EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Lunar Corona over Pistoia, Italy

February 15, 2021

IMG_1575-Modifica-2

Photographer: Fabio Di Stefano
Summary Author: Fabio Di Stefano

After a cloudy, cold day recently, the evening sky cleared enough to
present the lunar corona seen above. Coronas result from
diffraction of moonlight (or sunlight) passing through
mid-level clouds composed of tiny, similar-sized water
droplets. Photo taken December 27, 2020.

Photo Details: Camera: Canon EOS M6; Software: Adobe Photoshop
Lightroom Classic 9.4 (Windows); Exposure Time: 0.200s (1/5); Aperture:
ƒ/8.0; ISO equivalent: 200; Focal Length: 135.0mm
* Pistoia, Italy Coordinates: 43.9343, 10.92557

Related EPODs

Lunar Corona over Pistoia, Italy Inferior Mirage Observed from
Plemmirio, Syracuse, Italy Parisian Cirrus Wedding Veil Solar
Corona Observed in Fog at Nags Head, North Carolina Lunar Halo
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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 8 weeks, 5 days, 21 hours, 27 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Dark Spots and Patterns on Lake Ice

January 15, 2021

Mm_spots01 (002)a

Mm_spots03 (003)b

Photographer: Mr. Moose
Summary Author: Mr. Moose

Patterns on Lake Ice2222222222 A few weeks back, ice covered
the lake near my home for the first time this season. It was quite thin
(less than one-quarter inch or 6 mm) and completely clear and smooth
and thus appeared rather dark since lake water was easily visible
through it. Not until ice thickens and gets rough does it attain
the matte white look that most people think of when they envision ice.

During the early afternoon I noticed that a thin layer of snow covered
the ice and also it was now littered with a few leaves (top photo).
Later on, there were dark spots on the ice, and at the center of each
spot was a leaf (inset photo). Later yet, these spots had grown in size
(bottom photo). The leaves were melting the snow and exposing the ice,
not because they were warm but rather because dark leaves absorb
solar radiation more readily than does snow. This continued in a
feedback loop where the dark spot on the ice then absorbed more
radiation and continued to get larger and larger, even when the sky
was overcast. Notice also the more star-like or spider-like pattern
of the smaller spots (bottom photo). It should be mentioned that when
the snow or ice is thicker, I never see this phenomenon. Photos taken
on November 21, 2020.
* Oneida County, Wisconsin Coordinates: 45.6751, -89.4617

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Dark Spots and Patterns on Lake Ice Surface Hoar Formation
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Lagoon
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Cryosphere Links

* Guide to Frost
* What is the Cryosphere?
* Bentley Snow Crystals
* Glaciers of the World
* Ice, Snow, and Glaciers: The Water Cycle
* The National Snow and Ice Data Center Google Earth Images
* Snow and Ice Crystals

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 4 weeks, 2 days, 21 hours, 28 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Twilight from Mount Penteli, Greece

March 15, 2021

_MG_1915

Photographer: Konstantinos Christodoulopoulos
Summary Author: Konstantinos Christodoulopoulos; Jim Foster

Shown above is the captivating twilight sky I observed several
weeks ago from Mount Penteli in the Attica region of Greece.
Its summit, known as Pyrgari, has an elevation of 3,638 ft (1,109 m).
These rich, marigold colors occurred during the transition from
civil to nautical twilight. When the Sun’s below the horizon, the
indigo and blue colors are scattered from view by the increased
path-length of sunlight, but the longer wavelength colors (yellows,
oranges and reds) remain until nightfall. Photo taken on December 25,
2020.
Photo Details: Canon EF camera; 24 mm; f/3.5; USM lens; 2-second
exposure; ISO 200; Digipod A 2541P Tripod; Manfrotto 496 RC2 Ball Head.
* Mount Penteli, Greece Coordinates: 38.0667, 23.8833

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Italy
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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 12 weeks, 5 days, 21 hours, 27 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Views of Sahara Dust over the Canary Islands (Spain) and Paris, France

April 15, 2021

Con Calima - Sin Calima - Satelite Dust3
Photographers: Jose Fernandez Arozena; Bertrand Kulik
Summary Authors: Jose Fernandez Arozena; Jim Foster
Shown above (top photo) are two views from the window of my home in
Santa Cruz de La Palma (Canary Islands), Spain, showing the
contrast between a normal view (right) and a view obscured by dust
carried westward by a storm originating over the Sahara Desert
(left). PM10 values greater than 700 ug/m^3 were recorded,
which is well above the range considered to be very poor air
quality (more than 300 ug/m^3). A satellite view of this storm is inset
at lower left.

