Tag Archives: Sky

Is Anybody out There?

This photo was taken this past week at the Very Large Array, one of the world’s largest radio astronomy facilities. It covers an expansive area out on the Plains of San Agustin in New Mexico and consists of 27 antenna dishes that are each 25 meters (82′) in diameter. The total baseline of all the antennas can be up to 36 km (22 miles).

This is looking northward at the Milky Way. There were some clouds at the time, and the lights on the horizon are probably coming from the distant towns of Gallup and Grants.

If you’ve seen the 1997 movie, Contact, with Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, this location was featured extensively.

This is a single 20-sec exposure with Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 manual focus lens.

By Gregg Ness

Taken on: November 19, 2014

Morning Fly Out

Shortly before sunrise, thousands of geese took flight almost simultaneously.

Experiencing the dawn fly out at this location is an awe-inspiring event.

There were 40,000 geese overwintering at Bosque last week. At dawn, they arose together as if on some primordial cue.

The sound they made as thousands of wings beat and the geese called out revealed a power of nature that stirred the soul.

By Greg Ness
Taken on: November 19, 2014
Location: Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.