Every May we residents of Colorado Springs get treated to a performance by the US Air Force Thunderbirds precision aerial demonstration team. I photographed them with my Nikon D500 and 300mm f/2.8 AFS G VR Nikkor lens as they passed in front of Pikes Peak.
The International Space Station (ISS) is the third brightest object in the sky (behind the sun and moon) and is readily visible with the naked eye. When the station does pass overhead, it’s usually only visible for a few minutes before it goes over the horizon.
This image is a 30″ exposure of the ISS over Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, CO. The trick to getting a shot like this is to know when and where the ISS will appear. By signing up for alerts from NASA’s Spot the Station website, you can get advanced warning of viewing opportunities in your locale. Once you know the time and location, you can plan a good viewing spot.
As many of you may know, I call Colorado Springs home. If you’ve seen the horrible images on the news from last night, you know that many people here have lost homes from the rapid and surprise expansion of the Waldo Canyon Fire. The fire literally doubled in size yesterday, expanding from 6,000 acres to over 15,000 acres.
First of all, I want to say that my heart goes out to all those affected by the fire. Secondly, please know that my family and I are not in any danger zone; we are not located near the burn area. Other than some extreme smoke in the area yesterday, I don’t expect to be impacted by this event on a personal level.
However, the fire crews here are absolutely overwhelmed and need our support. Please consider donating to the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross to support those who have lost everything, and those who are fighting this conflagration.
In addition, I will personally donate 5% of all Luminescence of Nature eBook/Video sales to the Red Cross, starting today through June 30th. Thank you for your support.