The view at right was taken a week later when the Northeast Trade
Winds were blowing over the island of La Palma and sweeping the dust
and haze out to sea. Top photo taken on February 16, 2021; bottom photo
shows this dust layer as captured by Bertrand Kulik, above Paris,
France, on February 21, 2021.
* Coordinates

* Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain: 28.6840, -17.7646
* Paris, France: 48.8566, 2.3522


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Hungary Double Rainbow on Evia, Greece
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Atmospheric Effects Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* Color and Light in Nature
* The Colors of Twillight and Sunset
* Refraction Index
* Image Gallery: Atmospheric Effects
* What is a Rainbow?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 1 day, 22 hours, 42 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Grim Clouds over the Paris Skyline

June 15, 2021


6M2A8813_DxO

Photographer: Bertrand Kulik

Summary Authors: Bertrand Kulik Jim Foster

Shown above is a view of the Parisian sky taken from a window of my
home, in the 15^th District of Paris, on April 16, 2021. This rather
somber sky features primarily stratocumulus clouds with some
mammatus and or asperitas development (foreground). A patch or
two of blue sky, however, gives hope that more cheerful weather is on
the way.

Photo details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera; TAMRON SP 15-30 mm
lens; F/2.8 Di VC USD A012; ƒ/9.0; 30.0 mm; 1/500 second exposure; 100
ISO.
* Paris, France Coordinates: 48.8566, 2.3522

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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 5 weeks, 4 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Cottonwood Trees

July 15, 2021


Roger_20210503_200210

Photographer: Roger Hopkins:[ Roger@naturalhighs.net]
Summary Author: Roger Hopkins:[ Roger@naturalhighs.net]

These two stately Eastern Cottonwood trees ( Populus deltoides) were
photographed in southwest Colorado. Mesa Verde National Park can be
seen in the background.
The left tree is a male, and the right tree is a female. So for a few
days during spring, the tree on the left has red catkins, while the one
on the right has green catkins. Once pollinated, the catkins on
the male will fall off while the ones on the female will develop into
seed capsules with tiny seeds attached to cotton-like strands. When
released in early summer, the seeds give the species its common name.
After these trees are leafed out and the seeds are shed, there’s no
visible difference between the sexes. Nor can any such difference be
detected once the leaves fall. Photo taken on May 3, 2021.
* Dolores, Colorado Coordinates: 37.4739, -108.5045

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Plant Links

* Discover Life
* Tree Encyclopedia
* What are Phytoplankton?
* Encyclopedia of Life - What is a Plant?
* USDA Plants Database
* University of Texas Native Plant Database
* Plants in Motion
* What Tree is It?

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 9 weeks, 6 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)

EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Parisian Mammatus Clouds

September 15, 2021

Parisian mammatus clouds

Photographer: Bertrand Kulik

Summary Author: Bertrand Kulik

The photo above features several mammatus clouds taken over Paris
following a storm. Most often found near thunderstorm anvil clouds,
mammatus clouds are pouch-like pouches that are composed largely of ice
and water vapor. Although they are associated with severe weather,
especially hail and thunderstorms, the clouds are not a warning of bad
weather to come. After around 10 to 15 minutes, the clouds usually
disappear as the water droplets and ice slowly evaporate.

Photo Details: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF50mm f/1.8 STM lens, ƒ/9.0,
50.0 mm, 1/640 second exposure, ISO-50
* Paris, France Coordinates: 48.8566, 2.3522

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Cloud Links

* Atmospheric Optics
* The Cloud Appreciation Society
* Cloud Atlas
* Color and Light in Nature

-
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the Universities
Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 1 week, 5 days, 21 hours, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (21:1/186)