Moonglow, photo by Rudy Malmquist
Gorgeous photo from after dark at Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
View Rudy’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.
Lots more about Tahquamenon Falls on Michigan in Pictures.
Tonight’s Hunter’s Moon … and November’s Extra Super Moon
Catching the Hunter’s Moon, photo by Brad Worrell
EarthSky notes that 2016 Hunter’s Moon is also a supermoon, explaining:
In some months, the full moon is closer to us in orbit than others. The 2016 Hunter’s Moon does happen to be particularly close. It’s near perigee, the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit. Perigee comes on October 16 at 23:36 UTC (translate to your time zone), about 19 hours after the crest of the moon’s full phase at 4:23 UTC on the same date. Nowadays, people call these close full moons supermoons.
Some don’t like the word supermoon … but we like it. Full moons at their closest to Earth do look brighter. They have a larger-than-usual effect on earthly tides. Although most of us can’t detect that a supermoon appears larger to the eye, very careful and experienced observers say it’s possible.
So you won’t likely see a bigger-than-usual moon (unless you see it near the horizon, an effect known as the moon illusion). But you can notice how brightly the moon is shining, especially on the nights of October 15 and 16!
Next month – in November 2016, the full moon and perigee (closest point) come even closer together to stage the largest full moon of the year on November 14. … That November 2016 full moon will feature the closest supermoon since 1948!
Tons more about the Hunter’s Moon on EarthSky!
View Brad’s photo bigger and seem more in his Not More Pictures of the Moon! slideshow (note: more pictures of the moon are there).
High above Houghton, Michigan
goodnight, pretty little town, photo by brockit, inc.
This wonderful photo made me want to know more about Houghton, Michigan, so here’s an edited profile of Houghton via Wikipedia:
Houghton is located on the south shore of Portage Lake, across from Hancock. (see map) Native Americans mined copper in and around what would later be Houghton thousands of years before European settlement. French explorers had noted its existence in the area as early as the seventeenth century, and in 1772 Alexander Henry had prospected for copper on the Ontonagon River near Victoria. When Horace Greeley said, “Go West, young man” he wasn’t referring to gold, but rather the copper rush in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula.
The city is named after Douglass Houghton, physician-naturalist on Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s Lake Superior expedition whose 1841 report on the quantity and superior qualities of UP copper earned him the title of “father of copper mining in the United States.” The news brought many Cornish and Finnish immigrants to the area, along with smaller numbers of French-Canadian immigrants arrived in Houghton (or Copper Island as they called it) to work in the copper mines. These groups have had and continue to have a great influence on the area’s culture and cuisine.
In Houghton’s first days it was said that “only thieves, crooks, murderers and Indians” lived there. The post Civil War boom and increasing demand for copper wiring fueled the development of Houghton in the 1860s and 1870s. The Keweenaw Waterway, a dredging and extension of the Portage Lake, the Portage Shipping Canal and Lily Pond that turned the northern part of the Keweenaw Peninsula into “Copper Island” was completed in 1873. By 1880 Houghton had become “a burgeoning city” and in 1883, the railroad was extended from Marquette.
The last nearby mines closed in the late 1960s, but in 1885 the Michigan State Legislature foundedthe Michigan College of Mines to teach metallurgy and mining engineering. The school continues today as Michigan Technological University – the primary employer in the city.
Houghton has the distinction of being the birthplace of professional ice hockey in the United States when the Portage Lakers were formed in 1903, and Houghton’s Dee Stadium (formerly the Amphidrome) is the home of the Portage Lake Pioneers Senior Hockey Team.
Click for more from Wikipedia and please feel free to share tidbits in the comments.
View Adam’s photo background bigilicious on Facebook and definitely follow brockit for tons more cool photos!
More Houghton on Michigan in Pictures.
Sometimes the stars align…
Sometimes the stars align…, photo by Snap Happy Gal Photography
What can you say about an astonishing photo like this? Heather writes:
I went to Frankfort a couple nights ago to shoot the Milky Way at the lighthouse. As I walked out the long pier in the darkness, I passed two groups of swimmers heading home (at 11:30), and then had the entire thing to myself for over an hour. Just enough haze hung in the air to create the light rays from the lighthouse, and the waves splashed just high enough to douse the outside edge of the wall. The setting crescent moon balancing out the south breakwall light was a nice bonus.
View the photo bigger, view & purchase photos at snaphappygal.com, and be sure to follow Snap Happy Gal Photography on Facebook!
UPDATE: Here’s a link to purchase this photo!
More about the Frankfort North Breakwater Light including another nighttime shot by Heather on Michigan in Pictures.
Perseid Explosion at Day Farm
Definitely watch Ken’s Perseid video at the end!
D H Day Farm … perseid meteor shower, photo by Ken Scott
I’ve shared this before, but Space.com has an interesting story about how the upcoming Perseid Meteor shower (peak August 11-13) came to be known as “The Tears of St. Lawrence” and also some of the science behind this annual August sky show:
Laurentius, a Christian deacon, is said to have been martyred by the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. It was in the midst of this torture that Laurentius cried out: “I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other.”
