It has been 20 years since the Hubble Telescope was launched, and after some initial glitches with one of the mirrors, It has captured some absolutely stunning images of the Cosmos, here are some of the awesome images it has captured, which I thought I’d share with you on this special occasion.
Here are a few photos Itook durung the recent Severn Valley Railway Autumn Steam Gala
Recently restored BR Ivatt Class 4mt no 43106 (AKA The Flying Pig)
GWR 4-6-0 4936 Kinlet Hall
GWR 4-6-0 7802 Bradley Manor
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was carried into orbit by the Space Shuttle Discovery in April 1990 and is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble.
Since then It has taken some absolutely amazing images of the universe and has also increased our understanding of space with some amazing discoveries, all that despite the odd technical glitch. You can find the latest news plus more stunning images here
If that has whetted your appetite You can also Explore the Solar System and more here
Here are the top ten Hubble Images
The Sombrero Galaxy
The Sombrero Galaxy – 28 million light years from Earth – was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across.
The Ant Nebula
The Ant Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas whose technical name is Mz3, resembles an ant when observed using ground-based telescopes… The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth.
Nebula NGC 2392
In third place is Nebula NGC 2392, called ‘Eskimo’ because it looks like a face surrounded by a furry hood. The hood is, in fact, a ring of comet-shaped objects flying away from a dying star. Eskimo is 5,000 light years from Earth.
Cat’s Eye Nebula
In fourth Place is the Cats Eye Nebula.
Hourglass Nebula
In fifth place is the Hourglass Nebula which is 8,000 light years away and has a ‘pinched-in-the-middle’ look because the winds that shape it are weaker at the centre.
Cone Nebula
In sixth place is the Cone Nebula. The part pictured here is 2.5 light years in length (the equivalent of 23 million return trips to the Moon).
The Perfect Storm
In seventh place is The Perfect Storm a small region in the Swan Nebula, 5,500 light years away, described as ‘a bubbly ocean of hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen, sulphur and other elements’.
Starry Night
In Eighth place is Starry Night, which is so named because it reminded astronomers of the Van Gogh painting of the same name. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way.
NGC 2207 & IC2163
In ninth place are these glowering eyes from 114 million light years away, which are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation.
The Triffid Nebula
Finally there is The Triffid Nebula. A ’stellar nursery’, 9,000 light years from here, where new stars are being born.
I’ve been trying to take a photo of this This very common species of butterfly for ages, but sadly due to their very skittish nature I’ve never managed to get close enough without them flying off. Luckily patience (and being very still) paid off & I managed it last week.
They can be found from April to September in flowery places especially near cultivation. There are usually three broods every year and the eggs are laid of Brassicas and other cruciferous plants including Cabbages, which makes them the bane of most gardeners lives when the larva hatch in large numbers & feed gregariously.
However The large White doesn’t have it all it’s own way though. The parasitic wasp Apanteles glomeratus lays it’s eggs inside the larva by means of its needle like ovipositor, and when the eggs hatch the wasp larva eat the poor caterpillar from the inside out before it has chance to pupate
Large Whites are common throughout Europe, with much migration into Britain, leading to a very large population during the Summer months.
The Buddleia where I photographed the Small Tortoiseshell (Below) was also attracting a whole host of other butterflies too. Among them were loads of Peacock Butterflies, which are commonly seen in gardens & other flowery places from July to September, and feed with their wings wide open (Which make great photos).
From late Autumn onwards the insect can often be found hibernating in hollow trees, outhouses & sheds, where it’s black mottled underside camoflages it perfectly amongst the nooks & crannies, it stays put until it is time to fly again next Spring.
Like the Larva of the Small Tortoiseshell, the black furry larva of the Peacock can also be found feeding on Stinging Nettles from May to July
I was out with my camera & I managed to take a picture of this Common European garden butterfly which can be found feeding or sunbathing in gardens & other flowery places on sunny days during the Summer.
A second brood of Small Tortoiseshells generally flies during late Summer before going into hibernation. The larva are spiky black & green, and can be found feeding on Stinging Nettles during the Spring & Summer months.
I finally got round to sorting out all the photos I took at Trevithick 200 last weekend, and putting them into a gallery. The gallery can be found at the address below:
http://whizzbang.biz/trevithick200.html
I was out with my camera the other day & I saw this common European species of moth so I took a photo. It is so named because it resembles a traditional carpet pattern, with the blotchy pattern helping to break up the outline of the moth & hide it from predators, especially on tree trunks or lichen covered rocks. It flies from Spring to Autumn in gardens and many other habitats and The larva varies in colour from green to grey and feeds on Cruciferoous plants, including cabbages.
This week (June 23rd to June 29th) is The Royal Entomological Society’s national insect week. This event aims to give people of all ages the opportunity to learn more about these most fascinating creatures. It will be launched by wildlife enthusiast and television presenter Chris Packham, and Joan Ruddock MP at London’s Chelsea Physic Garden.
Red Admiral (Vanessa Atalanta)
Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui)
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You can Find out more here
http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/
GARDEN MOTH COUNT
There is also an event From 21 June to 6 July, called the Garden Moth Count. The aim of which, is to help find out what is happening to moths in Great Britain. Sounds like a great excuse to go out and photograph Insects.
You can Find out more here
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/
as from June 14th the Daily Telegraph newspaper is doing a series of seven Photography Guides. Being a keen photographer I am interested to see what techniques I could pick up. Guides in the series are:
* Introduction to Photography: The guide describes the building blocks that make up all photographs, such as light, focus, contrast and software.
* People: This guide shows you how to utilize the basic elements of photography to make engaging pictures of people. From silhouettes to portraits the guide will enable even beginners to capture that perfect family portrait.
* Landscapes & Nature: This guide shows you how to take photographs of stunning vistas aswell as close-ups of flowers, Panoramic Views & Gardens in bloom.
* Animals: This guide shows you how to take wildlife photographs from pet portraits to birds in flight, photographing wildlife from a car.
* Architecture: This guide shows you how to photograph architechture properly, from Focussing on Details, form & space, to how to photograph interiors without it being too dark.
* Events: This guide shows you how to capture those once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated events such as parties, carnivals & Weddings
* Expressions: This guide shows you how to add an artistic impression to your photos such as adding sharpness & blur or adding texture or altering the hues to create an interesting effect
