Transiting 2017 ECLIPSE]. (Go to the time of the flyby of the ISS in the video [https://youtu.be/lepQoU4oek4?t=209 here]). | |
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− | + | The practice of "one-upmanship" refers to the practice of achieving something superior to what another has achieved, or "getting one up on" them. The term being coined by Stephen Potter in "One-Upmanship: Being Some Account of the Activities and Teachings of the Lifemanship Correspondence College of One-Upness and Games Lifemastery." the third of his sequence of comic self-help books. | |
The caption claims that the photo shown in the comic is the result of a continuous string of one-upmanship among astrophotographers in a community, each striving to one-up the other. | The caption claims that the photo shown in the comic is the result of a continuous string of one-upmanship among astrophotographers in a community, each striving to one-up the other. | ||
In this comic there seems to be an abundance of things: | In this comic there seems to be an abundance of things: | ||
− | * The ISS can be seen transiting in the upper center. | + | |
+ | * The ISS can be seen transiting in the upper center. | ||
* There is an ongoing {{w|partial solar eclipse}} so the view of the Sun is partially obscured by the Moon in the upper right quadrant. | * There is an ongoing {{w|partial solar eclipse}} so the view of the Sun is partially obscured by the Moon in the upper right quadrant. | ||
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− | * The | + | These two things are what Destin managed. But this photographer did several one up on him. |
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− | + | * The sun is setting or rising from behind a hill. | |
− | * [[Megan]] is standing slightly below the peak of a hill and seems to be juggling with five balls, which are also in front of the sun. One or more of those balls might actually be {{w|sunspots}} or the planets Mercury or Venus. | + | * [[Megan]] is standing slightly below the peak of a hill and seems to be juggling, with five balls, which are also in front of the sun. One or more of those balls might actually be {{w|sunspots}} or the planets Mercury or Venus. |
* [[Cueball]] is standing at the peak of the hill, shooting an arrow from a bow, one arrow has pierced what at first appears to be one of the juggling balls, but may be a {{w|Transit of Venus}}. | * [[Cueball]] is standing at the peak of the hill, shooting an arrow from a bow, one arrow has pierced what at first appears to be one of the juggling balls, but may be a {{w|Transit of Venus}}. | ||
− | + | * A simultaneous Eclipse and Transit of Venus is actually expected in the future, but not until April 5, 15232 (13211 years after the publishing of this comic). It would though likely be easier to make the arrow "hit" Venus than one of the joggled balls, as the planet's position is constant at the time the photo is taken. The other four balls are too large that any of them could represent Mercury, the only other planet that can transit the Sun, when seen from Earth. But Megan has been careful to make one ball go so much higher than the middle two, that it seems to fit that Venus has been shot out from between them. | |
− | + | * Two airplanes flying above them are pulling signs with the words "nice" and "shot" (which could refer to both the archer and the photographer). The signs will have to be made with transparent material in the canvas letting sun through. (The letters are clearly not just cutouts, or they would have distinct {{w|stencil}} bridges.) | |
− | * Two airplanes pulling | ||
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Taking the picture required precisely scheduling and arranging the relative positions of several of the various subjects (and photographer) to coincide with the predictable but rare conjunctions of the rest of the scene, as well as special equipment: | Taking the picture required precisely scheduling and arranging the relative positions of several of the various subjects (and photographer) to coincide with the predictable but rare conjunctions of the rest of the scene, as well as special equipment: | ||
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* A solar filter must be used to photograph the sun without overexposing the image or even damaging equipment. | * A solar filter must be used to photograph the sun without overexposing the image or even damaging equipment. | ||
* The photograph must be taken during a partial solar eclipse. These only happen a few times per year and are only visible in part of the world. | * The photograph must be taken during a partial solar eclipse. These only happen a few times per year and are only visible in part of the world. | ||
− | * | + | * Related to the last point, a nearby person appears larger than the moon. It is possible to photograph the silhouette of a person or a cityscape in front of a full moon, making the moon look comparatively larger or smaller by adjusting the distance to the closer subject, and then the lenses used by the photographer to make them both fill just the right amount of the frame. The photographer needed to carefully choose their position relative to the subjects to make this happen. |
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* The exposure time of the photograph had to be short enough to capture clear silhouettes of the ISS, the juggling balls and the arrow while these were in the air. | * The exposure time of the photograph had to be short enough to capture clear silhouettes of the ISS, the juggling balls and the arrow while these were in the air. | ||
* The mountain had to be in a location that would happen to see the ISS passing in front of the sun at the same time as the sun was rising from behind it. | * The mountain had to be in a location that would happen to see the ISS passing in front of the sun at the same time as the sun was rising from behind it. | ||
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* The sky (at least between the photographer and the Sun) had to be free of clouds. | * The sky (at least between the photographer and the Sun) had to be free of clouds. | ||
− | The title text describes a similarly outlandish photo attempting to one-up Cueball and Megan | + | The title text describes a similarly outlandish photo attempting to one-up Cueball and Megan: |
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− | * The astrophotographer is performing a backflip such that | + | * An airliner is flying in front of the Sun. |
− | * The astrophotographer is tossing several tiny models of the ISS | + | * The astrophotographer is performing a backflip such that he appears to be over the airliner. |
− | * A falcon is flying in front of the Sun, presumably intending to capture prey, in such a way that it appears to be snatching the real ISS out of the fakes | + | * The astrophotographer is tossing several tiny models of the ISS to also appear in front of the Sun. |
+ | * A falcon is flying in front of the Sun, presumably intending to capture prey, in such a way that it appears to be snatching the real ISS out of the fakes. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball and Megan stand on a hill with the | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
− | :[ | + | |
− | + | :[Cueball and Megan stand on a hill with the sun behind them. Cueball is at the top-left of the hill, holding a bow in his left arm, which has been recently shot, with the arrow to right. Megan is at the bottom-right of the hill, juggling some balls. There are two planes going in opposite directions with banners on them. Above the planes is the ISS. All these items are silhouetted against the sun partially eclipsed by the moon in the upper right.] | |
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+ | :[Banners]: Nice Shot | ||
:[Caption beneath the panel]: | :[Caption beneath the panel]: | ||
− | :Our astrophotography community's one- | + | :Our astrophotography community's one-upmanship is getting out of hand. |
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
− | + | Randall has commented on extreme photography in comics [[1855: Telephoto]] and [[1719: Superzoom]], and the ''How To'' chapter "How to take a selfie". | |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
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[[Category:Space]] | [[Category:Space]] | ||
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