The saint’s death was commemorated on his feast day, Aug. 10. King Phillip II of Spain built his monastery place the “Escorial,” on the plan of the holy gridiron. And the abundance of shooting stars seen annually between approximately Aug. 8 and 14 have come to be known as St. Lawrence’s “fiery tears.”
…We know today that these meteors are actually the dross of the Swift-Tuttle comet. Discovered back in 1862, this comet takes approximately 130 years to circle the Sun. With each pass, it leaves fresh debris — mostly the size of sand grains with a few peas and marbles tossed in.
Every year during mid-August, when the Earth passes close to the orbit of Swift-Tuttle, the bits and pieces ram into our atmosphere at approximately 37 miles per second (60 kps) and create bright streaks of light.
Read on for more including diagrams and viewing tips.
Ken Scott captured these Perseid meteors last August over a 2 1/2 hour period at the D.H. Day Farm in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. He says that the barn is lit by rogue lightning and that this is a composite of many meteor images, where each photo is rotated around the north star so that the ‘point of origin’ of the shower can be seen better. He understands it visually but not scientifically – anyone have a simple explanation for him?
View his photo bigger, see more in his Skies Above slideshow, and view and purchase his work at kenscottphotography.com.
Fury Approaches
Fury Approaches, photo by Jamie MacDonald
Pow!
View Jamie’s photo from Kirk Park Beach in West Olive bigger, see more in his Stormy Weather slideshow, and visit jmacdonaldphoto.com for more of his work.
Northern Lights Rewind: July 11th Edition
The Aurora Appears, photo by Eric Hackney
NOAA and the National Weather Service provide forecasts for the Northern Lights through the Space Weather Prediction Center. They have a Minor Watch in effect for this evening due to a “disturbance in the solar wind due to a recurrent positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) is likely to cause minor geomagnetic storming.”
Pretty sure that Obi-wan Kenobi or Yoda is monitoring the situation as well. If you’d like to up your chances of seeing the northern lights, definitely try stepping outside around 10:30 PM (or later) and taking a look up. Their Aurora Alert email is a great resource as well, delivering timely emails that let you know when conditions are right for the aurora
Eric took this photo one year ago today on Great Sand Bay way up on the northern shore of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula – could we get a repeat tonight?? View it bigger, see more from this night in his 7-11-15 Northern Lights III slideshow, and definitely follow Eric Hackney Photography on Facebook!
Much more about the northern lights on Michigan in Pictures!
A tragic reminder for drivers from Kalamazoo
I sincerely hope that everyone who reads today’s post remembers that three-quarters of all bicycle fatalities are caused by driver error. It’s your duty as a driver to PAY ATTENTION as you pilot a several thousand pound machine that can become a deadly weapon if you are not vigilant. I would also add that I am in no mood today to hear about the cases where cyclists violate the rules of the road. That does not happen in 3/4 of car/bike fatalities including this one…
Ghost Bike, photo by Patrick Goff
Today’s picture shows a ghost bike, a white-painted memorial for a bicyclists who was killed or struck while riding on the street. Accompanied by a small plaque, they serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place at their location and as enduring statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.
The city of Kalamazoo now has need for a host of ghost bikes after the deadly bicycle crash on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 where five bicyclists died when a pickup truck hit them on Westnedge Avenue. Four more cyclists were seriously injured. That link has photos from last night’s Ride of Silence and also the horrible damage to the bikes.
Kalamazoo Strong is taking donations to help the victims and families of this tragedy.
View Patrick’s photo of a ghost bike from Grand Rapids bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Here’s a video from the Ride of Silence…
Imported from Detroit … and from old media
Imported from Detroit, photo by Cory Smith/NightFox Photography
I flagged today’s photo a while back as one to feature on Michigan in Pictures. Cory shared it in 2010 with the tagline of the very successful Chrysler ad “Imported from Detroit”. You may remember that ad featured Detroit’s own Eminem along with scenes of the city at work. This morning I shared “Anthem of Us” directed by Stephen McGee. It’s a powerful short film about Detroit featuring hip hop artist Big Sean talking about his city along with beautiful footage of the Motor City at work.
The film is presented by Bedrock, a commercial real estate company focusing on the Midwest’s urban cores, and we will likely see more and more features like this as brands forsake traditional and increasingly ineffective media channels for direct, social media connection with their audiences. I want to stress that it doesn’t seem at all like a re-hash or rip-off of the Chrysler ad, and in my opinion it does a better job of capturing the city as it goes about its business.
View Cory’s photo bigger, see more in his HDR Photography slideshow, and also check out his work at nightfoxphoto.com.
…and here’s that Imported from Detroit commercial just in case you were wanting it.
Michigan Northern Lights Alert!
Arc of Green, photo by Eric Hackney
While it’s virtually impossible to predict when the aurora borealis will make an appearance, it’s tied to what’s happening on the sun. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center keeps tabs on what our local star is doing and is my go-to for Northern Lights forecasting. They are reporting strong geo-magnetic storms likely tonight and tomorrow so keep an eye on the skies.
Also, do yourself a favor and sign up for their Aurora Alerts!
Eric took this last night. View the photo bigger and see more from the May 8th aurora on his Facebook page.
Tons more northern lights including the colors of the Northern Lights on Michigan in Pictures
Michigan in Pictures 