Using my wide angle lens to try to capture the scene at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio during totality. That is a KC-135 in front of me with the massive museum in the background. You can also see part of the estimated 30k crowd that was there. During totality a lot of cheering could be heard throughout the crowd and fireworks off in the distance. The twilight on the horizon was visible for 360 degrees.
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A favorite from my trip to Ohio. This was a fun trip for me. I left Virginia at 4:30 in the morning and arrived at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, OH at midday. I spent over four hours exploring the massive hangers full of planes and space artifacts before heading to Springfield to find my hotel and an awesome Frank Lloyd Wright house. After a great nights sleep I was excited and up early. I had heard so much about the traffic nightmares associated with 2017 eclipse that I was nervous about when I should leave, and after seeing heavy traffic reported in Google maps and knowing that 30k were expected at the museum, I decided to leave the hotel and head over. There was really no traffic on the way and I ended up being on the second row out in the field in front of the museum. Arriving really early and being a bit of a talker, I had no problems making new friends. After the museum opened, I roamed and took a lot more photos before heading out at 12:30 to set up. I had to carry quite a bit of gear about a half mile, so after setting up I hung out and talked to everyone. As totality set in there was a massive cheer through the crowd and I could hear fireworks off in the distance. I was surprised at how dark it got and how quickly the air temperature dropped. It was an interesting experience to say the least. After totality the crowds started to pack up and head out. I stayed and took more photos and by 5:30 it was easier to leave. It was definitely worth the trip.

In this image I combined several shots to create and HDR, which features Baily's Beads, a prominence and the corona.

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Tags:   eclipse favorite Dayton Ohio D750

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Rise and shine. The Blue Ridge Parkway was closed, so I hung out at Abbot Lake waiting for daybreak and it was a good one.
@the Peaks Of Otter in Bedford, County, VA.

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Tags:   Bedford favorite sunrise blue ridge parkway blue ridge peaks of otter parkway mountains cs_hammer

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This is a photo of the Matt's Creek wildfire, which burned for several weeks in the Blue Ridge mountains in central Virginia. Burning over 12,000 acres it ranks as one of the largest in the state. This photo was one of many I took of the wildfire and I'm looking at the fire from about two miles away at Natural Bridge Station, VA

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Tags:   wildfire Blue Ridge Mountains Virginia

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SAR-Arc viewed from 4000ft at Thunder Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.

A SAR arc is a phenomenon related to the Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. SAR stands for "Stable Auroral Red" arc. Here's a simple explanation:

Auroras: These are natural light displays in the sky, usually seen in high latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). They are caused by the interaction between the Earth's magnetosphere and solar wind—a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.

Geomagnetic Storms: These are disturbances in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave or cloud of magnetic field that interacts with the Earth's magnetic field. This interaction can enhance auroral activity.

Stable Auroral Red (SAR) Arc: During geomagnetic storms, a SAR arc can form. It is a specific type of aurora that appears at lower latitudes than typical auroras. Unlike the more common green auroras, SAR arcs are characterized by their red color, which is due to their emission of light at specific red wavelengths. This red light comes primarily from atomic oxygen at higher altitudes in the Earth's atmosphere.

Stability and Location: The term "stable" in SAR arc refers to its relatively steady and long-lasting nature compared to other auroral phenomena, which can be quite dynamic and rapidly changing. SAR arcs are typically observed in the sub-auroral zone, which is the region between the usual auroral oval and lower latitude areas.


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Tags:   aurora parkway mountains Hammer cs_hammer blue ridge parkway Bedford SAR arc Geomagnetic Storm Stable Auroral Red Arc Blue Ridge Blue Ridge

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