Patroklos and the Milky Way

803_2235 [Patroklos]

 

I had just taken a series of photos of a lunar eclipse over the Temple of Apollo on Cape Sounio [You can see the eclipse here.] and was about to return home when the boats near the little island of Patroklos and their reflections on the water looked tempting to my sleepy eyes at 1:30 in the morning. I confess, I am not strong enough to resist photographic temptations, so I decided to take 1-2 more photos - the last ones - for the night. The stars above were not visible to the human eye but PhotoPills - my mobile photo-advising App - ensured me that part of the Milky Way was still over the little island of Patroklos at that time.

So, I turned my camera towards a new direction and once again yielded to the temptation.

The outcome on the computer screen on the following day reminded me of David’s Psalm that reads:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; The skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

 

Photographed at Sounio on July 27, 2018 

 

Please click on the picture for a better view

 

 

Ursa constellations

803_3342 [Ursa constellations]

Inspired by my High-School teacher of Physics some decades ago, I have developed the habit of looking at the stars at night whenever possible and enjoy finding constellations in the way he had shown us. On a short vacation in a small hotel on Mt. Vardousia and when everybody had left the roof garden opting for the warm bed around midnight, I was left alone to enjoy the starry sky. No lights anywhere. Only dark mountains around and the starry sky above. Shooting the stars seemed to me a good way to go.

Constellation stars were highlighted in processing to make Ursa Minor and Major prominent.
 
Please click on the pictures for a better view.

803_3351 [Milky way]

I was hardly done with shooting the constellations above when I turned South and noticed the Galaxy waiting patiently for me behind Mt. Vardousia. I moved my equipment for a few meters and took another shot. I love vacations on the mountains!
 
Both photographed on Mt. Vardousia on September 9, 2018

Night sky over Sounio

_8011124 [Night sky over Sounio]

Photographed at Sounio on August 16, 2015

Sounio calling Galaxy

8010122 [Sounio calling Galaxy]

 The Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounio seems to be light-signaling to the heart of our galaxy 
in an attempt to ... establish communication!


Photographed at Sounio on June 20, 2015

star trails

801_6265 [star trails]

This was an experimental attempt to record star trails by turning the camera to an unusual direction. Instead of shooting the Northern star (Polaris) and the stars seemingly moving around it - a fact that would lead to a recording of concentric trails - we turned the camera South aiming slightly over the horizon to see what happens.

The resulting photograph (a combination of 404 photographs stacked in StarTrails v.2) seems to be interesting. Curved trails in the upper right corner belong to stars that seem to be revolving around the Northern star, the ones in the lower left corner (having an opposite curvature) belong to stars that seem to be revolving around the Southern Cross (Crux), while in between one can notice star trails forming an almost straight line. Why a straight line is up to you to find out. My astronomy knowledge is too poor to explain something like that, as obvious as that might be. So any clarifying contribution to that point would be more than welcome!


Photographed on Cape Sounio on July 30, 2014

The "Park of Souls" under the whirling stars

801_5921 [The "Park of Souls" under the whirling stars]

 The "Park of Souls" is a composition of human figures sculpted on logs of burnt trees by the artist Spyros Dasiotis. 
It stands on Mt. Parnitha at a height of 1018 m opposite a deserted sanatorium which had been the artist's key source of inspiration for the park.
It was inaugurated on Oct. 20, 2012

Photographed on Mt. Parnitha on July 27, 2014

[See also here.]

A wedding

IMG0595 [Evoia wedding]

On June 21, 2014 I had the pleasure and honor to attend the wedding of two much-loved friends - Iro and Aris - which took place on the tiny island of St. Nicholas in Northern Evoia.

It was "Unforgettable"; to describe it in one word!

We wish them a happy life.


Here follow a few pictures of the venue:

St. Nicholas: a day view

8015535

St. Nicholas: a night view
 

8015589

St. Nicholas: a panoramic view

Stars dancing for "Aristarchos"

CCC_9095 [Stars dancing for "Aristarchos"]

 Aristarchos is the largest telescope in Greece with a diameter of 2.3 meters.
It is situated at the top of Mt. Helmos at a height of 2.224 meters.

Photographed on Mt. Helmos on August 24, 2014

Full moon rise in Attica

DDD3032 [Full moon rise in Attica]

Zouberi: 23/06/2013, photo by Tony Taglides