Teide Volcano, Snow, Lightning, and Orion
February 27, 2011
Photographer: Jurgen Rendtel; Jurgen's web site
Summary Author: Jurgen Rendtel
On the night of November 29, 2010, the Canary Islands were clobbered by a strong storm system with wind gusts exceeding 100 mph (160 km/h) at the Observatorio del Teide (elevation of 7,874 ft or 2,400 m). On the heels of this big blow, during the early morning hours of November 30, a cluster of thunderstorms approached from the northwest. The cloud-to-cloud lightning produced from these storms allowed me to view a portion of Teide Volcano (12,198 ft or 3,718 m), approximately 9 mi (15 km) away -- lower left. Snow that resulted from the first storm system can be seen covering its flanks. The constellations of Orion (far left) and Auriga (upper right) shine brightly above the illuminated storm clouds. Photo taken on November 30, 2010.
The next clear night, try to count how many stars you can see in Orion and submit your result to Globe at Night -- the worldwide light pollution monitoring campaign. You have until March 6 to make your count. See the related link for Orion.
Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D; Focal Length: 18.0mm; Aperture: f/4.0; Exposure Time: 18.000 s; ISO equiv: 800; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Matrix; Exposure: Manual; Exposure Mode: Manual; White Balance: Auto; Flash Fired: No (enforced); Orientation: Normal
Color Space: sRGB.