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}}). | ||
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Two years later he did another episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0MRxXqo9s South American Eclipse - Argentina]. In this video there was only the moon eclipsing the sun, at first, but then [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0MRxXqo9s&t=610s towards the end] the sun begins to set behind the distant mountains creating a shadow scenario between Moon and mountain shadows as displayed in this comic. | Two years later he did another episode [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0MRxXqo9s South American Eclipse - Argentina]. In this video there was only the moon eclipsing the sun, at first, but then [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0MRxXqo9s&t=610s towards the end] the sun begins to set behind the distant mountains creating a shadow scenario between Moon and mountain shadows as displayed in this comic. | ||
| − | This comic thus combines those two videos, which Randall must have seen, and then adds several more layers caused by the Astrophotography community's One-Upmanship. 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 | + | This comic thus combines those two videos, which Randall must have seen, and then adds several more layers caused by the Astrophotography community's One-Upmanship. 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. | ||
**These two things are what Destin managed in his first video. | **These two things are what Destin managed in his first video. | ||
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** This is what Destin managed in his second video. | ** This is what Destin managed in his second video. | ||
* This photographer achieved a combination of those two plus several other ones-up those two videos. | * This photographer achieved a combination of those two plus several other ones-up those two videos. | ||
| − | * [[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). | |
| − | ** 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 juggled balls, as the planet's angular velocity is significantly lower. |
| − | * Two airplanes pulling banners with the words "nice" and "shot" (which could refer to both the archer and the photographer) are flying in opposite directions above them. (Airplane banners that are not continuous sheets are made with thin support lines spanning the openings, which explains the presence of the apparently unsupported central disc in the "O".) | + | *** 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. |
| − | + | ** Given the long time before this could happen, it could also just be five balls. And in that case the easiest way to make this picture is to put the fifth ball on the arrow before shooting it. | |
| + | * Two airplanes pulling banners with the words "nice" and "shot" (which could refer to both the archer and the photographer) are flying in opposite directions above them. (Airplane banners that are not continuous sheets are made with thin support lines spanning the openings, which explains the presence of the apparently unsupported central disc in the "O"s.) | ||
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 title text describes a similarly outlandish photo attempting to one-up Cueball and Megan, done simultaneously on the next hill over, thus a place where the same ISS transit can be seen: | The title text describes a similarly outlandish photo attempting to one-up Cueball and Megan, done simultaneously on the next hill over, thus a place where the same ISS transit can be seen: | ||
| − | * A commercial airliner is flying in front of the Sun, thus this has to be timed with the flight plan (or it has to be | + | * A commercial airliner is flying in front of the Sun, thus this has to be timed with the flight plan (or it has to be chartred, to pass there at the correct height and position, within a few seconds. |
* The astrophotographer is performing a backflip such that they appear to be over the airliner. | * The astrophotographer is performing a backflip such that they appear to be over the airliner. | ||
| − | * The astrophotographer is tossing several tiny models of the ISS from a tray, so they also appear in front of the Sun with the real one (like the | + | * The astrophotographer is tossing several tiny models of the ISS from a tray, so they also appear in front of the Sun with the real one (like the joggling balls and Venus). |
| − | * 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 falcon moves slowly compared to the ISS, so it just needs | + | * 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 falcon moves slowly compared to the ISS, so it just needs it's talons to be on the line the ISS makes across the Sun, then a picture where it is close to the talons can be used. The other parts are slower than this. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
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:[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== | ||
