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.


Horn Park Quarry Ammonites

February 10, 2021

Ammo5

Photographer: Michela Meda
Summary Author: Michela Meda

The fossils seen above are ammonites from Horn Park Quarry,
England. These relatives of the current nautilus thrived for about
140 million years in the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods.
Ammonites are characterized by a distinctive outer shell composed
mainly of aragonite and conchiolin and internally divided by
septa into different chambers filled with gas and liquid to
control the animal's buoyancy. The animal itself occupied the final
chamber. Horn Park Quarry was once a working quarry and is now the
smallest National Nature Reserve in Britain. Photo taken December 13,
2020.
* Horn Park Quarry National Nature Reserve, England Coordinates:
50.81632, -2.77166

Related EPODs

Horn Park Quarry Ammonites An Unusual Arch Cerro Ventana,
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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 8 weeks, 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.


Archive - Black Hills Flume

January 09, 2021

Flume

Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD
was originally published January 9, 2004.

Provided by: Mike Barondeau
Summary author: Mike Barondeau

This is one of the tunnels you walk through when traversing the Flume
Trail from Sheridan Lake to Rockerville in the Black Hills of South
Dakota. The historic Flume Trail takes you back to the mining boom of
the 1880s when the Rockerville Flume carried water 20 miles (32 km),
from Spring Creek west of present-day Sheridan Lake, east to the placer
diggings near Rockerville. This flume operated until 1885 and enabled
miners to take over $500,000 in gold. The trail follows the actual
flume bed for much of its length. Along the way, you'll see historic
artifacts and parts of the flume itself, but because of these fragile
artifacts, this is a hikers only trail.


Related EPODs

Archive - Black Hills Flume Cracked Eggs of the Bisti Badlands
Puget Sound Feeder Bluff Exogenic Fulgurites Cedar Breaks:
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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 3 weeks, 4 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.


Fireflies in Nuevo León, México

May 10, 2021


Golden_Turtle_2021_PV

Photographer: Pavel Vorobiev
Summary Author: Pavel Vorobiev

In many parts of the middle latitudes and tropics, fireflies appear
in great quantities during spring and early summer, particularly on
evenings that are warm and humid. Fireflies, also known as lightning
bugs or glow worms, emit light in the 510-610 nm portion of
the visible spectrum, primarily to attract mates. The photo above
shows the density of lightning bug traffic in Cienega de Gonzalez,
Nuevo León, México; the result of some 1.5 hours of exposure time.
Photo taken on June 30, 2020.


Cienega de Gonzalez, Nuevo León, México Coordinates: 25.3803, -100.2390

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Animal Links

* Animal Diversity Web
* ARKive
* BirdLife International
* Bug Guide
* Discover Life
* Integrated Taxonomic Information System
* Microbial Life Resources
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
-
Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 3 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.


The Noose of Mars in 2020

June 10, 2021


#01 (6)

Photographer: Paolo Bardelli
Summary Author: Paolo Bardelli

I created the photo sequence above showing Mars movement across the
night sky, centered on October 8, 2020. Photos were taken every night,
clouds permitting, from July 2020 until February 2021. Approximately
every 26 months, Mars passes at its closest distance to Earth. Last
fall the opposition of the Red Planet was particularly
favorable as Mars was at its minimum distance from us -- about 38.5
million miles (62 million km). From our perspective on Earth, when
opposition occurs, Mars performs two reversals of motion, passing from
direct motion to retrograde motion and then back to direct motion.
As a result, its trace across the night sky forms a “noose.” Also,
visible (at top left) is a faint trace left by Uranus’ retrograde
motion.

Photo details: Canon 6D camera; 50 mm lens; Vixen Polarie star-tracker;
processing using Iris, PS CC, Startrails, and Sequator.

Albusciago, Italy Coordinates: 45.7395, 8.7939

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Night Sky Links

* Space Weather Live
* Space Weather Live Forum
* About the Moon
* American Meteor Society
* Arbeitskreises Meteore e.V.
* Global City Lights
* Heavens Above Home Page
* The International Meteor Organization
* Lunar and Planetary Institute
* MoonConnection
* NASA Eclipse Web Page
* Understanding The Moon Phases

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

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 4 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.


