Fireflies on a Mid-Summer's Night

July 20, 2016

Fireflies (2)

Photographer: Malcolm Park
Summary Authors: Malcolm Park; Jim Foster
 
On warm summer nights here in Ontario, Canada, we're treated to a wonderful display of blinking lights flitting along the tops of the shrubs. These fireflies or lightning bugs (Photinis pyralis) are a staple of spring and summer evenings in many parts of the world, including eastern North America. Only the male flies -- the females' wings are too short for flying.
 
Also in the frame above are Saturn (at upper right center), Antares, the brightest star in Scorpio (just below Saturn) and Mars, the brightest object in the field of view (at far right). Photo, taken on July 10, 2016, is a composite of 15 images layered to show all of the firefly trails.
 
Photo Details: Each image was shot as follows - Camera Model: NIKON D800; Lens: 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8; Focal Length: 24mm (35mm equivalent: 24mm); Aperture: ƒ/2.8; Exposure Time: 6.000 s; ISO equiv: 3200; Software: Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5 (Windows).
 

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