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How to see Comet A3

Posted on October 14, 2024 by farlane

There were hopes that Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS aka Comet A3 would be the comet of the century. While it is not quite that, it does appear that it will be visible for the next couple of weeks just after sunset, even to the naked eye! The good folks at EarthSky offer a helpful checklist to spot Comet A3:

Be sure you’re looking at the correct direction and time. Comet A3 will be visible low in the west after sunset beginning around October 14.
You need a dark, unobstructed sky. Start looking when the sky is dark, but close to sunrise or sunset. Make sure there aren’t hills, trees or buildings blocking your view.
If you can’t see the comet with your eye, try your phone. Most cell phone cameras provide a night or low-light mode. But capturing an image of the comet will require that you hold the camera firmly – or lean against a fixed object like a tree – to avoid shaky or blurred image.
AFTER you’ve located the comet, use binoculars or your eyes to sweep in that area in the sky.

Gary took this shot of Comet Neowise back in July of 2020. See more in his Night Skies gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work on his website.

Aurora outbreak on tap for this weekend!!

Posted on October 4, 2024 by farlane

Sunflower Auroras – August 2024-23 by Nathan Miller

The NOAA/NWS Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for today through Sunday due to a pair of coronal mass ejections that are anticipated to arrive over the course of the next three days. This means that Northern Lights are VERY possible over the weekend!!

Nathan took this in August up on the Keweenaw Peninsula. See more in his Sunflower Auroras gallery on Flickr and for sure check out his photography & writing at Nathan Invincible.

Much (much) more Northern Lights on Michigan in Pictures!

Get ready for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS!

Posted on October 3, 2024 by farlane

via Leelanau.com

Comet C2023 А3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS by Captures by Ethan

The Planetary Society shares that some astronomers are referring to the newly discovered Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas as:

… “the comet of the century.” They say it will outshine everything but the Moon in the night sky and that it will stretch its tail over a huge portion of the sky. In that case, people around the world would be able to see the comet without trying at all. On the other hand, some people, like astronomer Dr. Zdeněk Sekanina, have predicted that the comet will break apart around the closest point in its orbit to the Sun, or “perihelion.” Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas shows no clear signs of fragmenting right now, but that could always change.

…During late September and the first few days of October, you can find Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas in the constellation Sextans. Look to the east, where the comet will rise about an hour before the Sun if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in a Southern Hemisphere, the comet will rise a bit earlier and be easier to see.

For most of early October, Tsuchinshan-Atlas will be too close to the Sun to be easily visible. Then, starting around Oct. 10 — if all goes well — the comet should be visible after sunset near the horizon in the west. With every passing day, Tsuchinshan-Atlas will start the evening higher in the sky and be easier to spot, unless it gets too dim.

…or breaks up, but if not it could be legendary! Head over to Planetary.org for more!

Ethan shares that he captures this sweet shot of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS rising over Lake Leelanau early morning on Sunday. For more follow him on Facebook. View & purchase his work at capturesbyethan.com.

Supermoon Eclipse Tuesday night!

Posted on September 16, 2024 by farlane

Super Moon Total Lunar Eclipse by Kenneth Raymond

Bridge Michigan shares that the supermoon tomorrow night (September 17) could be (literally) overshadowed by another astronomical event, a partial lunar eclipse:

Full moons are likely every month, but supermoons, which occur when the moon is closest to Earth, are rarer. Only 25% of all full moons are supermoons, according to NASA. The next ones are Oct. 17 and Nov. 15. But the September supermoon will be brighter and red because of the partial lunar eclipse, which is when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, and casts its shadow on the moon.

“Supermoon is a popular science term for when full moons occur close to the perigee of the moon’s orbit about Earth,” said Seth Jacobson, natural science professor at Michigan State University.

“Lunar eclipses occur at full moons when the sun, Earth and moon are all in the same plane and in that order. In this case, the moon will simultaneously be closer and in almost the exact same plane, so we get a partial lunar eclipse and a supermoon at the same time. The chance of both occurring during the same full moon cycle is about 5% or once every one-and-a-half years,” Jacobson said.

The partial eclipse is predicted at 10:44.

I’ve featured this sweet shot Kenneth took this during the total lunar eclipse of Steptember 27, 2015 before & I will probably do so again! See more in his Night Sky gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work on his website.

Honolulu Blue Monday

Posted on September 9, 2024 by farlane

Dodge Fountain in Honolulu Blue by Andrew McFarlane

The Detroit Lions kicked off their highly anticipated 2024 season with a 26-20 overtime victory over former QB Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams! In honor of this, I decided to share one of my own photos, a picture of the Dodge Fountain on Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit lit up in Honolulu Blue.

I knew that the Dodge Fountain had been designed by artist Isamu Noguchi, but I just learned that he designed Philip A. Hart Plaza as well:

Noguchi’s most ambitious effort at the time, the Philip A. Hart Plaza project, began with a commission for a fountain and spanned almost a decade as the artist expanded his scope to create the surrounding plaza along with facilities below surface level. Envisioned as a place for the community to gather, the plaza layout emphasized flexibility to accommodate large groups. Dotting the eight-acre site are various stepped areas for both seating and play; an outdoor amphitheater built into a hollow below-surface grade; and a 120-foot-tall stainless steel, torqued pylon marking one entrance. Its central feature is the Horace E. Dodge Fountain, a horizontal ring of stainless steel suspended by legs above a massive granite pool and animated by the results of Noguchi’s ongoing experiments with programmed spray patterns (as well complex lighting schemes for nighttime).