Archive - Web Iridescence

July 10, 2021

6a0105371bb32c970b0134853c2904970c

Every weekend we present a notable item from our archives. This EPOD
was originally published July 7, 2010.

Photographer: John Adam
Summary Author: John Adam

July 2010 Earth Science Picture of the Day Viewer's Choice This
picture of a carefully constructed spider web was taken in
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, Flagler County, Florida. It was
about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter and exhibited greenish and pink
iridescence when the viewing angle was just right. Depending on
where I stood, I could see more pinks than greens, or vice versa. The
thinly spun web acts as a type of circular diffraction grating,
each thread being about the right diameter (several microns or
less) to diffract (or deflect) sunlight. Such threads are also of
interest to the photonics industry. Notice also the central hole
where the spider sits has only radial threads; only the transverse
threads are sticky, so the spider can easily apprehend any unfortunate
prey by a rapid radial maneuver! Photo taken in May of 2010.

Photo Details: Camera Maker: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.; Camera Model:
SP570UZ; Focal Length: 55.0mm; Aperture: f/4.6; Exposure Time: 0.010 s
(1/100); ISO equiv: 200; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix;
Exposure: Creative Program (based towards depth of field); White
Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No; Color Space: sRGB
* Washington Oaks Gardens Coordinates: 29.635, -81.20389

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Archive - Web Iridescence Dew Drops on Spider Web 17-Year
Cicadas in 2021 Fireflies in Nuevo León, México The Strength of
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More...

Animal Links

* Animal Diversity Web
* ARKive
* BirdLife International
* Bug Guide
* Discover Life
* Integrated Taxonomic Information System
* Microbial Life Resources
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
-
Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

--- up 9 weeks, 1 day, 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.


Cumulonimbus Cloud, Rainbow and Central Bohemian Uplands

August 10, 2021

Veselý-epod

Photographer: Lukáš Veselý
Summary Author: Lukáš Veselý

The photo panorama above shows an impressive view of a distant
cumulonimbus cloud and a double rainbow as observed from the
village of Lhota in the Czech Republic, on May 17, 2021. In the
foreground and mid-ground are some of the volcanic hills of the
Central Bohemian Uplands. At left is the highest of these hills,
known as Milešovka (2,746 ft or 837 m). This is the windiest place
in the Czech Republic. In German, it’s called Thunder Mountain. No
wonder such a thunderstorm formed here. Actually, this storm cloud
built up much further to the west. I snapped the picture soon after it
passed my location – the camera is facing east. Note the reverse color
order of dimmer secondary rainbow.

Photo details: Panorama from 4 columns and 3 rows; exposure bracketing
needed for preserving highlights; horizontal field of view about 130°.
* Lhota village, Czech Republic Coordinates: 50.5126975, 13.9025789

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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 13 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.


Little People of Blue Wonder Canyon

September 10, 2021

SidestepTheLittlePeopleOfBlueWonder

SidestepSlotStalagmiteEditedForBayPhoto

Photographer: Stan Wagon

Summary Author: Stan Wagon

The slot canyon known as West Wahweap, in Grand Staircase
Escalante National Monument, Utah, has a side canyon called Blue
Wonder. This name supposedly arises because the reflected sky creates
blue tones in the depths of the generally white sandstone canyon walls.

The Entrada Sandstone forming the walls is very soft, and the rare
rains that fall results in some interesting shapes. Note the diorama of
sandstone stalagmites having seemingly human forms (top photo).
These stalagmites may only last a few months before the elements
(rain, wind, frost) break them down. The bottom photo shows an extended
“finger” of one such fragile stalagmite. Top photo taken on April 18,
2021; bottom photo taken on November 11, 2019.

Photo details: Apple iPhone 11 Pro camera; 4.3 mm lens; 1/60-second
exposure; f/1.8; ISO 125.
* Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah Coordinates:
37.4047, -111.6841

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Geology Links

* Earthquakes
* Geologic Time
* Geomagnetism
* General Dictionary of Geology
* Mineral and Locality Database
* Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
* This Dynamic Earth
* USGS
* USGS Ask a Geologist
* USGS/NPS Geologic Glossary
* USGS Volcano Hazards Program

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

https://epod.usra.edu

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