I don’t have a photography website, but if you enjoy Michigan in Pictures you can support me with a few bucks on Patreon!!

Get ready for the 2024 Detroit Lions!

Posted on September 6, 2024September 6, 2024 by farlane

500 Drone Lion over Michigan Central Station by Stephen McGee Films

The Detroit Lions open the 2024 NFL Season at home Sunday night at 8:30pm vs Matthew Stafford & the Los Angeles Rams. In celebration, the Lions will hold a drone show over downtown Detroit like the one they held over Michigan Central Station back in January. The show will take place 400 feet above Ford Field facing downtown this Saturday (Sep 7) at 8:45pm.

There’s a huge amount of excitement around the Lions this year following their stellar 2023 season – let us know how you’re feeling in the comments!!

Stephen took this photo in January . Follow him @stephen_mcgree on Instagram. You can purchase this print & get information about his work including Resurgo, a documentary about the rebirth of Detroit on his website.

Rite of Passage

Posted on August 13, 2024 by farlane

Rite of Passage Part 2 by Captures by Ethan

VIA LEELANAU.COM…

Here’s an incredible photo of the Northern Lights dancing over the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan last night from Sleeping Bear Point. South Manitou Island is to the right, North Manitou Island to the left & The Crib (North Manitou Shoal Light) is in the center. Ethan’s father Elmer Hohnke recently passed away and he shares:

I’ve been a little quiet lately on here as my dad passed away a few weeks ago and needed to step back for a while. Since then I’ve been needing a mental health break chasing the night sky, as that is my true escape. With the peak of the Perseids meteor shower as well as anticipation of a coronal mass ejection(s), AND a clear night..last night was the perfect night. It wound up being so much more than perfect. The aurora made an appearance and danced from just after sunset to just before sunrise. The night sky did so many different things and so many different colors were present. I also felt the presence of my dad with me last night and it was something I can’t even put into words. I love you, forever and always. This night will hold closer to me than any other night.

This is a great reminder of the pain this world can hold for us all and the fact that many you will see today are grappling with similar pain. Please grant them grace & here’s hoping for a lifting of all our spirits … and a continued run of absolutely banging auroras!!

Follow Captures by Ethan on Facebook and for sure view & purchase northern lights and other photos on his website.

Chasing the Perseid meteor shower

Posted on August 8, 2024January 11, 2025 by farlane

Milky Way over Milky Bond Falls with a dash of Perseids by Sathya

The Perseid meteor shower is a summer staple & fast approaching the peak!! Our friends at EarthSky say that the early mornings of August 11-13, 2024 are your best bet for meteor action, but you can usually see them between midnight – 6am. That’s perfect because there’s an excellent chance of Northern Lights for the next couple of days & they are usually strongest between midnight – 3am.

EarthSky writes that the August Perseid meteor shower is rich and steady, from early August through the peak. The meteors are colorful. And they frequently leave persistent trains. All of these factors make the Perseid shower perhaps the most beloved meteor shower for the Northern Hemisphere.

Head over to EarthSky for everything you need to know about the Perseids, our most reliable meteor shower!

This photo of a Perseid meteor over Bond Falls that I shared back in 2013 remains one of my favorite michpics ever! Sathya wrote on their blog:

The deafening sound of 500 gallons of water / second from 50 feet
The tranquil silence of the dark night
Milky way adorning the skies
A (Perseids) meteor fireball streaking across the horizon
Definitely a moment of serenity and one I would cherish!

For sure check out Like the Ocean to view & purchase prints and a whole lot of amazing photos & amazing thoughts about some of the most beautiful places on this planet.

Night Moves: Mackinac Bridge Edition

Posted on July 18, 2024July 18, 2024 by farlane

Mackinac Bridge Night Reflections by Michigan Nut Photography

If you’ve been following Michigan in Pictures for any length of time, you are almost certainly familiar with the work of Michigan Nut aka John McCormick. He just announced that his 2025 Michigan Calendars are available so what are you waiting for??

Get your Christmas gifts early on his website!

Firefly Boom

Posted on June 27, 2024 by farlane

Fireflies in a Jar by Jamelah E

Bridge Michigan shares that Michigan is seeing more fireflies than usual this year, thanks to an early spring followed by drought-like conditions:

Michigan families should enjoy them while they can, says Ben Pfeiffer, founder of the nonprofit organization Firefly Conservation & Research, who projects a continued decline in the bugs. The numbers seen in Michigan skies this summer, Pfeiffer warns, are “likely the best that it’s ever going to be.”

This summer’s lightning bug explosion is a result of drought-like weather preceded by warmer Spring conditions. This matured larvae into adult fireflies earlier. It’s during the adult stage, which lasts about two months, that fireflies show off their distinctive bioluminescence.

The long-term decrease in the firefly population is caused by an increase in light pollution and pesticide use. Fireflies mate through glow patterns and require a dark environment. Bright white LED light interrupts the fireflies’ ability to see each other. Pesticides used outside, especially in soil, to kill insects like spiders or beetles can harm fireflies as well.

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